Advice from owner Joy Whitehead

Alpacas are gentle on the environment. They are relatives of the camel, with soft padded feet with two toes and toenails. They soon get used to picking their feet up for you to trim their nails every few months. They don’t churn up the ground like horses and cattle; even though most evenings you may see them pronking (four-legged bouncing) around their paddock – the youngsters start them off and the dams can’t help joining in at times!

In fact, the worst thing about alpacas is that they are such time-wasters, as we just can’t help watching them! They find us fascinating too – whether we are pulling up weeds, cutting the hedge, clearing the poo piles or cleaning out a water trough – oh, yes… lovely puddles to paddle and stamp in: what fun!

Tap into our knowledge gained over 26 years breeding prizewinning alpacas! Our Beginners’ Day Courses, run throughout the year, cover many aspects of alpaca keeping, and try to give a wide view of the commitment and enjoyment of the alpaca lifestyle, as well as the costs and tax advantages. As far as possible we spend time observing alpacas in the paddocks, and working with them in pens or in the barn, to maximise the visual and hands-on learning experience. The next course is July 8.

MORE: Please visit our websitebozedown-alpacas.co.uk for lots of information about alpacas. We welcome all sales enquiries, whether for pet males, stock protectors, starter breeding groups or world class show quality and Bloodstock. You can always be sure of competent pre- and after-sales advice and support at fair prices. Call Mary-Jo on 0771 8750303.

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