Although I have been Society Secretary for the British Alpaca Society (BAS) for nearly 12 months, I have not had many opportunities to get close to alpacas themselves. My job does not require me to keep alpacas or, in fact, know anything about them (I just have to keep track of the paperwork), but I just wanted to learn more.

A good starting place is the Internet. The society (www.bas-uk.com) and other breeders have FAQ sections. What is the minimum number of animals you can keep? How many per hectare? What is the difference between the huacaya and suri? What do they eat? Do they get sick? What can you do with the fibre? The list is endless but the answers are there if you search long enough. Alternatively, you can read a book although several of the standard works are now out of print.

The UK has two main quarterly alpaca magazines. BAS publishes Alpaca for all Society members. It is available on subscription, at £25 per annum, from BAS, PO Box 251, Exeter EX2 8WX. Alpaca is designed to keep owners up to date with BAS activities as well as providing in-depth articles. The issues are themed, with recent ones focusing on breeding, showing and fibre. Alpaca World is an independent publication costing £20 per annum through www.alpacaworldmagazine.com. Both cover the whole range of subjects of interest to alpaca owners.

'Hands-on' Reading about alpacas is all very well but it didn't give me any 'hands-on' experience. The answer was a day's introductory course, where I could handle animals as well as learning the basics that are essential before you get out your cheque book.

Alpacas are part of the South American camelid family and live on the high altiplano in Chile, Peru and Bolivia. Compared with the three million animals on the altiplano, the UK herd, at 16,000 animals, is small. However, it is growing as the alpaca is seen as a viable alternative farming enterprise and more people are keeping them as pets. Breeders are continually improving the quality of animals and their fibre.

Then it was time to meet the animals. The herd behaviour of a group of females was obvious as they quietly moved around the paddock together to graze. A couple of the mothers had udder problems and this gave the chance to ask about any likely health problems. On the whole, these are few. Any that couldn't cope with life on the altiplano have been eliminated through natural mortality.

Alpacas graze and browse. A daily portion of a protein, vitamin and mineral supplement is particularly important for females as they are pregnant virtually year round. Gestation is 11 months and the optimum time for re-breeding is 2-3 weeks after the single cria is born.

Practical experience Now for some practical action. To catch alpacas, they are herded into a small pen, made from hurdles, each holding at least two animals to avoid stress. Once penned, it is a question of approaching quietly from a 45-degree angle so that they can see you. Coming up from behind in their blind spot can spook them and could lead to a sharp kick.

We were shown how to gently hold the animal at the back of its head with one hand and under the chin with the other. This gives good control to persuade the animal to move or unbalance it slightly so that a companion can lift each foot in turn to trim the toenails - a task that needs doing every two to three months.

They were relatively easy to catch. You might have to make a couple of circuits of the pen before getting close enough, but working in a confined space made this easy. Trying to catch an animal in an open field would simply be impossible.

Vitamins and minerals Animals are 'drenched' every three months, ie, a solution is administered orally, in this case vitamins. I was surprised how easy it was to insert the nozzle into the corner of the mouth and then squeeze the handle to administer the 20 ml dose. In fact, they seemed to like it! Vitamins can also be administered in a paste form using the same technique with a gun resembling those found in DIY stores for applying sealants.

Putting on the halter When it came to putting on the halter, my suri wasn't at all phased as I showed it to him before slipping it over his nose and buckling it behind his head. The halter fit is very important. Feeling down the nose from the forehead, the bone stops just beyond the eyes, to be replaced with soft cartilage to the nostrils. If the halter slips too far forward, the pressure on the cartilage prevents the animal from breathing and panic ensues.

We were handling young animals so if they did not want to move it was physically possible to make them do so. However, for adults, this is nowhere near as easy so we were advised to halter train animals from an early age.

We set off round the paddock, each leading our alpaca. The ones behind the leader were fine as they were doing what comes naturally - following the herd. However, that wasn't the case for the one at the front. Having completed the circuit, we lined up as though taking part in a show. My little suri obviously had a mind of his own as he would only stand quietly if he had his back to the 'judge'!

BAS shows have been a major factor in the improvement in quality of the UK herd. Sixty per cent of marks are for the animal's fibre, with 40% for conformation and presentation. Although winning Supreme Champion is a wonderful achievement, the important classes as far as breeding is concerned are for progeny. The sire's progeny class for three offspring from the same male on different females gives a particularly good indication of the consistency of his performance, particularly his ability to pass on fine fibre characteristics.

The fibre I have had handled and hand-spun sheep's wool which contains lanolin, leaving your hands smooth but slightly sticky. Alpaca fibre contains no lanolin. It is the main reason for keeping alpacas and this sector is developing rapidly, with owners producing a wide range of high quality products. Hand spinning the lustrous fibre is not always practical which has led to the establishment of mini-mills which are able to process a single fleece. Larger mills process consignments of 20-25 kg. With each fleece weighing 3-6 kg, this equates to 5-6 animals and owners can get together to make up a batch.

The mills will process fibre to the required product, be it rovings for hand spinning, knitting yarn or finished shawls and garments. The coarser fibre can be used for felting or stuffing duvets.

Although, unfortunately, I won't be keeping alpacas in the near future, this was a fascinating day and, I would consider, an essential experience for any prospective alpaca owner. BAS members adhere to the Society's code of conduct for the sale of alpacas which includes advising about welfare and husbandry requirements, guaranteeing that animals are healthy when sold and offering 'after-sales' help and advice Going further For owners wanting to learn more, the BAS has a structured training programme. The Foundation Course is followed by levels 2 and 3 which go into greater detail and have an increasing emphasis on judging. Anyone attaining level 3 can qualify as a BAS judge and there are opportunities to become an international judge.

BAS courses are currently offered at The Alpaca Training Centre, Lower Langaton, Devon. The next Foundation Assessment Course will be held on 20-21 October. The cost is £90, including VAT, refreshments, lunch and course notes. My course was held at Toft Alpacas near Dunchurch in Warwickshire (www.toft-alpacas.co.uk). To find a breeder near you to check if they are running a course, visit the BAS website under 'Find a member' or ring the BAS office (see below).

For anyone seriously thinking of keeping alpacas, an introductory course is a must. You will have a very enjoyable day whether or not you decide to take the plunge.

Information about the British Alpaca Society is available at www.bas-uk.com or by ringing 0845 331 2468.