Choosing your first alpacas - Country Smallholding

Advice from Joy Whitehead of Bozedown Alpacas in Oxfordshire

Are you looking for exotic lawn mowers? Or stock protectors? Or a new and fascinating lifestyle? Then alpacas could be for you. I made that lifestyle choice 26 years ago. In those days there was very little information about alpacas. Now there is lots, and at our family-run farm, Bozedown Alpacas, we run regular Beginners Day Courses covering a wide range of topics to help participants to choose the right alpacas for their individual situation. For information on courses and alpacas in general, please visit www.bozedown-alpacas.co.uk.

With about 700 pedigree alpacas at Bozedown Farm, both huacayas and suris in all colours, we breed and offer for sale some of the finest alpacas in the world, alongside legendary stud services. Even the very competitively-priced gelded males we offer as pets and stock protectors can yield fleeces of the highest quality. All our alpacas offer genuine value for money. For a breeding enterprise it’s essential to ensure that your foundation stock are easy breeders and good nursing mothers from reliable breeding lines; so, our breeding females are supplied with complete histories and veterinary health certificates with full training offered. Our caring and knowledgeable after sales advice will assure you of the best possible start on your exciting alpaca journey; my niece Mary-Jo (0771 8750303) and I look forward to meeting you.

MORE: www.bozedown-alpacas.co.uk

Lusi Alpacas

Lulu Oliver at Lusi Alpacas in Northamptonshire recalls the growth of their business, and promotes an alpaca festival

We started Lusi Alpacas in 2007. Why? Because we fell in love with alpacas after seeing a small cria fighting for its life on television. This sparked our interest and we set about finding out all we could about these delightful animals.

Fast-forward to 2015 and we now have a happy, healthy herd of mainly black alpacas with a couple of lovely greys and fawns mixed in. Having researched and acquired the best bloodlines we could to produce ever improving quality alpacas, both in conformation and fleece traits, we now have a thriving business selling both alpacas and products here in the UK and Europe.

A couple of years ago, I wanted to get more involved with the alpaca world so took on the position of chairman of the Heart of England Alpaca Group. A regional group affiliated to the British Alpaca Society, we provide education, support and advice to our members, who now number over 50 breeders and owners.

The group stages the Spring Alpaca Fiesta which takes place this year at Bury Farm Equestrian Centre, Bucks on April 11-12. This is one of the most popular shows of the year with 300 alpacas competing. Later in the year we will have the Autumn Fleece Show, which is now one of the largest fleece shows in Europe.

MORE: Details can be found on www.heartofenglandalpacagroup.co.uk Also see www.lusialpacas.co.uk. Lusi Alpacas is based in Northamptonshire