The Alpaca Handbook: The Complete Guide to Raising a Happy and Healthy Herd

by Rebecca Gill

Overview

Learn to create a safe and loving environment for your alpaca herd.

The Alpaca Handbook is the essential guide to raising, feeding, breeding, selling, and enjoying alpacas on the farm—whether you’re raising them for fun or for profit. In this book, you’ll learn everything you need to know to become a successful alpaca owner. With advice and real-world experience, Rebecca Gill of Cotton Creek Farms guides you in:

• Setting up your property, fencing, and feeding
• Buying, breeding, and selling alpacas
• Understanding and influencing alpaca behavior
• Taking care of medical needs and herd health
• Delivering happy, healthy crias
• Profiting from fiber, agritourism, or a farm store
• Involving youth in alpaca-raising through 4-H
• And more!

Not only will you gain knowledge about keeping alpacas through every stage of their lives, you’ll also be able to create a happy, healthy home for your alpaca herd and avoid the classic mistakes that prohibit many alpaca owners from living the lifestyle they want.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493092277
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	03/03/2026
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.00(d)

About the Author

Rebecca Gill is an alpaca farmer who lives just outside of Traverse City, Michigan. In 2018, she and her husband, Jason, left the suburban life of metro Detroit, sold everything they owned, and moved north to start an alpaca farm. After buying their first set of alpacas, the duo (and their son, Hunter) fell in love with this magical animal and fully jumped into the alpaca industry. Cotton Creek Farms is now an active alpaca farm that offers breedings, alpacas for sale and interactive tours; manufactures and sells alpaca goods through their online and on-site farm store; offers color genotype consulting; and provides education and mentoring to new farms and those interested in raising alpacas. Rebecca and Jason serve on association boards, participate in internal association committees, and provide education through industry shows and webinars.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Raising Alpacas for Fun, Love, and Profit
Chapter 1: Is the Alpaca Lifestyle Right for You and Your Farm?
Chapter 2: Top Considerations and Decision Points
Chapter 3: Steps for Starting an Alpaca Business
Chapter 4: Visiting Farms and Finding a Mentor
Chapter 5: Creating the Ideal Farm Setup and Infrastructure
Chapter 6: The Beginner’s Guide to Purchasing a Starter Alpaca Herd
Chapter 7: Understanding and Influencing Alpaca Behavior
Chapter 8: Taking Care of Medical Issues and Herd Health
Chapter 9: Diving into Fiber Characteristics and Color Genotyping
Chapter 10: Options and Techniques for Breeding Alpacas
Chapter 11: Delivering Healthy and Happy Cria
Chapter 12: What to Know about Alpaca Shearing
Chapter 13: Maximize Your Profits from Fiber
Chapter 14: Setting Up a Farm Store and Agritourism
Chapter 15: Involving the Youth
Chapter 16: Selling Alpacas
Chapter 17: Marketing Your Farm in a Digital World
Afterword
Suggested Resources
Index