PACAPLAN - Farm Planning for new breeders
Plan to Succeed. Having made the decision to farm alpacas you need to provide for their needs. Regardless of whether you have 2 or 200 alpacas, it will be important to have your future Farm Plan established so you can proceed in an organised fashion without making costly mistakes.
For someone just starting out and looking to the future, there will be some fundamental questions you will want answered.
- How many alpacas can I run on my land?
- How many paddocks will I need?
- What kind of fencing will I need?
- Will my soil be appropriate?
- Are the existing pastures suitable?
- Will I need to provide shelter in these paddocks?
- How will I move alpacas around the farm?
- Do I need to keep stud males separate from others? And if so where?
- How will I load alpacas easily into transport vehicles?
- Are dams suitable for alpacas?
- What kind of drinking watering systems should I install?
- How & where will I administer health treatments (injections, toe-nail trimming, shearing)? And where will the vet work on his visits?
Share in our Reseach
Whilst establishing our farm at Flowerdale Estate we visited over 30 alpaca farms in Victoria, NSW, SA, Queensland, the US and Canada. As a result we have developed a Five Year Plan for our farm, based on all of the best facilities and methods observed.
What we offer
You don't need facilities for 200 alpacas on day one. You will probably be able to start with a couple of small paddocks and a shed. It is important though to have your future Farm Plan on paper so you can grow your alpaca stud in an organised manner, without making unnecessary mistakes. Flowerdale Alpacas provide the following service to assist new breeders:
- An invitation to our farm to see how we are answering the above questions
- A review of our 5 Year Farm Plan
- A visit by us to your farm, to evaluate the existing infrastructure and future possibilities
- Assistance with preparation of your plan
Detail of our Farm Plan
- Selection of land
- Soil testing:
- PH, trace element, mineral balance correction - Pasture improvement:
- weed control
- aeration - Farm layout:
- laneways
- fencing
- corals / catching pens
- loading for transport
- planting fodder trees - Shelter:
- natural trees
- supplementary planting - Barn layout:
- work areas for alpaca husbandry
- facilities for vet visits
- shearing areas
- area for weighing
- feed storage - Feeding & drinking systems
To get things rolling we suggest you provide us with a few details.
Cost
There is a reasonable charge to cover our time involvement plus traveling costs. This fee can be offset (in part or in full) against animal purchase should you decide to buy alpacas from us.
AN EASY WAY TO START
If you don't already own alpacas you may wish to consider agistment.
Some people find agistment an ideal way to build their herd whilst they establish their land.
It also allows them to work with the breeder to learn about herd management before "taking the plunge."
See how Mary and Deb are using agistment to build an exciting alpaca future.
Please call us for a chat.
Farm Planning
Contact us on the form at left or phone Flowerdale Alpacas on 5784 5631.