Climate snapshot for alpacas
76/100Alpaca climate comfort score
70°FAverage high, Aug
49°FAverage low, Jan
~0Days above 90°F (32°C) per year
~1Frost nights per year
91 inAnnual precipitation
10Barber pole worm months
8Hay bales / alpaca / year
Main challenges
- Barber pole worm — long warm-wet parasite season (Apr–Jan)
- Wet ground — 91 in of rain a year — mud, foot problems and fluke habitat
Advantages
- Summers rarely reach heat-stress levels for alpacas
- Practically frost-free winters
- A long grazing season (12 months of grass growth)
- Low meningeal worm risk
Overall rating: 76/100 — Good on our alpaca climate comfort score. Climate type: Oceanic (temperate) (Köppen Cfb).
Month-by-month climate
Average highAverage lowPrecipitation
| Month | High | Low | Precip. | Heat-stress index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65°F | 49°F | 8.7 in | 148 · ok | worms, grass |
| Feb | 61°F | 51°F | 10.5 in | 146 · ok | grass |
| Mar | 64°F | 51°F | 7.5 in | 149 · ok | grass |
| Apr | 64°F | 52°F | 14.4 in | 150 · ok | worms, grass |
| May | 65°F | 53°F | 11.7 in | 151 · ok | worms, grass |
| Jun | 68°F | 56°F | 6.8 in | 152 · ok | worms, grass |
| Jul | 69°F | 57°F | 5.0 in | 151 · ok | worms, grass |
| Aug | 70°F | 57°F | 4.2 in | 157 · ok | worms, grass |
| Sep | 70°F | 57°F | 5.2 in | 160 · ok | worms, grass |
| Oct | 69°F | 56°F | 5.0 in | 157 · ok | worms, grass |
| Nov | 66°F | 54°F | 6.9 in | 151 · ok | worms, grass |
| Dec | 64°F | 52°F | 5.3 in | 149 · ok | worms, grass |
Heat-stress index = average high (°F) + mean humidity (%). “Worms” marks months that suit barber pole worm transmission; “grass” marks the grazing season; “frost” marks months with average lows below freezing. Source: Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis (2023-2024).
Alpaca care calendar for Kauai County, Hawaii
January 65° / 49°F
- Book your shearer now — spring calendars fill up fast.
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Cria season: check due dates daily, ensure crias nurse within 4 hours, dip navels and weigh crias daily for two weeks.
- Toenail check and trim.
February 61° / 51°F
- Cria season: check due dates daily, ensure crias nurse within 4 hours, dip navels and weigh crias daily for two weeks.
- Breeding window for next year's crias (rebreed females 2–4 weeks after birthing).
March 64° / 51°F
- Shearing month: shear the whole herd, and trim toenails, check teeth and body condition while animals are restrained.
- Run pre-season fecal egg counts so you know each animal's baseline.
- Cria season: check due dates daily, ensure crias nurse within 4 hours, dip navels and weigh crias daily for two weeks.
- Breeding window for next year's crias (rebreed females 2–4 weeks after birthing).
- Toenail check and trim.
April 64° / 52°F
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Cria season: check due dates daily, ensure crias nurse within 4 hours, dip navels and weigh crias daily for two weeks.
- Breeding window for next year's crias (rebreed females 2–4 weeks after birthing).
May 65° / 53°F
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Breeding window for next year's crias (rebreed females 2–4 weeks after birthing).
- Toenail check and trim.
June 68° / 56°F
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
July 69° / 57°F
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Toenail check and trim.
August 70° / 57°F
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
September 70° / 57°F
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Toenail check and trim.
October 69° / 56°F
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
November 66° / 54°F
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Toenail check and trim.
December 64° / 52°F
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- CDT boosters for females due next month; prepare a clean birthing paddock and birthing kit.
Key recommendations
- Shearing: March.
- Best months for crias to be born: Jan–Apr (breed in Feb–May).
- Heat precautions: rarely needed — still provide shade and water.
- Barber pole worm season: Apr–Jan — run fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks in these months.
- Winter: frost is rare.
- Vitamin D: winter sunlight is usually adequate at this latitude; ask your vet about dark-fleeced crias.
- Grazing season: year-round (about 12 months); feed hay the rest of the year.
- Meningeal worm: Meningeal worm is not established in this region.
- Selenium: Selenium levels vary across the state. Test hay or blood before changing supplements.
Tools: heat-stress calculator · winter hay calculator · due-date calculator · parasite control guide.
Alpaca farms & shops nearby
No alpaca farms near Kauai County, Hawaii are mapped on OpenStreetMap yet. If you keep alpacas here, consider adding your farm to OpenStreetMap — it will appear on this page after the next update.
Frequently asked questions
Can you raise alpacas in Kauai County, Hawaii?
Yes. Alpacas are kept successfully in most climates with good management. Kauai County, Hawaii scores 76/100 (good) on our alpaca climate comfort scale; the key issues are barber pole worm and wet ground.
When should alpacas be shorn in Kauai County, Hawaii?
Plan shearing for March, once nights stay above about 38°F (3°C) but before summer heat builds.
What is the best time for crias to be born in Kauai County, Hawaii?
Mild months suit newborn crias best — here that is Jan–Apr. For births then, breed females in Feb–May (gestation is about 335 days).
How much hay does an alpaca need per year in Kauai County, Hawaii?
With roughly 0 months of little or no grazing, plan on about 365 lb (166 kg) — around 8 small square bales — per adult alpaca per year, plus waste.
Coordinates 22.012, -159.706 · land area 620 sq mi. Long-term averages, not forecasts. See methodology and data sources. Back to Hawaii.