THEY are popular among sheep farmers for keeping foxes at bay but the Australian Alpaca Association wants people to learn more about the curious South American animals.
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As part of Alpaca Week (April 30 to May 8) farmers will open their farm gates to help educate people about the animals.
"It started off as an expensive hobby, but we're gradually getting there,” said David Horn, who runs Amistad Alpacas at Lavington with his wife Bronwyn Mills.
“We had sheep and were losing lambs but once I got an alpaca we never lost one lamb to foxes and it just grew from there.”
They will hold an open day between 10am and 4pm on Sunday, May 1, at their Pearsall Street property involving five other alpaca studs from the Albury-Wodonga region.
The program will involve breeder talks about the animals as well as fleece and alpaca product sales, wool spinning and more.
Amistad runs about 100 Huacaya and Suri alpacas on their Lavington acreage, and also run sheep and train herd minders at Yackandandah.