No alpacas don't make a noise, The most they will do is a humming noise, this noise its self is quite a nice sound. Don't know about alpacas but llamas will make a loud noise when they see danger, like a fox or dog, Which gives you time to get out of the house and check it out. I have 8 llamas soon alpacas They do have use's apart from cleaning land, Wool - I spin wool, why don't you take up spinning its a great hobby. Alpaca wool can be made into the most warmist and softist garments you can think of. Dung, alpacas and llamas will make a few WCs in the field and mess only in there pile, which makes cleaning easy and also the best dung in the world for gardens. You can put fresh dung on your garden with no risk of burning the plants. Its great stuff, and cheaper & better for the plants/land then cemicals fertillizers. I have raised beds & use llama dung , everything just thrives including earth worms. Packing, you can train a alpaca like a llama to carry a pack for going to picnics or moving pine cones/fruit picking. Cart driving, again like llamas you can train them to pull a cart, for a trip to the local shop. Anti-stress, alpaca and llamas are know it be anti stress animals, its true there- aloof, quite, calm nature can calm a stress person down, by just sitting down and watching at them. Also there are not pushy like goats and horses, they will come and check out what your up to but will keep a personnel space distance between you. They are not fence / escape artistes. They are one of the most hardy, of all livestock, taking very little in the way of upkeep. You can eat them, i know people who have, tastes like beef/lamb. ( although they a bit expensive per kilo to be doing that but for somone who has a big herd with to many males. I have goats, cows, horses,pigs, sheeps, birds ect..ect.. but llamas are my fravoite.If you have a look at www.ecoferme.com theres more info on looking after them and such. If you do dicide you want some, I can find you some ( I know of two males for sale a the minute one dark brown one and a brown& white for 1000euro each)