Climate snapshot for alpacas
95/100Alpaca climate comfort score
24°CAverage high, Dec
-1°CAverage low, Jul
~0Days above 90°F (32°C) per year
~87Frost nights per year
358 mmAnnual precipitation
3Barber pole worm months
17Hay bales / alpaca / year
Main challenges
- Dry climate — only 14 in of rain — irrigated pasture or year-round hay
Advantages
- Summers rarely reach heat-stress levels for alpacas
- Winters are cold but rarely severe
- Low meningeal worm risk
Overall rating: 95/100 — Excellent on our alpaca climate comfort score. Climate type: Cold semi-arid (Köppen BSk). GBIF holds 6 alpaca occurrence records for Argentina.
Month-by-month climate
Average highAverage lowPrecipitation
| Month | High | Low | Precip. | Heat-stress index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22°C | 7°C | 53 mm | 125 · ok | worms, grass |
| Feb | 19°C | 6°C | 138 mm | 129 · ok | worms, grass |
| Mar | 21°C | 6°C | 45 mm | 126 · ok | grass |
| Apr | 20°C | 4°C | 5 mm | 101 · ok | — |
| May | 17°C | 1°C | 1 mm | 82 · ok | — |
| Jun | 15°C | -1°C | 0 mm | 73 · ok | frost |
| Jul | 15°C | -1°C | 0 mm | 70 · ok | frost |
| Aug | 18°C | -0°C | 0 mm | 77 · ok | frost |
| Sep | 21°C | 2°C | 0 mm | 89 · ok | — |
| Oct | 23°C | 5°C | 18 mm | 105 · ok | — |
| Nov | 23°C | 7°C | 40 mm | 115 · ok | grass |
| Dec | 24°C | 8°C | 57 mm | 118 · 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) at -23.0°, -65.8°, elevation 3531 m.
Alpaca care calendar for Argentina
January 22° / 7°C
- 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.
February 19° / 6°C
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
March 21° / 6°C
- Secure winter hay: about 17 small square bales per alpaca per year here — test a sample before buying.
- Toenail check and trim.
April 20° / 4°C
May 17° / 1°C
- Winter prep: install water heaters, repair shelters and windbreaks, stock bedding.
- Toenail check and trim.
June 15° / -1°C
- Freezing nights: keep water open and feed extra hay during cold snaps.
July 15° / -1°C
- Freezing nights: keep water open and feed extra hay during cold snaps.
- Toenail check and trim.
August 18° / -0°C
- Book your shearer now — spring calendars fill up fast.
- 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.
September 21° / 2°C
- 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.
October 23° / 5°C
- Shearing month: shear the whole herd, and trim toenails, check teeth and body condition while animals are restrained.
- 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).
- Fly season: clean dung piles regularly and use traps around the barn.
November 23° / 7°C
- 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).
- Spring grass: switch from hay to pasture gradually over 1–2 weeks and monitor body condition.
- Toenail check and trim.
December 24° / 8°C
- 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).
Key recommendations
- Shearing: October.
- Best months for crias to be born: Sep–Dec (breed in Oct–Jan).
- Heat precautions: rarely needed — still provide shade and water.
- Barber pole worm season: Dec–Feb — run fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks in these months.
- Freezing nights: Jun–Aug — keep water from freezing.
- Vitamin D: winter sunlight is usually adequate at this latitude; ask your vet about dark-fleeced crias.
- Grazing season: Nov–Mar (about 5 months); feed hay the rest of the year.
- Meningeal worm: Meningeal worm (P. tenuis) is a North American parasite and is not present here.
- Selenium: Check regional soil selenium with your vet or agricultural advisor — many temperate regions are low.
Tools: heat-stress calculator · winter hay calculator · due-date calculator · parasite control guide.
Alpaca farms & shops nearby
No alpaca farms near Argentina 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 Argentina?
Yes. Alpacas are kept successfully in most climates with good management. Argentina scores 95/100 (excellent) on our alpaca climate comfort scale; the key issues are dry climate.
When should alpacas be shorn in Argentina?
Plan shearing for October, 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 Argentina?
Mild months suit newborn crias best — here that is Sep–Dec. For births then, breed females in Oct–Jan (gestation is about 335 days).
How much hay does an alpaca need per year in Argentina?
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.
Coordinates -23.000, -65.800. Long-term averages, not forecasts. See methodology and data sources. Back to World.