The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Camelids => Topic started by: david c on May 05, 2015, 01:13:29 am
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Unfortunately due to car problems I did not get to the auction. Did anyone go and what were the prices like?
cheers
David
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Hi,
I was there, but didn't stay for long I just saw the first part of the dispersal sale, I had to leave or I would have bought some, and my partner warned me not to come home with any.
Prices were so low, for the dispersal females which were aged from about 1 year to 12 years old started at £150 with the majority in about the £240 mark and the top price was £900. As I said I had to leave because I think they would of had trouble selling the males, and suspect that there would be many that would not even get a bid!
Regards
Sue
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Cheers Sue,
That's what I suspected it would be like. I'd be really interested in what the males did.
I went last year - less in and the prices for the females sound about the same. Some intact males were about the £90 mark or so. It go me thinking that alpacas have reached saturation point and consequently, unless superb fleece / genetics, this is about the right price level. I'm struggling to see how you can make a viable business on fleece alone and understand that there is great reluctance from breeders / breed association for them entering the food chain. However, at this level it looks to me that you could be adding meat / joints / sausages to the mix along with skin sales - anyone doing this up north?
Cheers
David
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Wonder if they were TB tested. , . . . . .doubt it somehow!
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There is no TB test for alpaca, as far as I know. They can carry it, and can pass it to humans, but as yet there's no reliable test. :(