Climate snapshot for alpacas
81/100Alpaca climate comfort score
75°FAverage high, Jul
8°FAverage low, Jan
~0Days above 90°F (32°C) per year
~182Frost nights per year
30 inAnnual precipitation
4Barber pole worm months
17Hay bales / alpaca / year
Main challenges
- Meningeal worm — white-tailed deer parasite is established in this region
- Hard winters — average lows under 15 °F in Jan–Feb
- Low selenium — regional soils and hay tend to be selenium-deficient
Advantages
- Summers rarely reach heat-stress levels for alpacas
Overall rating: 81/100 — Excellent on our alpaca climate comfort score. Climate type: Warm-summer humid continental (Köppen Dfb).
Month-by-month climate
Average highAverage lowPrecipitation
| Month | High | Low | Precip. | Heat-stress index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22°F | 8°F | 2.1 in | 105 · ok | frost |
| Feb | 25°F | 8°F | 1.5 in | 94 · ok | frost |
| Mar | 35°F | 16°F | 1.4 in | 101 · ok | frost |
| Apr | 46°F | 28°F | 2.3 in | 112 · ok | frost |
| May | 60°F | 38°F | 2.9 in | 125 · ok | grass |
| Jun | 69°F | 48°F | 3.0 in | 132 · ok | worms, grass |
| Jul | 75°F | 54°F | 3.2 in | 142 · ok | worms, grass |
| Aug | 74°F | 54°F | 2.9 in | 143 · ok | worms, grass |
| Sep | 66°F | 47°F | 3.2 in | 136 · ok | worms, grass |
| Oct | 52°F | 37°F | 3.2 in | 115 · ok | — |
| Nov | 39°F | 26°F | 2.3 in | 115 · ok | frost |
| Dec | 28°F | 15°F | 2.1 in | 109 · ok | frost |
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: NOAA nClimDiv 1991–2020 county normals.
Alpaca care calendar for Keweenaw County, Michigan
January 22° / 8°F
- Hard cold: extra hay at night, heated water, windbreaks and coats for crias or seniors; check ears for frostbite.
- Vitamin D for crias and juveniles (ask your vet about product and dose).
- Toenail check and trim.
February 25° / 8°F
- Hard cold: extra hay at night, heated water, windbreaks and coats for crias or seniors; check ears for frostbite.
- Vitamin D for crias and juveniles (ask your vet about product and dose).
March 35° / 16°F
- Book your shearer now — spring calendars fill up fast.
- Freezing nights: keep water open and feed extra hay during cold snaps.
- Vitamin D for crias and juveniles (ask your vet about product and dose).
- Toenail check and trim.
April 46° / 28°F
- CDT boosters for females due next month; prepare a clean birthing paddock and birthing kit.
- Freezing nights: keep water open and feed extra hay during cold snaps.
May 60° / 38°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.
- Meningeal worm risk: keep alpacas off wet wooded edges and watch for hind-leg weakness; discuss prevention with your vet.
- Cria season: check due dates daily, ensure crias nurse within 4 hours, dip navels and weigh crias daily for two weeks.
- Spring grass: switch from hay to pasture gradually over 1–2 weeks and monitor body condition.
- Toenail check and trim.
June 69° / 48°F
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Meningeal worm risk: keep alpacas off wet wooded edges and watch for hind-leg weakness; discuss prevention with your vet.
- 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).
July 75° / 54°F
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Meningeal worm risk: keep alpacas off wet wooded edges and watch for hind-leg weakness; discuss prevention with your vet.
- 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.
August 74° / 54°F
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Meningeal worm risk: keep alpacas off wet wooded edges and watch for hind-leg weakness; discuss prevention with your vet.
- 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).
September 66° / 47°F
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Meningeal worm risk: keep alpacas off wet wooded edges and watch for hind-leg weakness; discuss prevention with your vet.
- Breeding window for next year's crias (rebreed females 2–4 weeks after birthing).
- Secure winter hay: about 17 small square bales per alpaca per year here — test a sample before buying.
- Toenail check and trim.
October 52° / 37°F
- Winter prep: install water heaters, repair shelters and windbreaks, stock bedding.
- Vitamin D for crias and juveniles (ask your vet about product and dose).
November 39° / 26°F
- Freezing nights: keep water open and feed extra hay during cold snaps.
- Vitamin D for crias and juveniles (ask your vet about product and dose).
- Toenail check and trim.
December 28° / 15°F
- Freezing nights: keep water open and feed extra hay during cold snaps.
- Vitamin D for crias and juveniles (ask your vet about product and dose).
Key recommendations
- Shearing: May.
- Best months for crias to be born: May–Aug (breed in Jun–Sep).
- Heat precautions: rarely needed — still provide shade and water.
- Barber pole worm season: Jun–Sep — run fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks in these months.
- Freezing nights: Nov–Apr — keep water from freezing.
- Vitamin D for crias: Oct–Mar.
- Grazing season: May–Sep (about 5 months); feed hay the rest of the year.
- Meningeal worm: Meningeal worm (carried by white-tailed deer) is established in this region and is a leading cause of neurological disease in alpacas. Talk to your vet about a prevention plan for the snail season.
- Selenium: Soils and hay in this state are often selenium-deficient. Use a camelid mineral formulated for low-selenium areas and blood-test a few animals each year.
Tools: heat-stress calculator · winter hay calculator · due-date calculator · parasite control guide.
Alpaca farms & shops nearby
No alpaca farms near Keweenaw County, Michigan 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 Keweenaw County, Michigan?
Yes. Alpacas are kept successfully in most climates with good management. Keweenaw County, Michigan scores 81/100 (excellent) on our alpaca climate comfort scale; the key issues are meningeal worm, hard winters and low selenium.
When should alpacas be shorn in Keweenaw County, Michigan?
Plan shearing for May, 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 Keweenaw County, Michigan?
Mild months suit newborn crias best — here that is May–Aug. For births then, breed females in Jun–Sep (gestation is about 335 days).
How much hay does an alpaca need per year in Keweenaw County, Michigan?
With roughly 7 months of little or no grazing, plan on about 833 lb (378 kg) — around 17 small square bales — per adult alpaca per year, plus waste.
Nearby counties
Coordinates 47.367, -88.351 · land area 540 sq mi. Long-term averages, not forecasts. See methodology and data sources. Back to Michigan.