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Earth Friendly
Animals
Our goal was to create and nurture a healthy
small farm environment that would be beautiful, productive and
environmentally sound. Our operation had to utilize the principals of
organic gardening and sustainable agriculture. We wanted animals that
would be consistent with our need to generate income from the farm, but
not take away from our earth-friendly life style. We have found that
alpacas are the perfect fit.
Alpacas are easy on the land. They have
padded feet, so they do not tear up the ground or compact the soil like
hoofed animals. They are grazer, but do not pull the grass up by its
roots. They convert forage efficiently and do not eat as much as other
pasture animals. A herd of alpacas can be raised on just a few acres
(5-10 per acre).
Alpacas are less like to pollute nearby
waterways or ponds than many other grazing animals. Alpacas are ruminant
animals, whose dung has been processed through a three-compartment
stomach. The result is generally firm pellet-like droppings. Alpacas
also use a common dung pile. This makes it easy to gather and helps
control the spread of parasites and disease.
Alpaca dung is an excellent fertilizer and
much. Alpaca dung is not "hot" like chicken or cow manure. It can be
composted or applied directly into the garden, or flowers and trees. It
has a balanced nitrogen content that does not burn plants or trees. It
can be scattered on empty pasture areas in the early spring to replenish
the soil and grow healthy green grass for the alpacas to eat.
Finally, alpacas provide a very useful
product, their luxurious fiber, which is a renewable resource. Alpacas
are shorn annually, usually i the spring. They can produce from five to
ten pounds of fiber each year that can be sold or processed into a wide
variety of quality products. |
