Farmer Tim Hey swapped his marine career in Tasmania for a life on the land near Cattistock.
Tim and his family produce rare, pedigree black alpacas from Amberley Farm in Higher Chilfrome. Their her is now 400-strong.
The wonder of alpacas and their commercial opportunities are not new to Tim, who majored in aquaculture, but began helping his parents’ alpaca business in Tasmania in 1994.
“After leaving university, I went to work for the Atlantic Salmon Company, but all the all the time our alpaca business on our family farm was growing and growing and I found myself just getting more and more involved,” said Tim.
“I was so in love with alpacas and the business that through some connections we had just outside of Melbourne, I was offered a job in England, to work with Alpacas of Wessex in North Dorset, which was the leading alpaca farm in the UK at the time.
“I realised that the business opportunities in the UK and Europe were going to be massive and so branched out with my wife, and with my parents’ help with the stock, started Inca Alpaca in 2006.”

Tim has become one of the finest alpaca breeders in Europe, with his stock highly sought after and sold across the country, Europe, the Middle East and India.
He has been courted by sheikhs, celebrities, farmers and animal lovers wanting to buy breeding stock or unique pets. And among his many accolades, Inca Alpaca won Supreme Champion at the Dorset County Show with a stunning black male and has taken top prizes for the black classes at the British Alpaca Society National Show for many years.

When I met Tim, I asked him why he is so passionate about these wide-eyed, curious and gentle creatures, who give birth to a cria just once a year and are prized for their fleece.
“We are pioneers in something,” said Tim. “Alpacas really are the last fibred animal in the word to offer a commercial opportunity. Alpaca fibre is in high demand, the finest Italian suits are made from alpaca fibre.”
This isn’t big talk; research reveals that just 21 per cent of the potential global alpaca fibre market is being met and there are just three million alpacas in the world, with the UK leading the way in Europe.

Tim said: “This may sound a lot but when you consider there are 14 million sheep alone in England, it’s not much! If you go back 200 years, the Australians identified Merino sheep in Spain as having potential.
“They were shipped to Australia and now you have a multi-billion-dollar industry based on Merino wool. There is no reason why we can’t do that with alpaca.”
Tim is making it his life’s work to help meet the demand of fibre production by using the latest technology and selectively breeding for longer, denser and finer fibre, first-class confirmation, improved health and uniform colour.

An adult alpaca produces roughly 4kg of fleece, but at Inca, the best alpacas produce more than five and Tim is aiming for 10kg to meet the demand, which he hopes can be reached in 20 years. He said: “Armani, for example, will buy the fibre all day long, but they want consistent supply to fill their stores globally.”
Aside from the obvious growth potential in fibre production, alpacas make great pets, and Tim sells some of his stock for this reason and notably, the alpaca industry is stud stocked so breeders will make money from breeding until there is enough fibre to satisfy demand.

Tim said: “Alpacas are extremely sweet and gentle. They are inquisitive and easy to handle, and they don’t bite or challenge fences.
“They are very easy to look after, good with children and hardy in bad weather and here it is lovely in the summertime to have the crias running around. You can have as few as three wethers, (neutered males), on half an acre.
“Alpacas also qualify for agricultural planning, which is a really big thing. So, anyone who is serious about alpacas but can’t afford a house with land, we can support them to get permission to live on a plot of land. Alpacas are high-value and when they are giving birth you need to be there to make sure they are safe. There is a functional need to live on site and the financial test is very good because Alpacas are in demand in the UK and Europe.”
n For more details visit incaalpaca.co.uk or ring Tim on 07875 532827.
Visits to the farm are by appointment-only. There is no obligation.