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August 20, 2019
Social Environment for Alpacas
By: Unknown
Social Environment:
Alpacas need to live in association with other herd animals, preferably at least one other alpaca but three is a herd. Without appropriate companionship, most will fail to thrive. Therefore, it is recommended that alpacas never live alone. An alpaca should not be raised as a single baby away from any other camelids.
Alpha or highly territorial males may need to be corralled separately, but should be within sight of other alpacas.
Crias should remain with their dams until at least four months of age. (Six months or seventy pounds is recommended to promote normal behavior and to assure good nutrition (allow for maturation of the fore-stomach)). When deprived of this herd environment during their growth and development, they can develop severely abnormal ways of relating
to humans at sexual maturity or earlier.
Crias should never be sold as pets to be intentionally bottle-fed. Bottle-feeding should take place in a herd environment and only when medically necessary to ensure the health of the dam and/or the cria.
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