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Alpaca Droppings as Fertilizer?

13 years ago

My husband and I just bought two alpacas this week and I was reading up on them. I saw one website said you can use their droppings directly on gardens without composting, but I couldn't find anything else on it. Does anyone else have any experience using their poop as rose fertilizer? They are full grown alpacas, 4 & 6 years old and will be mainly on a diet of hay, with some llama food as a supplement. Thanks!

Tammy

Here is a picture of them at their current home. They will be arriving here in 2 weeks after we finish their fencing. The red one is named Kippy and is a Huacaya, the blonde one is Cicero and is a suri. Both gelded males. Had to show them off while asking about the benefits of their poop ;)
{{gwi:252614}}

Comments (14)

  • 13 years ago

    Here is this persons take on it...
    Cool animals by the way... :)

    Here is a link that might be useful: Article on alpaca manure

  • 13 years ago

    Type in "Are Alpaca dropping good for fertilizer" and you should get more info...

    Here is a link that might be useful: Another article

  • 13 years ago

    Thanks Jim! I don't know why I was having trouble finding more info. It sounds like that one source I read yesterday was correct, I can use it directly on the roses without composting or mixing. Everyone keeps asking me what good the alpacas are if I'm not going to sell their hair....well, now I have my answer! They are living rose fertilizer makers!

    Tammy

  • 13 years ago

    Yep rose fertilizer makers for sure...
    Have fun with your Alpaca's...But watch where you step...lol

  • 13 years ago

    One of the good things you'll find about alpacas (and llamas, too) is that they pick a corner of their paddock to become their toilet. It makes for easy pick-up, and you shouldn't have to "watch where you step" much at all.

    :-)

    ~Christopher

  • 13 years ago

    So its organized fertilizer as well...excellent!

  • 13 years ago

    Tammy, our friends used to have two alpacas and offered us free 'fertilizer'. Unfortunately, they no longer have them.
    Alpaca's droppings is a great stuff - never burns plants, is free of unwanted weed seeds (something about alpacas having several stomachs).
    A few years ago I had a visitor in my garden and she commented on how she liked the look of 'marbles' I used for mulch around the roses:) I had to do some explanations:))))
    Marina

  • 13 years ago

    I know nothing about them, but man are they cute. They look like big teddy bears:)
    Maude

  • 13 years ago

    Maude, if Tammy shares pics when her boys grow in some hair, you'll see the differences between huacaya and suri alpacs. The former look like poodles, the latter like maltese (with respect to the texture, but not necessarily the color, of their hair).

    I go through "fascination phases" whereby I virtually research things to death in lieu of being able to actually obtain the object of my desire. One of them was with alpacas. Having only ever lived in the suburbs, I contended myself with two handmade stuffed alpaca "dolls" made in Peru from their fur (from an ebay seller). Both are white, one is huacaya and the other suri. I also bought a bunch of things made from their wool. The sweaters are as light as rabbit angora but as warm as sheep's wool.

    Good luck with your boys, Tammy. And I have a feeling you soon won't be limiting yourself to those two. Males that aren't deemed "perfect" enough to be maintained whole for further breeding are often gelded and offered for sale much cheaper than their sisters or uncut brothers, but still offer much enjoyment as companion animals if you have the space for them. And they'll do their part by feeding your garden.

    :-)

    ~Christopher

  • 13 years ago

    Are their droppings like the pellets that come from goats and deer? We had goats for years and boy after they are finished with their food only small hard pellets come out. It takes years for these things to break down into compost. I guess in that case goat manure would be all right to mulch with right away as well.

    Very pretty, graceful animals.

  • 13 years ago

    Marina, I'm so glad to hear you had great results with it! I really prefer organic fertilizer, and you can't get much more organic than that!

    Susanne, we are actually thinking about getting a couple of goats to put with them once we get them settled in, and I too wonder if we could use the goat droppings. Of couse, they would be much harder to collect seeing as they don't poop in one spot like the alpacas :)

    Here's a couple of pictures I found online showing what Christopher was writing about in regard to their coats before shearing (these aren't my guys):

    Suri:
    {{gwi:252615}}

    huacaya
    {{gwi:252616}}

  • 13 years ago

    Thank you Christopher. I always love it when I have the chance to learn something new. I think the Hucaya type would be my favorite as it definitely looks like a huge poodle:)
    Maude

  • 13 years ago

    Ok Tammy, that seals the deal! I am officially inviting myself to your rose garden and to see those precious critters!
    How much fun!
    I'm down to one rabbit but it's nice having fresh poop from your own source!
    Best wishes for your new property.
    Susan

  • 13 years ago

    I've used llama manure with good results. Lou

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