Socialising your Alpacas
Socialising and training your alpacas is essential for their well-being. Training must involve desensitisation and patience. Start by handling them gently, then gradually introduce the halter. Walking training should be done in small, calm sessions, using a clicking sound as a cue. Reward them by relaxing the lead when they take a step. With practice, they will learn to walk on the lead comfortably.
Herd Bucket Training
This one is super simple: Feed at the same time every day and in the same place. Use shallow buckets so they can look out while eating and feel more comfortable.
Our herd knows when it's 4 p.m. They gather in the shed and watch me walk from the house down the hill into the shed. Then, I have 100 eyes on me, urging me to walk faster. Yes, they do recognize people!
Note: feed in buckets rather than the grass to reduce worm burden issues and to stop the hay from going mouldy.
Cria halter training
Alpacas are naturally averse to being touched, so training them to overcome this instinct is crucial. This involves desensitisation, which means repeating the same action until the animal becomes comfortable.
Training requires multiple short, calm sessions and a great deal of patience. Like all animals, some alpacas learn more quickly than others and are easier to train.
Assertive crias take longer to train. Different breeders have their techniques for training alpacas, and you can find instructional videos online.
We aim to build trust with our alpacas and have found the following methods effective on our farm.
We start handling the animals while they are with their dams. Initially, we sit in the paddocks with them without touching or grabbing them, allowing them to approach us as they are naturally curious. We close our eyes so as not to threaten them and remain still and silent. Being still shows the animals that we are never a threat.
Once they have seen us several times and realize who we are, we start touching and stroking their neck. After several sessions, running a hand down their back creates a level of trust, and the cria can be caught and gently held. Catching and holding are needed early on to inject vaccines and vitamins and record body score condition.
Touching and rubbing the head, lips, and ears can begin, and it's sometimes possible to discover that the cria has a particular spot they enjoy being rubbed. Being able to touch all parts of the head is essential, not only for halter fitting but also should you or a vet need to examine the eyes or the mouth.
Then, we start by simply allowing it to see and smell the halter, but in later sessions, we touch it against the nose and face without actually fitting it. Only when the halter is not avoided is it placed over the nose—raising it from beneath the cria's head rather than lowering it from above. If the cria remains calm when the halter nose band is placed on the upper nose, it can be buckled for a short period; otherwise, additional sessions will be necessary.
The halter must be the right size and properly fitted to avoid restricting the cria's nasal breathing. Otherwise, the cria will panic and become fearful of the halter.
Gradually extend the touching and rubbing of the cria's body down to the legs and feet. This will make it easier to examine the legs and trim the toenails in the future. By six to eight months, your cria should be comfortable with wearing a halter and standing still on a lead.
Walking Training
In order to train your alpaca, it's important to approach the process calmly and with patience. Short training sessions are better than long ones, and each session should end on a positive note to make the next one easier.
Start by training your alpaca in a small pen, ideally 3 x 3 meters, with other alpacas nearby. Once your cria is haltered and on a lead, stand to the animal's side with about half a meter of lead between you and the cria. Gently pull the lead, causing the cria to step sideways to maintain its balance. Accompany this process with a clicking sound, and reward the alpaca by immediately relaxing the tension on the lead when it moves. Repeat this process from both sides and at the end of each session, gently remove the halter but hold the cria for a few seconds before releasing it.
Most cria will initially resist moving and may kush or roll in protest. In these cases, it's important to get them to quietly stand again on the halter. Once this can be done easily, you can move on to teaching forward motion. For this, you can use a larger enclosure if available, or somewhere close to their herd. Once the cria is haltered and standing alongside you, face the direction you want the animal to go.
When leading a cria, start by making a clicking sound and gently pulling the lead. Some will naturally take a step, but most will resist, so starting with the off-balance moves as above may be needed. Relax the lead when a step is taken. Some crias will be obstinate, and gentle pressure on their rear quarters can provoke movement - occasionally, they may jump around. Wait 5-10 seconds before repeating. As the cria starts to understand what is wanted, gradually increase the number of steps before giving a longer lead.
Remember to keep the lead relaxed when the cria takes a step. This is the cria's reward for the desired behaviour rather than being petted or spoken to. Avoid pulling hard on the lead, as being haltered and expected to follow a lead can be overwhelming for a young alpaca. As mentioned earlier, short training sessions are better than long ones, and after a few sessions, the cria will start to understand what is expected. With more practice, they will become more comfortable with walking on the halter and lead. Once they learn, alpacas do not forget how to walk on a lead.
Where can I buy a halter?
You can try Alpaca Dynamics or Zephyr Halter. Small, medium, and large sizes are available. Only use halters made for alpacas.
Our alpaca workshops in the Hunter Valley
Join our alpaca workshop to learn how to handle and catch alpacas in small pens and get more comfortable with them. Our workshops take place monthly in Wollombi Valley, Hunter Valley, just 90 minutes from Sydney and one hour from the Central Coast. Visit our website for the full program details.
Alpaca Books
Learning material can be purchased online via our website for farming alpacas.
Hope to see you soon, thanks Daniela
