Climate snapshot for alpacas
87/100Alpaca climate comfort score
24°CAverage high, Aug
-2°CAverage low, Jan
~0Days above 90°F (32°C) per year
~76Frost nights per year
2057 mmAnnual precipitation
4Barber pole worm months
16Hay bales / alpaca / year
Main challenges
- Wet ground — 81 in of rain a year — mud, foot problems and fluke habitat
Advantages
- Summers rarely reach heat-stress levels for alpacas
- Winters are cold but rarely severe
- Low meningeal worm risk
Overall rating: 87/100 — Excellent 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 | 5°C | -2°C | 116 mm | 123 · ok | frost |
| Feb | 8°C | 1°C | 56 mm | 125 · ok | — |
| Mar | 10°C | 2°C | 187 mm | 130 · ok | — |
| Apr | 11°C | 3°C | 192 mm | 133 · ok | — |
| May | 16°C | 8°C | 266 mm | 146 · ok | grass |
| Jun | 21°C | 13°C | 195 mm | 147 · ok | worms, grass |
| Jul | 23°C | 15°C | 247 mm | 153 · ok | worms, grass |
| Aug | 24°C | 15°C | 153 mm | 152 · ok | worms, grass |
| Sep | 19°C | 12°C | 142 mm | 150 · ok | worms, grass |
| Oct | 17°C | 9°C | 139 mm | 144 · ok | grass |
| Nov | 9°C | 2°C | 195 mm | 131 · ok | — |
| Dec | 7°C | -0°C | 169 mm | 119 · 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: Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis (2023-2024) at 46.9°, 7.9°, elevation 778 m.
Alpaca care calendar for Switzerland
January 5° / -2°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 8° / 1°C
- Vitamin D for crias and juveniles (ask your vet about product and dose).
March 10° / 2°C
- Book your shearer now — spring calendars fill up fast.
- Vitamin D for crias and juveniles (ask your vet about product and dose).
- Toenail check and trim.
April 11° / 3°C
- CDT boosters for females due next month; prepare a clean birthing paddock and birthing kit.
May 16° / 8°C
- 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° / 13°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° / 15°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° / 15°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 19° / 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 17° / 9°C
- 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 9° / 2°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).
- Toenail check and trim.
December 7° / -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).
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–Jan — 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
Places mapped on OpenStreetMap with “alpaca” in their name, within about 250 km. Contact them before visiting — opening times change.
| Name | Type | Distance | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heubühne / Alpakahof | activity | 39 km | — |
| Alpaka aus den Anden | shop | 71 km | — |
| Alpacalama Experience | activity | 74 km | — |
| Bohland Alpakas · Albbruck | shop | 83 km | Visit |
| Alpakahof Füchsel · Schübelbach | farm | 85 km | Visit |
| Alpakahof Gersbach | farm | 89 km | — |
| RandoAlpagas · Attalens | visitor farm | 90 km | Visit |
| L'alpaka S.A. | farm | 93 km | — |
| Alpaka-Kopel | farm | 117 km | — |
| Chalet Alpaga | visitor farm | 121 km | Visit |
| Appartamento Sorti Alpaca · Montegrino Valtravaglia | visitor farm | 124 km | — |
| B&B Sorti Alpaca · Montegrino Valtravaglia | visitor farm | 124 km | — |
| Hofladen Lama- & Alpakahof Triesenberg · Triesenberg | shop | 127 km | — |
| Lama- & Alpakahof Triesenberg | farm | 127 km | — |
| Lama- & Alpakahof Triesenberg · Triesenberg | visitor farm | 127 km | — |
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 Switzerland?
Yes. Alpacas are kept successfully in most climates with good management. Switzerland scores 87/100 (excellent) on our alpaca climate comfort scale; the key issues are wet ground.
When should alpacas be shorn in Switzerland?
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 Switzerland?
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 Switzerland?
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 46.900, 7.900. Long-term averages, not forecasts. See methodology and data sources. Back to World.