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Our Services
Training courses
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Introduction to alpacas |
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Prior knowledge assumed: nil. |
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Aimed at those with little or no knowledge of alpacas, this course discusses alpacas’ nature, and needs, and what you’ll need to get started, how to go about planning your venture, and some hands-on alpaca introduction. |
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There is some manual handling involved so ‘very casual’ clothing and rough footwear is called for (bring wellies in case it’s wet). There are always plenty of questions so the timing may be a little ‘loose’. |
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Course limited to 8. |
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Duration: 1 day |
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Hours: 9-5. |
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Cost: £65* per head includes lunch with wine, and refreshments. |
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Handling and Husbandry |
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Prior knowledge assumed: nil. |
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Aimed at those who have decided (or almost decided!) to take the plunge. This course covers all aspects of alpaca husbandry, handling, and nutrition. You will learn herding, catching, and holding; foot-trimming, injections (sub-cutaneous and intra-muscular), and oral drenching, the all-important condition scoring, and - perhaps most important of all - ‘when to call the vet’. This is a busy day and hard work for all involved…but great fun! |
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There is a lot of manual handling involved so farm clothes and wellies please. There are always plenty of questions so the timing may be a little ‘loose’. |
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Course limited to 8. |
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Duration: 1 day |
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Hours: 9-5. |
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Cost: £65* per head includes lunch with wine, and refreshments. |
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Introduction to Breeding |
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Prior knowledge assumed: it is not necessary to have any prior knowledge as all aspects will be fully explained. However the emphasis of this course is quite technical and so will probably be of more interest to those who are familiar with alpacas and want to start a breeding program. |
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Aimed at those who own alpacas and are about to embark on a breeding program. This course
introduces the basics of breeding and selection, reproductive anatomy and processes (this section is presented by our vet), and the practice of organising matings and monitoring pregnancy. |
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The majority is classroom work though we try to end with a ‘real-life’ demonstration when possible. |
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Course limited to 15. |
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Duration: 1 day |
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Hours: 9-5. |
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Cost: £95* per head, includes lunch with wine, and refreshments. |
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Course notes:
Introduction to Alpacas and Husbandry courses are usually run on consecutive days. If you want to take both courses the cost is £110 (i.e. £20 discount) for the two days. There is plenty of B&B accommodation locally.
If you subsequently buy alpacas from us the price you’ve paid for Introduction to Alpacas and Husbandry courses will be refunded, and if you've already bought alpacas from us these courses are free.
*VAT applies to all prices
Family introduction visits
Why not bring the family to meet and handle some alpacas and see how an alpaca farm operates? We’re in the heart of the fabulously beautiful Peak District so make a day of it. Your children are very welcome: we’ll show them how to hold and handle alpacas if they want, and if they don’t then there’s plenty of space for them to run around and explore! Bring a picnic or we can arrange a lunch or dinner for you.
We’re surrounded by beautiful walks and bridleways and there’s a horse trekking centre just up the road.
If you’d like to make a weekend of it we can put you in touch with some local B&Bs. Visit the Roman town of Buxton, take in a show at the Opera House, do some shopping, or tour some of our fabulous local pubs. The market town of Bakewell and nearby Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall are about 30 minutes drive away.
Shearing services
We provide a shearing service to all alpaca owners at our farm. Any number of alpacas may be brought by arrangement on either a shear-and-go, or a stay-over basis.
Shearing:
1 – 20 Alpacas £15 per head
> 20 Alpacas £13 per head
Additional services done at the same time as shearing:
Nail trimming £1
Teeth trimming £2
Fighting teeth removal £1
Injections £0.50 (not including product)
Our own clients enjoy a 20% discount on these prices
VAT applies to all prices
Agistment
We offer ‘full livery’ (agistment) to your alpacas. You might be interested in this facility for a number of reasons.
- You want to benefit from alpaca farming but have no land at present. This way you can get your business started straightaway.
- If you have limited land you could manage your herd separation (males/females/weanlings) this way.
- Something’s ‘come up’ and you need some ‘baby-sitting’ done.
- You want to ‘ease into’ alpaca ownership knowing someone else experienced is always on hand to look after your alpacas.
- You have bought a single alpaca you particularly wanted and it will be some time before you will buy the rest of the group (alpacas must never be kept alone).
We will make a daily, weekly, or monthly charge (based on your needs) that covers all the alpaca’s needs. Then we look after them as if they were our own. Rates are higher in winter than summer (due feed requirement), but discounts are available if you agist multiple alpacas with us.
You can have access to your alpacas whenever you wish, secure in the knowledge that you and all our other agistment owners always conform to our safety and security rules!
Selling on commission
If you still have a small herd and have not started a marketing program but wish to sell one, or a few, of your alpacas we can include your alpacas in our ‘Sale Pen’. We will treat them in every way as if they were our own and promote them likewise. When sold we will deduct an agreed commission and agistment fee.
Buying and Auction advice
We can provide you with buying advice. If we don’t have the alpaca you need and we can’t get it for you, we can accompany you either to other breeders or to auction to give unbiased advice on the alpacas you are considering and guide you as to their market value. You should be very wary of buying at auction unless you have sufficient experience!
Business plans
Any business should have a business plan as one of its cornerstones, but this is particularly important if you are looking to borrow money or apply for a grant. We can help you with the formulation of your business plan.
Accountancy
If you are looking to make the most of the tax advantages of alpaca farming – and this is particularly important if you have another income – then you would do well to employ the services of an agriculturally specialist accountant with knowledge of the alpaca business. We can arrange this for you.
Finance
We are not a bank or a finance company! However we are very keen to encourage those who are determined to become alpaca owners but whose funds or cash flow are limited, and we have made some very successful and flexible arrangements in the past. Do contact us to discuss your situation.
Pre-sales advice
Everyone’s situation is different so you need advice tailor made for you. We can advise you on all areas of your alpaca venture including the type and quality of alpaca you should be looking for, land management and layout, equipment, and support services.
After sales support
See our Sales section for full details of our after-sales support.
Sales
See our Sales section.
Stud Services
We offer a range of quality males in various colours to enhance your breeding program. Contact us to discuss your requirements.
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