Alpacas

Overview

Alpacas are a livestock species in Starsand Island unlocked at the Expert Rancher tier, the highest ranching profession level in the game. They are purchased from Pastelle at Green Pasture Ranch for 2,750 Coins each, making them one of the two most expensive livestock species alongside ostriches. Despite their woolly appearance, alpacas are actually relatives of camels rather than sheep. All four alpaca variants are rideable as single-rider mounts, and they produce valuable Alpaca Wool and Alpaca Spit as daily byproducts.

Because alpacas sit at the Expert tier, players will need to work through the full Rancher profession progression before they can purchase their first one. This means completing all previous rancher certification quests up through Senior Rancher. Once unlocked, alpacas offer a combination of mount utility and material production that makes them one of the most versatile animals on the island.

Quick Reference

Variants

There are four alpaca variants in Starsand Island. The Common Alpaca is the only variant available for direct purchase. The remaining three are obtained exclusively through breeding and cannot be found in the wild.

How to Obtain

Purchasing

The Common Alpaca can be purchased from Pastelle at Green Pasture Ranch for 2,750 Coins once you have reached the Expert Rancher tier. The ranch is located northwest of Hopeland and is open from 6 AM to 10 PM. You can buy multiple alpacas in a single visit, but each one requires an Alpaca Barn with an available slot before purchase.

Breeding

All three non-common variants (Punk Alpaca, Middle-Parted Alpaca, and Cotton Candy Alpaca) are obtained through breeding. To breed alpacas, place one male and one female alpaca in the same Alpaca Barn with at least one empty slot. Both parents must be fed and clean. A baby alpaca will appear overnight. The variant of the offspring is determined randomly based on rarity probability, with rarer variants having a lower chance of appearing.

Baby alpacas take 7 days to reach adulthood. During the growth period, continue feeding them daily to keep growth on track. Once mature, they can participate in breeding themselves.

The general breeding paths for alpaca variants follow the same pattern as other species in Starsand Island:

For faster breeding, use a Breeding House (unlocked at Intermediate Rancher, 3,500 Coins) to control specific pairings. At the Expert tier, the Selective Breeding House (30,000 Coins or craftable at Worktable III) allows you to bias DNA trait inheritance toward a chosen parent, though it does not affect which color variant the offspring will be. Combine these with Love Alpaca Feed from the Love Feeder station to reset breeding cooldowns, and the Strong DNA trait (reduces cooldown by one day) to create the fastest possible breeding cycle.

Products

Alpacas produce several byproducts when kept fed, clean, and happy. Their primary outputs are Alpaca Wool and Alpaca Spit, both of which are processing materials used in crafting recipes. All variants produce the same base products.

Higher happiness levels (150+) increase the chance of premium-quality products, which sell for more at shops. Keep your alpacas well-fed, brushed, and petted daily to maintain high happiness.

The Auto Shearer (Expert Rancher, 15,000 Coins) can be placed inside or adjacent to the Alpaca Barn to automatically shear wool from your alpacas, eliminating the need for manual wool collection. This is especially useful when running multiple barns.

Housing and Care

Alpaca Barn

Alpacas require an Alpaca Barn as their housing structure. The Alpaca Barn blueprint is unlocked at the Expert Rancher tier and can be purchased from Pastelle at Green Pasture Ranch. Each barn holds up to 4 alpacas. You must build at least one Alpaca Barn before you can purchase your first alpaca. Place the barn on your farm property using the building menu. The required materials are consumed automatically when the building is placed.

Daily Care Routine

Alpaca care follows the standard animal care routine used across all livestock species:

Automation Stations

Several automation stations can be placed inside or adjacent to the Alpaca Barn to reduce daily labor:

Riding

All four alpaca variants function as single-rider mounts. Alpacas offer a decent ground speed increase over walking, making them a practical transportation option once you reach the Expert Rancher tier. Unlike horses, alpacas only support one rider, so they cannot be used for duo riding in multiplayer.

To ride an alpaca, simply interact with a fully grown alpaca in its barn. There is no special saddle or collar requirement for alpacas. While mounted, you can still interact with objects and NPCs across the island.

Compared to other single-rider mounts like deer and ostriches, alpacas provide a similar speed boost. The main advantage of alpacas over other Expert-tier mounts is the additional production of Alpaca Wool and Alpaca Spit alongside their mount functionality.

DNA Traits

Like all animals in Starsand Island, alpacas carry DNA traits that affect their behavior, breeding capability, and product output. Traits are visible on each alpaca's info panel and are inherited by offspring during breeding.

When building a breeding lineup, prioritize parents with Strong and Twins traits. Both parents sharing the same positive trait gives roughly 90% inheritance probability for offspring. Sell any alpaca carrying Pride or Bloom immediately to keep your gene pool clean.

Breeding Strategy for Cotton Candy Alpaca

The Cotton Candy Alpaca is the rarest alpaca variant and typically requires many breeding attempts to obtain. The following strategy, based on community reports, maximizes your chances:

1. Buy 8 to 12 Common Alpacas to start a large breeding pool. You will need 2 to 3 Alpaca Barns to house them all (4 per barn).

2. Check every alpaca's DNA profile immediately after purchase. Sell any with negative traits (Pride, Bloom, Petiteness).

3. Keep alpacas with Strong and Twins traits as your primary breeders.

4. Run multiple breeding pairs in parallel across all barns. Never leave a breeding slot empty.

5. Use a Breeding House (3,500 Coins, Intermediate) for controlled pairings. When you obtain a Punk or Middle-Parted Alpaca, try pairing two rare variants together for a potentially better chance at the Cotton Candy Alpaca.

6. Use Love Alpaca Feed from the Love Feeder station to reset breeding cooldowns when actively chasing the Cotton Candy variant.

7. Be patient. Super Rare variants have the lowest breeding probability. Expect the process to take multiple in-game weeks.

Comparison with Other Expert and Senior Mounts

The following table compares alpacas with other high-tier rideable animals to help you decide where to invest your Coins and barn space.

Tips

• Alpaca Wool is a required crafting material for the Selective Breeding House (x8). If you plan to build one instead of buying it, start stockpiling wool early.

• Invest in a Feeding Trough and Cleaning Pod for each Alpaca Barn as soon as possible. These Intermediate-tier stations free up significant daily time, especially when running multiple barns.

• The Auto Shearer (Expert, 15,000 Coins) is a worthwhile investment once you have multiple alpacas producing wool. It handles collection automatically.

• Keep at least one Common Alpaca for reliable daily product output while you focus on breeding rare variants in separate barns.

• Alpacas and ostriches are unlocked at the same tier and cost the same price. Consider raising both to diversify your product output: wool and spit from alpacas, eggs and feathers from ostriches.

Related Articles

• Animals

• Breeding and Genetics

• Ostriches

• Mounts

• Green Pasture Ranch

• Ranching

• Rancher Trial Walkthroughs

• Animal Feed

• Animal Products