Reasons to
give it a go

We thought this page could be ‘reasons why I need alpacas’ because if you’re reading this you think you do, and if you’ve been to visit us and met the Barnacre Alpacas, you will know you do!

The good news is that with our livery service you can own alpacas without land and with our ‘friendly champion’ herd we also help you fill your fields with these truly magical creatures.

Reasons to give it a go

Living the alpaca dream is very achievable, just a few years ago we worked in offices with no land, no large animal experience and no farming background at all. We are now the very proud owners of some of the best alpacas genetics you can find, in the world, and we are breeders of friendly champions with multiple supreme and championship awards.

We love our alpacas, get huge pleasure from them and our business is profitable. Sounds good so far?!

Your reasons to keep alpacas, in our experience, is a combination of business, pleasure and passion.

    What do we do?

    Business: keeping and breeding alpacas can be profitable. Income can be generated from:

    Fleece: alpaca is ‘the fleece of the gods’ and the fibre is very valuable. Here at Barnacre Alpacas we turn each of our alpaca fleeces into something, be it beautiful hand knitted hats, scarves, gloves…this is a high quality premium priced product, felted gifts or luxury bedding for you or the local birds and the more you do with it the more value can be created.

    Breeding alpacas: this is an art and science, a joy and frustrating! Like many things in life ‘you get what you pay for’. An ill-tempered, poor quality alpaca might well be ‘cheap’ and over the last few years cheap animals have been getting, well…cheaper. By contrast our experience is that ‘friendly champions’ are both in demand and in short supply. Come and meet Barnacre Meketaten and Wyona Sunburst to name just a couple and you will find out why…

    Other income: like stud fees, farm visits, training courses, livery fees, tax planning…at Barnacre Alpacas we offer all these services.

    Pleasure: although Barnacre Alpacas is a profitable enterprise, the value we and you get from alpacas can be incredible. A hobby to share with loved ones, friends and passers-by!

    If at first you think all alpacas look and behave the same then come and visit the Barnacre herd and prepare to be amazed…this really is the best living soap opera in the world!

    Passion: if you’re nuts about alpacas then the good news is that you’re in good company, so are we. Standing in the show ring and being awarded rosettes and better still supreme or champion ribbons is amazing. Seeing one of your females give birth after a 11 and a half month pregnancy is terrifying and exciting. Watching a field full of cria (young alpacas) ‘pronking’ round the field in the evening is hilarious. Counting how many of your alpaca hats you see ‘walking’ around Northumberland is so very fulfilling.

    Hopefully these excuses, we mean reasons, to give alpacas a go is helpful – we are only a phone call, email and car ride away. Barnacre Alpacas look forward to meeting you soon.