What shelters or barns do alpacas require?
A. Alpacas are native to the altiplano (highlands) of Peru and are used to a harsh environment, high above sea level. The snow, freezing wind and bone chilling cold are familiar to these hardy animals. There are no barns for alpacas in Peru. They are put in corrals at night for protection from predators and to keep them from wandering away. Most alpaca breeders here in the United States construct open shelters as opposed to closed barns for their animals. Alpacas simply need to get out of the wind and have a dry place to eat or lay down during a storm. Alpacas are generally uncomfortable unless they have an escape route and are much happier in open sided structures. These shelters allow the alpacas to come and go as they please! In harsh winter climates, some alpacas breeders choose to bring mothers and young cria indoors into a covered barn.
