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Alpacas In General
The vicuna and the guanaco still are found in the wild regions of the Andes mountains. The alpaca and the llama have been domesticated, the alpaca for its fiber, as "the sheep of the Andes", and the llama as a beast of burden and only secondarily for its fiber. The Alpaca has been bred over the millennia for a fine, soft, luxurious
fiber and at one time was the fiber of royalty. They and the vicuna
are smaller in stature than the llama and guanaco.
Alpacas have been raised in the United States since 1984. Alpacas are
inquisitive, friendly, intelligent, low maintenance herd animals. They
weigh between 100 and 175 pounds and stand about three feet tall at the
withers and five feet at the head. They are about 1/3 the size of a llama. Alpacas h They are very quiet animals, but they do interact with each other
through a series of hums, and grunts, as with humans, some are more
conversational than others. They can also express their wishes through
body language, in Alpacas are ruminants, that is they chew their cud. They have a split upper lip, which they use to select the finest blades of grass or pick up a single choice piece of grain from the feed dish. The only have incisors in the front of their bottom jaw with a dental plate on the top. Alpacas have two toes with nails on each foot. The bottom of the foot has a thick pad not unlike the pad on the foot of a dog or cat. Alpacas are not hoofed animals Alpacas use a common dung pile, which makes the clean up easier. Their
manure is relatively odorless and when composted makes an excellent
fertilizer.
Alpacas are easy to care for. One acre of good pasture will
support five alpacas. They require fencing to keep predators and disease
carrying animals out. Alpacas do not challenge fences. They need a
shelter in which to get out of the rain and wind, a source of fresh water,
sufficient pasture or hay supplement and a grain - vitamin supplement. In
hot weather and the hotter clim Alpacas have one baby (cria) a year following an eleven month
gestation. The deliveries are frequently in the morning and the cria is
up, walking and nursing within a few hours. Crias weigh between 14 and 20
pounds. Alpaca moms do not groom their young at birth like many other
species do, but th Alpaca fiber is a true luxury fiber; it is finer, stronger and warmer than merino wool and has neither lanolin nor the hair structure that causes allergies. It is soft enough for infant wear. It comes in 16 distinct natural colors that are recognized by the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association and it can be easily dyed any color. There are two recognized types: Huacaya, which is densely crimped and gives the animal a fluffy, rounded look and the Suri which is characterized by a lustrous, silky coat that appears to hang on the animal and flows when he runs. The fiber staple length varies from 2 to 6 inches, depending upon the
a Their need Arrange a "Hands-On" visit soon and observe these wondrous animals and their products firsthand!
Recommended Reading: The Alpaca Book by Eric Hoffman and Murray Fowler, DVM Caring for Llamas and Alpacas by Clare Huffman, DVM and Ingrid Asmus Llama, Alpaca Field Manual by C. Norman Evans, DVM Llamas, An Introduction to Care, Training and Handling, by Sandi Burt Secrets of the Andean Alpacas by Maggie and Richard Kreiger |
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Alpacas are members of the camelid family which includes Llamas,
Guanacos, and Vicunas and of course camels. Their fossils have been
found in North America. They and their cousins are best known for
being residents of the South American Andes mountain range in Bolivia,
Chile and Peru.
ave a short muzzle and erect, spear shaped ears while the
llama has a longer face and banana shaped ears as seen on the right. Alpacas carry their tails
close to the body.
particular the position of their head and ears. It they
sense danger, which in some of our animals happens to be the house cat
walking by, they will give an alarm cry, which causes the whole herd to
lift their heads from grazing to check the area. We have become fluent in
some of the alpaca languag
e.
ates they may require a fan to help reduce
the possibility of heat stress.
ey are good, caring mothers. They will nuzzle the cria,
talking with a series of clucks and hums, a conversation which sometimes
begins during delivery. They become so well bonded that mom knows where
her youngster is at all times, and the youngster will respond to just a
quiet cluck from mom. All of the herd will watch out for the youngsters,
and literally circle them, if the herd senses any danger.
nimal’s health and nutrition and the frequency of shearing. Usually an
alpaca is shorn once a year, usually in the spring. In colder areas two
years growth is acceptable. The shearing serves two purposes: 1) the
harvest of the fiber and 2) the reduction of the possibility of heat
stress in the animal an important health and reproductive concern in the
temperate regions of the United States. An average yield from an alpaca is
five pounds of the prime blanket fiber.
s are simple, they are easy to handle and train, they produce
a wealth of luxurious fiber, what more could you ask for?