In discussions with alpaca breeders the world over it is often that lifestyle is quoted as the reason they first purchased alpacas. For most it is an idyllic choice. However for everyone with alpacas there comes a point when decisions need to be made: How to move on the alpacas we no longer necessary in their breeding programs? How to finance those matings or new animals that we would like to buy? How to realise a return on the investment already made?More »

But I was caught off guard by a recent question posed by a patron at our Guest House when they asked: “Do you have much competition?” I had to pause, as it spoke volumes to me concerning how we, the alpaca industry, have created our image, not through spoken words, but rather in our actions. Instead, I smiled through gritted teeth and told her yes, I had much competition. And then I told her about my opponents. I have to compete with synthetic fibers. I have to compete with the cheap manufacture. I have to compete with chemically altered “natural” fibers. I have to compete using an animal that takes long to see genetic improvement.More »

When Doug and I first started Forest Glen Alpacas we were faced with the same question many farms face, how do we get people to come to our farm? As with most farms getting started our budget was very small and we had very limited knowledge of where to get the answers. So the advice of those who sold us our first animals became very important. After all what worked for them should work for us right? What worked for us was a combination of their advice and our own intuition as you will see.More »

A snapshot of the Australian alpaca industry of 2006 and an interesting comparison to the industry today, both in Australia and the US in terms of what we are and where we need to go.More »

When times are tough and they donʼt get much tougher than today, how can we develop a marketing programme that will allow us to communicate to our target market, develop relationships with these targets and successfully develop our alpaca business. The alpaca market has always been competitive. We all have to compete not just against other alpaca breeders but also against other livestock and farming options and alternative investment strategies. How can we identify those groups we are most likely to sell to and then develop effective and ongoing communication mechanisms to ensure that not only our business is successful but also that our clientsʼ businesses are successful. This is essential if we want to develop repeat business. Breeders are in the alpaca industry for a variety of reasons: lifestyle, income generation, advancing the breed are but a few reasons. By focusing your alpaca venture and developing both marketing and sales strategies, this will enable you to have the greatest number of options in achieving your alpaca goals.More »

We started in the alpaca business in 2005, just as the prices were beginning to surge and the excitement was building at the auctions. Alpacas sold like candy and we would feel sorry for the poor sole [sic] that sold their lot for a measly $12,000. We “drank the kool-aid” as did many and threw the same pitch to potential clients…”yes, we’re in it for the fiber, but first, we need more animals to create our US fiber herd, and that’s why we don’t cull any animals.” And then we learned of fiber stashes in basements and garages or worse yet, fiber being buried or thrown in the garbage…oh, and that merchants were not going to knock on our door to buy our fiber.More »