Comments on: Alpaca Death – Preserve an alpaca hide into a fur

By: Deborah

Deborah — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 21:38:39 +0000

I wish to THANK YOU for approaching a sensitive subject…of our endearing alpacas…
I am certain it took much deliberation to get to the point of doing it, then documenting it.
When I first was interested in alpacas, and visited several ranches, I would ask the owner(s), “What does one do w/ them when they expire? Do you harvest the meat and the fleece?” “Oh no!” was their reply,….in other words, it was ….”Perish the thought;
these are my beloved pets!” ….but sooner or later the reality sets in, and we make decisions based on economics($$$) or emotions.
But my visits, were based on a business adventure, that was both loving and profitable. We love our alpacas, they are behaved, and yet we are drawing nearer to the reality of what to do with our eldest dam, praying that we can get ONE female out of her, before she gets too physiologically drained from the pregnancy demands on her body.
I want to know that we have a plan for her, just as I would want my wishes, and my husband to have a plan for me, in the event that I expire.
Her fleece is looking sadder each year, as she is 15 yrs old, so tanning will not be for this animal.
I plan to discuss this w/my husband after reading this today, and yes, maybe we too, will consider processing the meat…as the hide would not be of much use, when considering esthetics vs. tanning process costs.
Wait till more people see the soaring prices of groceries in the stores for the year 2012…They WILL start to consider other options for all their livestock…even llamas, horses, …and our darling alpacas.
Thank you for being a realist, I also thank Meagan Mazzarino, for stepping up to admit, the Peruvians eat alpaca, not JUST because they are a poorer country, or that it is all they have to eat; but that cattle ranchers eat their beef, and sheep farmers eat lamb, mutton??? ….so why shouldn’t we as alpaca ranchers do the same???
If it is edible, tasty, and most of all healthy, ….then I say, “Such is life.”

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:18:54 +0000

We recently had a yearling alpaca die of a series of complications. He had excellent fleece, so I thought it would be a waste to simply bury him. Long story short, we skinned him and are in the process of making a nice rug. Your article was very helpful and I will be using Sivko Fur to do the processing.
Thank you!

By: Karrie

Karrie — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:13:28 +0000

Fantastic article. I know it is a touchy subject for many and I am sensitive to the thoughts/beliefs of others, even though they may not be the same as mine. My husband and I have been quite open and honest about our beliefs when it comes to raising livestock. When the public asks, do you eat them, I tell them “not yet”. It makes sense to fully utilize all these creatures have to offer. It is an acceptable part of other fiber industries, goats, sheep, rabbits. If we do not utilize all these animals have to offer us, then I believe it is a waste and not honoring their purpose. Good for you and thank you for providing these resources. When the time comes I will remember your article. Sincerely, Karrie Myer

By: Sara

Sara — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 17:59:30 +0000

Thanks for the posting! We skinned a cria yesterday and found it to be a very easy process. After 10 years of raising alpacas this was the first cria I have lost, and he had a very nice fleece. But to be honest, times are changing and my animals have become livestock to me (as they eventually must) so when he became very sick I was not willing to spend extra money or time on saving another male who would eventually become a gelding in my fiber herd.

Personally, I don’t believe in paying a vet to kill an animal. A rifle did the job very quickly. My son helped me hang a rope over a high branch, and we hung the cria by its hind legs to work with it. My 23 year old daughter who is entering the RN program took the challenge of harvesting the blanket. Her anatomy classes and experience with cadavers came in handy, but honestly it was much like skinning a chicken, or trimming the fat from a nice steak. Any of you could do it.

I felt very good about the whole experience. We have a very large, mean, aggressive male who is slated for barbeque this summer, and now I feel prepared to take on the much larger challenge of his hide. I plan to try the curing process myself, as well. On behalf of every alpaca farmer trying to make a business profitable in difficult times, thanks for broaching this touchy topic.

By: Meagan Mazzarino

Meagan Mazzarino — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:56:49 +0000

I’m not sure why you feel the need to apologize for entertaining the thought of eating your alpaca. In Peru, alpaca meat is consumed daily by many. It is delicious, nutritious, and healthier than many other meat options (and I admit that I love it)! If you ever start selling alpaca meat I would be more than happy to buy it from you (in fact I found your post while trying to find a local farm that sells alpaca meat)! I realize that meat consumption choices are in part cultural, in part health related, in part ecological, and in part political. But for those who eat other types of meat, why not try alpaca?

By: admin

admin — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:45:01 +0000

If tanned properly it should remain soft just like deer skin gloves do. The only care you’d need to do is vaccum it to remove dust and debris or send it to a fur savvy dry cleaner for deeper cleanings.

By: Dale Blunk

Dale Blunk — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:24:58 +0000

I gave an alpaca to a friend of mine. He died of old age recently and my friend just gave me his tanned hide. My question is how do I keep the hide conditioned so it doesn’t get brittle?

By: Kathryn | Alpacamundo

Kathryn | Alpacamundo — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 22:04:00 +0000

First I want to say how sad I am that you have had to make this decision. I know it’s not easy.

Our original alpaca purchase included a much older dam, so we knew we would face her old age sooner rather than later. This means we had to make a similar decision a few years later, but shortly after our herd was finally on our own property.

Since we were new to the area, our vet helped us identify several options.

CSU offers emergency services as well as necropsy, burial and cremation. Or we could call a rendering service, bury her in the pasture or take her to the dump. I assume a pet cemetary would also be possible, but it’s not something we considered.

We decided to have her euthanized and then dropped her off at CSU for cremation. It was the right decision for us at the time, but it was a very silent trip to/from the vet school.

I’m sure it was difficult documenting the process of preparing your alpaca’s hide but I am glad to be able to read about it now. I wish we had simlar contacts in place when our old girl passed.

Since we plan to be alpaca ranchers for the entire foreseeable future, I know this decision will be presented again.

Thank you very much for sharing this difficult process and for giving me another avenue to consider. I look forward to reading about your carriage lap robe.

By: Mette

Mette — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 13:36:05 +0000

Good for you for writing about this. Its sad when we loose or have to put an animal down but I believe that its a waist not to use such a great hide… Its one other way to try to re-coop our investments.
Have a fleecy day…