Climate snapshot for alpacas
93/100Alpaca climate comfort score
24°CAverage high, Aug
-0°CAverage low, Jan
~0Days above 90°F (32°C) per year
~62Frost nights per year
828 mmAnnual precipitation
4Barber pole worm months
14Hay bales / alpaca / year
Advantages
- Summers rarely reach heat-stress levels for alpacas
- Winters are cold but rarely severe
- Low meningeal worm risk
Overall rating: 93/100 — Excellent on our alpaca climate comfort score. Climate type: Oceanic (temperate) (Köppen Cfb). GBIF holds 73 alpaca occurrence records for Germany.
Month-by-month climate
Average highAverage lowPrecipitation
| Month | High | Low | Precip. | Heat-stress index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4°C | -0°C | 58 mm | 124 · ok | frost |
| Feb | 7°C | 2°C | 66 mm | 129 · ok | — |
| Mar | 10°C | 2°C | 83 mm | 129 · ok | — |
| Apr | 12°C | 4°C | 64 mm | 128 · ok | grass |
| May | 18°C | 8°C | 86 mm | 139 · ok | grass |
| Jun | 22°C | 12°C | 55 mm | 140 · ok | worms, grass |
| Jul | 23°C | 14°C | 58 mm | 142 · ok | worms, grass |
| Aug | 24°C | 14°C | 85 mm | 149 · ok | worms, grass |
| Sep | 21°C | 12°C | 62 mm | 145 · ok | worms, grass |
| Oct | 15°C | 8°C | 75 mm | 143 · ok | grass |
| Nov | 7°C | 2°C | 64 mm | 131 · ok | — |
| Dec | 5°C | 1°C | 73 mm | 129 · ok | — |
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 51.0°, 10.4°, elevation 265 m.
Alpaca care calendar for Germany
January 4° / -0°C
- 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.
February 7° / 2°C
- Book your shearer now — spring calendars fill up fast.
- Vitamin D for crias and juveniles (ask your vet about product and dose).
March 10° / 2°C
- Vitamin D for crias and juveniles (ask your vet about product and dose).
- Toenail check and trim.
April 12° / 4°C
- Shearing month: shear the whole herd, and trim toenails, check teeth and body condition while animals are restrained.
- CDT boosters for females due next month; prepare a clean birthing paddock and birthing kit.
- Spring grass: switch from hay to pasture gradually over 1–2 weeks and monitor body condition.
May 18° / 8°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.
- Fly season: clean dung piles regularly and use traps around the barn.
- Toenail check and trim.
June 22° / 12°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).
July 23° / 14°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).
- Toenail check and trim.
August 24° / 14°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).
September 21° / 12°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.
October 15° / 8°C
- Secure winter hay: about 14 small square bales per alpaca per year here — test a sample before buying.
- Vitamin D for crias and juveniles (ask your vet about product and dose).
November 7° / 2°C
- Vitamin D for crias and juveniles (ask your vet about product and dose).
- Toenail check and trim.
December 5° / 1°C
- Winter prep: install water heaters, repair shelters and windbreaks, stock bedding.
- Vitamin D for crias and juveniles (ask your vet about product and dose).
Key recommendations
- Shearing: April.
- 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: Jan — keep water from freezing.
- Vitamin D for crias: Oct–Mar.
- Grazing season: Apr–Oct (about 7 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
Places mapped on OpenStreetMap with “alpaca” in their name, within about 250 km. Contact them before visiting — opening times change.
| Name | Type | Distance | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpaka-Tipis | farm | 19 km | Visit |
| Alpakas im Burgenland · Drei Gleichen | activity | 28 km | Visit |
| Alpakawiese Rhön · Geisa | activity | 42 km | Visit |
| Hofladen Alpakawiese Rhön · Geisa | shop | 42 km | Visit |
| Pension Alpakawiese Rhön · Geisa | farm | 42 km | Visit |
| INKAGOLD Alpakas | activity | 52 km | Visit |
| AlpakaTouren am Rennsteig · Masserberg | visitor farm | 67 km | Visit |
| Alpakas-Wanderungen · Wallhausen / OT Hohlstedt | activity | 74 km | Visit |
| Harz-Alpaka | farm | 75 km | — |
| tierisch ER leben - Lamas und Alpakas vom Althof · Unterwellenborn | activity | 83 km | Visit |
| Alpakagarten vor der Heide · Unterwellenborn | activity | 84 km | Visit |
| Fanny's - Alpakafarm | farm | 95 km | — |
| Kellerwald Alpakas | farm | 106 km | Visit |
| Lahntal Alpakas · Lahntal | farm | 120 km | Visit |
| Frankenwald Alpaka | farm | 126 km | Visit |
Data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Know a farm that's missing? Add it to OpenStreetMap and it will appear here in the next update.
Frequently asked questions
Can you raise alpacas in Germany?
Yes. Alpacas are kept successfully in most climates with good management. Germany scores 93/100 (excellent) on our alpaca climate comfort scale.
When should alpacas be shorn in Germany?
Plan shearing for April, 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 Germany?
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 Germany?
With roughly 5 months of little or no grazing, plan on about 699 lb (317 kg) — around 14 small square bales — per adult alpaca per year, plus waste.
Coordinates 51.000, 10.400. Long-term averages, not forecasts. See methodology and data sources. Back to World.