As I said in my response, alpacas are quite easy to look after in my experience. Both alpaca owners were happy to take me on no question. A horse is far harder.
Now I’m curious. This may be off-topic (or it may help me decide what to apply or not apply for in the future): Are alpacas more like horses in care than they are like goats? In what sense? Personally, I have a little horse experience, but it’s enough for me to know that frankly I don’t feel i’m able to care for one. However, if I saw a sit with goats or sheep in a great location, I might apply because while I don’t have a lot of experience with them, I have an idea of what the care needs are and feel more confident I could figure it out with the host’s help. So what does alpaca care consist of? Are they potentially dangerous?
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Try listing on Workaway maybe.
You can keep trying on THS, but you might want to better your odds.
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I’m curious too what makes alpaca care unique? We have sheep and I would have thought care was similar as alpacas are often guardian animals for sheep seem to live and feed happily together.
To your question though:
We started on THS with four sheep, 5 chickens, ducks, and two cats. My biggest concern was finding someone with farm experience but instead we chose a woman with lots of THS experience who wanted to expand her knowledge of farm animals. It was great! She was proactive and interested in their care. She even did bobcat patrol as we’d had recent problems. All went well and she said she enjoyed our farmstay more than her usual sits! Now I don’t worry about experience. We have emergency contacts if a serious issue arises, but three years here have proven that, with guidance and written support, responsible, reliable, interested parties can take good care of farm animals for a little while with no issues.
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My two experiences with alpacas (as I’ve mentioned above) were very similar. I just had to make sure they had hay, water and feed them with pellets. Obviously ensure they had no injuries/illness. The second smaller group I looked after I poo picked and cleaned their open stable. The first bigger group were split up into two fields and lived in the open
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Hello everyone ! My two cents, here.
My daughter, HO in Tennessee, has 3 horses, 7 chickens, 4 dogs and 2 cats. She filmed herself, preparing grains and hay, then feeding the horses. Same thing with the chickens. So, the sitters can look at the video and see if they feel at ease, doing it, before accepting the assignment.
Up to now, she always found a sitter and is looking for her next experience in March.
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Yes, as @Maggie8K suggests, try Workaway or WWOOF, loads of experienced people on both @mapgrrl Good Luck 
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That is a great idea! Even people that «have experience» can benefit from that, as different owners can have different routines and standards.
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Hello Smiley…just curious if the owners trained you for any urgent care of alpacas or not? Sometimes, like in my case living in very rural France, the vet is not only at least 20 minutes away, but could be away on another call and not be reachable. I can train people for some basic emergencies, but it’s also the reason in my ad (same as last year) I requested someone with large livestock experience and not just pet-sitting. That way they wouldn’t hesitate as to what needs to be done. My alpacas are not only my dear family, they are also my business (Chambre d’Agriculture Siret _ agricultrice). It worked our extremely well with my first THS as she owns a horse and is directly involved in its care…and not only that she was an extremely good communicator. Did not miss one beat and followed my instructions very well and performed research with the resources I provided in advance. As a result and with all people who visit or provide services on my farm, I spoil them with homemade food and local dishes, access to the spa, etc. I do prefer French sitters as they don’t need to travel as far, but if I know I’m going away well in advance, I’ll entertain those who are willing to travel greater distances. When I began my search before my first THS, I searched both Ireland and the UK for sitters as there are a great deal more alpaca owners up that way. I ALWAYS offer an extra week either before or after for those who are at a greater distance…and always a few days in advance in addition to video chats to run through skills and expectations. France is a wonderful place to live! Bonne Journee! Michelle
Hello and thank-you for your response. My listing is in French because I live in France. I did switch things around to see if it makes a difference to have English text at the beginning, but most people who have applied in the past speak several languages.
I’ve added a link to my alpaca Instagram page with a video of the interior of my gite for anyone who is interested. Also during video chats once interested, I take the potential sitters on a walk of the property.
The sitters will have plenty of free time…loads. No worries and please notice the review I received from my first sitter.
Again, thank-you.
Personally I’d swap back to English at the start and then French. You may have narrowed down your market too much. The company, THS, was first founded in Brighton on the south coast of England, and there are still 5 times the number of sitters in England on THS, in comparison to the number of sitters in France, 10000 v 2100, and obviously a lot of British love to spend their time in France.
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…and a ton of them in France are Brits!! 
Are you from the U.K.? Sorry…no time to look you up. Thanks for the energy and the responses. Very kind of you! Bisou!
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Dear cuttlefish (love it!)…I actually requested in my listing “Livestock/large animal” experience.
Bonne Soiree…
Michelle
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@Jenny Hi, I’m not sure if you’re the go-to person for this, but at what point can @mapgrrl request this sit to be added to your social media channels? A week before her dates? Two weeks? Now?
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The reason in my opinion to have the English version first, is that we see only the intro. and decide based on that whether we want to read on.
As this is an English site, if I see a French intro I will assume they are not comfortable or able to communicate in English and not open the listing. That means that I will not see the English text because I will have moved on.
(Sure there are Brits in France, but I would guess they are not necessarily fluent in French). For a French site, there is Nomador I hear (?).
Just some input to help get a sitter. You decide what is right for you and likewise sitters. So I hope you get the match you look for.
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Hi all / following as we have a similar smallholding situation we are trying to find a sitter for.
I guess it depends on who is available and looking / open to look after farm-type animals.
Crossing fingers that you’ll find someone.
No, is the answer to your question. But then I haven’t been trained for emergencies with cats or dogs either.
In my country 20 min to a vet is more or less having the vet for a neighbor. 
Unless the animals aren’t healthy - that is like any farmer in my country works every day. Having unskilled farmhelp, or indeed animals on a field that are only checked up once a day. Something could happen when nobodys there (a mindset where a skilled person in medical care is present is not possible in agriculture in my country). If an animal needs medical care they might take it in to the farm for more frequent checkups, of course.
Your standard and requirement of skills is very high, much higher than the requirements of professional farmers here ( They would be happy if you are willing to learn and work for union pay). You would probably get many good sitters doing a great job with just a thorough Welcome Guide.
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Fantastique! Bonne chance à vous 
#nousadorestouslesanimaux
BTW You also might find a lot more sitters from France on Nomador rather than THS.
That’s soooo true, and we’ve sat for a few owners in the UK that have second homes in France 
. Yes I’m British, from Durham in the North East of England.