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Alpacas are still fairly new and uncommon in North America.
They are gentle, friendly and in increasing demand for their luxurious fiber.
Garments made from alpaca fiber are known throughout the world for being soft,
warm and durable, light weight and lustrous. With their lovable dispositions
and manageable size, alpacas also make wonderful companion animals.
They are easily trained and are gentle enough to be handled by children.
The alpaca is a domesticated member of the camelid family, and a cousin of the llama.
Alpacas have large, expressive eyes, a short triangular muzzle,
a sheep-dog mop of hair over the brow, and abundant fine fiber.
Alpacas come in a broad spectrum of colors, more than any other livestock.
They grow to weigh about 150 pounds and can live 25 years or more. A female
alpaca bears only one offspring a year after an 11-month gestation period.
(The offspring is called a cria.)
Alpacas and llamas have been domesticated for approximately 5,000 years.
They played an integral part in the Inca civilization which dwelled on the
high Andean plateau and mountains of South America. The alpaca's cashmere-like
fleece was used to produce clothing for Inca royalty; while the larger llama was
used to transport cargo on steep Andean trails. When Spanish conquistadors
invaded Peru and Chile, killing Indians and their animals alike, the alpaca
sought refuge in the high elevations. They developed the ability to live on
low protein vegetation and only the strongest survived. The result is today's
alpaca, a very hardy and adaptable animal.
Except for zoos, alpacas were not imported into the U.S. until 1984. Now it is estimated there are approximately 50,000 alpacas in North America.
There are two types or breeds of alpaca: the Huacaya and the Suri. The Huacaya's
fleece has a wavy quality, or crimp, that enhances its use in spinning. The Suri,
only recently imported into the United States, has a lustrous fine fiber that has
no crimp, but grows in very defined pencil-like locks. The Huacaya constitutes
approx. 80% of the world's population of alpaca, while the Suris comprise only about 20%.
Alpaca management is relatively uncomplicated. They require no special fences or barns.
Fences should be designed more to keep predators out rather than to keep alpacas in.
Alpacas prefer grazing in an open pasture as opposed to confinement in a barn or stall.
Occasional grooming, trimming of toenails and teeth, annual or biannual shearing,
and regular worming and vaccinations are advised.
Alpacas are ruminants and need no special diet. They are grazers and browsers with
highly efficient digestive systems. They do very well on low protein,
good quality forage and hay. Many breeders supplement their alpaca's diet
with a pelleted "ration balancer", which supplies the necessary vitamins
and trace minerals for bone development and healthy cria. An alpaca costs
far less to feed than most traditional domestic animals.
Because of their small size and easy care, alpacas are ideal animals to raise
on small acreage. Six to eight alpacas may be stocked comfortably on a single acre.
Alpacas can be sheared with regular sheep-shearing equipment.
Electric shears may be used, but some breeders prefer hand shearing
because of the density of the fiber. An annual yield of fiber is approximately
six pounds from a female and more than ten pounds from a male. The first
clipping from a young alpaca is very valuable, as it is very fine and has
a lustrous feel. Alpaca fiber can be made into garments of beautiful colors
and shades. It is easily dyed and may be blended with other natural fibers
including sheep's wool, mohair, angora, silk and llama.
Alpacas are intelligent animals and are amazingly alert. They quickly learn to
halter and lead. They communicate with each other through body posture, tail
and ear movements and a variety of sounds. The sound alpacas produce most often
is a soft humming.
Future controlled importation of quality alpacas will further broaden the genetic
diversity in this country. It is the alpaca industry goal to develop alpacas with superior
conformation and fleece, which will enable the United States to create and
supply its own specialty alpaca fiber market.
Alpacas which are considered "exotic animals", and can provide returns of up to 70% as well
as tremendous tax benefits, all of which make alpacas "The World's Finest Livestock Investment."
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