About Alpacas
Originally, alpacas lived in the Andes Mountains of South America, specifically in the countries of Peru, Chile, and Bolivia where they were (and still are) raised for their meat, fiber, and leather. It is their fiber, however that has been particularly valued and cherished for thousands of years. Home on harsh, high mountain plains, alpacas are very hardy and agile. Their dense, heavy fiber makes a perfect coat to protect them from severe weather and long winters.
There are two types of alpacas – the Huacaya (wah-ki-ah) and the Suri (sir-e). The suri’s fiber grows quite long and forms silky, pencil-like locks. The huacaya has a shorter, dense, crimpy fleece, giving it a very woolly appearance. Adult alpacas are about 36″ tall at the withers and weigh from 100 to 200 pounds.
Alpacas live for up to 20 years and are a long-term investment. They have a long reproductive life and produce fleece for their entire lives. A female will produce a single cria with a gestation period of about eleven months. Occasionally a dam will produce twins, but these are extremely rare and often don't survive.
Perfect for a family farm alpacas are gentle and easy to handle. They are safe even for young children to work with, as they do not bite or butt. This is a venture on which the whole family can work together!
Well suited to the land, alpacas are environmentally friendly:
There are two types of alpacas – the Huacaya (wah-ki-ah) and the Suri (sir-e). The suri’s fiber grows quite long and forms silky, pencil-like locks. The huacaya has a shorter, dense, crimpy fleece, giving it a very woolly appearance. Adult alpacas are about 36″ tall at the withers and weigh from 100 to 200 pounds.
Alpacas live for up to 20 years and are a long-term investment. They have a long reproductive life and produce fleece for their entire lives. A female will produce a single cria with a gestation period of about eleven months. Occasionally a dam will produce twins, but these are extremely rare and often don't survive.
Perfect for a family farm alpacas are gentle and easy to handle. They are safe even for young children to work with, as they do not bite or butt. This is a venture on which the whole family can work together!
Well suited to the land, alpacas are environmentally friendly:
- Alpacas have soft padded feet which leaves pastures undamaged, and usable for years.
- They have no top front teeth which makes them gentle grazers.
- Alpacas do not usually eat or destroy trees.
- The average alpaca only eats four pounds of food a day.
- Although they need a regular fresh water supply, alpacas do not require abundant amounts of water.
- The herd tends to deposit its manure in just a few spots in the pasture, making for easy clean up.
- Alpaca manure is fantastic fertilizer.
- One good acre of pasture can support up to ten alpacas.
- Alpacas require minimal fencing, as they do not challenge it. It is important however, to have enough fencing to keep them safe from predators.
- They can produce four to eight pounds of fleece per year.
- Unlike sheep’s wool, their fleece produces 87 to 95 percent clean fiber.