Local alpaca guide · Europe

Raising Alpacas in Sweden

Sweden has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb): summer highs average 21°C in June and winter lows average -4°C in January, with about 851 mm of precipitation a year. It is a comparatively easy climate for alpacas.

Climate snapshot for alpacas

93/100Alpaca climate comfort score
21°CAverage high, Jun
-4°CAverage low, Jan
~0Days above 90°F (32°C) per year
~115Frost nights per year
851 mmAnnual precipitation
4Barber pole worm months
16Hay 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: Warm-summer humid continental (Köppen Dfb). GBIF holds 1 alpaca occurrence records for Sweden.

Month-by-month climate

Average highAverage lowPrecipitation
-10°00°3510°7120°10630°141Jan: 79.5 mmJanFeb: 51.8 mmFebMar: 67.8 mmMarApr: 53.1 mmAprMay: 42.9 mmMayJun: 71.6 mmJunJul: 122.2 mmJulAug: 122.9 mmAugSep: 56.4 mmSepOct: 81.5 mmOctNov: 39.9 mmNovDec: 62.0 mmDecJan high: 1°CFeb high: 3°CMar high: 5°CApr high: 9°CMay high: 18°CJun high: 21°CJul high: 20°CAug high: 20°CSep high: 18°COct high: 10°CNov high: 4°CDec high: 2°CJan low: -4°CFeb low: -2°CMar low: -1°CApr low: 1°CMay low: 8°CJun low: 11°CJul low: 12°CAug low: 13°CSep low: 11°COct low: 5°CNov low: 0°CDec low: -2°C°Cmm
MonthHighLowPrecip.Heat-stress indexNotes
Jan1°C-4°C80 mm123 · okfrost
Feb3°C-2°C52 mm123 · okfrost
Mar5°C-1°C68 mm122 · okfrost
Apr9°C1°C53 mm121 · ok—
May18°C8°C43 mm125 · okgrass
Jun21°C11°C72 mm135 · okworms, grass
Jul20°C12°C122 mm144 · okworms, grass
Aug20°C13°C123 mm147 · okworms, grass
Sep18°C11°C56 mm146 · okworms, grass
Oct10°C5°C82 mm136 · okgrass
Nov4°C0°C40 mm128 · ok—
Dec2°C-2°C62 mm127 · okfrost

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 58.4°, 14.2°, elevation 155 m.

Alpaca care calendar for Sweden

January 1° / -4°C

FrostVitamin D
  • 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 3° / -2°C

FrostVitamin D
  • 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).

March 5° / -1°C

FrostVitamin D
  • 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 9° / 1°C

  • CDT boosters for females due next month; prepare a clean birthing paddock and birthing kit.

May 18° / 8°C

ShearingCria season
  • 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.
  • Spring grass: switch from hay to pasture gradually over 1–2 weeks and monitor body condition.
  • Toenail check and trim.

June 21° / 11°C

Worm seasonCria seasonBreeding
  • 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 20° / 12°C

Worm seasonCria seasonBreeding
  • 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 20° / 13°C

Worm seasonCria seasonBreeding
  • 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 18° / 11°C

Worm seasonBreeding
  • 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 10° / 5°C

Vitamin D
  • Secure winter hay: about 16 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 4° / 0°C

Vitamin D
  • Winter prep: install water heaters, repair shelters and windbreaks, stock bedding.
  • Vitamin D for crias and juveniles (ask your vet about product and dose).
  • Toenail check and trim.

December 2° / -2°C

FrostVitamin D
  • 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: Dec–Mar — keep water from freezing.
  • Vitamin D for crias: Oct–Mar.
  • Grazing season: May–Oct (about 6 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 Sweden 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 Sweden?
Yes. Alpacas are kept successfully in most climates with good management. Sweden scores 93/100 (excellent) on our alpaca climate comfort scale.
When should alpacas be shorn in Sweden?
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 Sweden?
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 Sweden?
With roughly 6 months of little or no grazing, plan on about 766 lb (347 kg) — around 16 small square bales — per adult alpaca per year, plus waste.

Coordinates 58.400, 14.200. Long-term averages, not forecasts. See methodology and data sources. Back to World.