For Shirley Lanouette, raising alpacas was the perfect retirement gig, which has grown into a business. She’s now getting the word out about the perfect low-maintenance livestock.

On September 29 and 30, Shirley, her husband Roger, and their family opened up Hill Crest Alpacas on Old Fall River Road to the public. It was part of National Alpaca Farm Days, a nationwide celebration of all things alpaca.

“It’s to introduce people to alpacas and what they’re like,”Lanouette said.

Shirley and Roger raise 22 alpacas on their property — with more due soon as one of her female alpacas will soon give birth. As Shirley neared retirement in the mid 2000s, she wanted to raise livestock as opposed to picking up a more traditional part-time job.

She looked at raising various animals, but settled on alpacas owing to their nature and ease of care, and it was something she could do herself.  After spending time on an existing alpaca farm, she bought her first three alpacas in 2006.

“They’re very docile and inquisitive, don’t get very big, and maintenance-wise they’re very easy to care for livestock,”Lanouette explained.

During the September 30 open house, plenty of people of all ages got to experience that firsthand. Nine-year-olds Brianna Westgate and Julia Dosantos both fed Lanouette’s alpaca Stella special apple-flavored treats.

“She wanted to eat my hand too but it was fine!” Julia said.

Olivia Cabral, 11, fed Ariel. She was only born in August, but appears to have already found her favorite treat — and it wasn’t the treats she was handing out.

“She didn’t like the treats, I think she liked the hay better,” Cabral said.

During the open house, there was plenty of alpaca-related products on sale. Lanouette said she mainly sells alpaca fibers and goods made from them — which is easily enough to offset the cost of raising them. 

Alpaca poop is another export which was on sale at the farm. Lanouette explained it’s one of the best fertilizers one can buy, owing to its quick composting into a rich mixture ideal for planting.

“There really isn’t anything about alpacas that’s not useful,”Lanouette said.