Day in the Life

Alpacas have brought impressive financial returns to many families, but it's the fun, hands-on nature of this lifestyle that has really captivated people searching for a simpler, more rewarding life. Whether making the switch from a fast-paced, corporate life, or adding alpacas to an already established rural setting, breeding alpacas can provide both income and pleasure, in a peaceful, stress-free lifestyle. But don't just take our word for it. See for yourself. Our "Day in the Life" chronicles our typical day from morning to night, as it relates to alpacas, of course. You'll see that the chores are easy, pleasurable and quickly complete, leaving plenty of time for other pursuits. Take a look and see if you can picture yourself in this lifestyle?

a typical day at HaSu 

7:30 am		The day begins. Even if it is cold it's still a joy to tend to the alpacas. Here we wait till spring for our new barn to be finished.

7:32 am		The alpacas spent the night in the barn for protection against the cold. On warmer days they would have access in and out on their own.

7:35 am Manure removal is a part of all livestock businesses. But thanks to the alpacas tidy habit of pooping in a centralized area, the job is never difficult. We prefer to muck daily for many reasons--disease prevention. fly control, odor elimination and it simply looks better. Alpaca poop scooping requires just a few essential tools-- a lightweight wheelbarrow, a pitchfork for separating the poop from the straw, a leaf rake and a wide, flat nosed aluminum shovel.

8:05 am Since it is winter now the alpacas are on hay 100%. They don't eat as much through the night, but we always replenish their hay stock so they have plenty feed to get them through the day. We have multiple large communal hay feeders per animal paddock and distribute additional hay in large plastic buckets. This assures that the less aggressive alpacas and crias never have to compete to get feed.

8:10 am Alpacas may be related to camels, but they do not share the ability to survive long periods without water. Alpacas need to have a constant source of clean water. The source should be easily accessible and protected from overheating in the warm months and freezing in the cold ones. We use a combination of small heated water buckets and large plastic tubs with submersible heaters. Each paddock has multiple waterers. Waterers need to be inspected daily for contamination and adequate supply

8:20 am		Having mucked all the paddocks and stalls, we dump the wheelbarrow. We compost our poop our gardens have never looked better.

8:25 am Not even an hour has passed and we have finished the "hard" stuff. Now we get to attend to the more fun chores-- dealing with the animals. Everyday we look over the herd making sure everyone is behaving normally and appears to be in good health. Here we are checking our little rose gray suri girl. The day before, having noticed tearing in Kivas eyes, we flushed them with Saline and applied terramycin. Today she checks out fine.

8:28 am Here we are inspecting Mohican's toenails. He was just 3 months old when we last did toenails and therefore didn't need a trim. It appears he will need it soon, but not today. He can probably wait until we do the entire herd again. Through daily animal interaction we can identify each animal's health needs in a timely manner and assure that they get the best care. But an additional benefit of frequent contact is a herd that is calm and trusting around humans.

8:31 am Today's morning routine involves some tasks not done on a daily basis. Otherwise, we'd be finished by now. Here Susan is readying materials needed to microchip four crias. We do this in our vet room, where we can assure things stay as sterile as possible. We use an Avid mini chip reader and Avid microchips. The chips are inserted under the skin via a large needled syringe already loaded with a chip.

8:35 am		After swabbing the area with alcohol, Hazen inserts the syringe. We prefer to chip just above the tail on the rump for ease of scanning.

8:45 am		Now we tend to a cria, we noted, earlier, needed her eyes checked. We flush her eyes with saline to remove any foreign matter.

8:48 am		After her eyes have been flushed with Saline, we apply terramycin.

8:54am		With the morning routine finished, we have the day open to focus on marketing, planning, training, or anything we desire.

6:45 pm Now the evening routine begins-- light mucking, restocking and dinner. We feed our alpacas in individual bowls, spaced at least 4 feet apart on the ground to cut down on competition. We use an Agway grain formulated specifically for alpacas. The "Lactation/Gestation" blend is fed to pregnant and nursing moms. The males and maidens get a "Maintenance" blend. All the grain is then top-dressed with the Agway Alpaca Blend E mineral supplement.

7:00 pm		After replenishing hay and water, the frenzy begins. Our alpacas are the only ones truly appreciative of Susan's dinners.

7:10 pm		There is nothing so peaceful as the farm at dusk. The chores are finished and everyone, human and animal alike, settles in for the night.