For more than 19 years, Kym and Lindsay Edmunds have run Huacaya alpacas on their property ‘Nyrang’ as part of their Andonbel Stud operations.
Over that time the pair have developed a strong affinity for the animal and make the most out of what they have to offer.
From fertilising the vegie garden to using the wool to make blankets, the Edmunds’ get the best out of their stock.
Something which started as a bit of a whim became a very busy enterprise.
“We had a business in town and we were not running any stock on our property,” Kym said.
“I had always liked alpacas so Lindsay and I decided to give them a go.
“My daughter came up with the name for the stud, Andonbel, which is made up from parts of our children’s names – Andrew, Donald and Belinda.
“From then on, we haven’t looked back.
“We started with three alpacas and currently have 80.
“At one stage we had more than 200, but we are scaling it back a bit now.
“They are a great animal,” she said.
Kym and Lindsay sell a large number of their good, young breeding females to a buyer in Queensland while farmers buy their wethers to be protectors of their flocks.
“Alpacas are good guard animals who are vigilant and very protective while remaining friendly towards humans,” Kym said.
“Wethered males have become very popular flock protectors, especially for sheep and goats.
“They have an innate aversion to dogs and foxes which makes them ideal guardians.”
Alpacas will chase wild dogs and foxes away from the flock and may even stamp on persistent threats if necessary.
Kym and Lindsay believe alpacas make a great addition to any property.
“Alpacas are very easy to manage,” Kym said.
“They have soft hooves which means they do not impact the ground the way other herds can.
“They are very easy on the environment.
“Unlike many other animals, alpacas all dirty in the one spot which means they are tidy and it makes it easy for us to use their manure.
“We use their waste to fertilise our vegie garden.
“We also use their manure on the lucerne crops we grow as their feed.
“Everything our alpacas eat is grown on our property which also makes them easier to care for.
“Lindsay and I have always enjoyed breeding them, they are a lovely animal.
“I would recommend alpacas to anyone on a property.
“They are great as a protector or just as a pet,” she said.
