How To Get Started

Do a lot of research before deciding what is right for you. You need to answer many questions. Are you going to board (agist) your alpacas, or are you establishing your own farm? How many animals should you buy for your foundation herd? Should you buy weanlings, pregnant females, males, or maybe just geldings for fiber? How much money are you willing to invest? What do you want to achieve a few years from now? Perhaps one of the best ways to answer these questions is to write a business plan.

We recommend that you visit as many alpaca farms as possible, at a minimum 3-4. Each farm is different and has its own individual style and method of operation. You will learn a little from each. Before the visits, prepare a list of questions you want to ask. When you purchase alpacas, it is important to consider the animals themselves, but it is also very important that you are buying from a farm that you feel comfortable with and that can provide you with continuing support after the sale. Like us, you will undoubtely have many questions during the first year of owning alpacas.

Go to our Useful Links page and browse around. There is a lot of alpaca information on the internet.

Join the national alpaca association - AOBA. You can do this even before you actually own any alpacas. They can provide you with a "starter" information packet. AOBA also has an extensive library available for members. You can check out videos, articles and books on a number of topics. Go to our Useful Links page for a link to AOBA.

Read Alpacas Magazine. Contact AOBA for subscription information.

Attend alpaca shows. In addition to being a great way to meet alpaca breeders and their alpacas, there are many educational opportunities at the shows, such as talks on health, training and fiber. AOBA will have listings of shows.

Contact us with any questions you may have. We will be happy to share our own experience with starting up Dream Spinner Farm. We can also provide you with a book list that we feel is essential for potential alpaca breeders. Click on the following link to send us an email: