Basic Alpaca Information

Alpacas are New World camelids and are related to llamas and camels. They have highly desirable fleece which is much softer than their camelid cousins. Their large, expressive eyes seem to exhibit both wisdom and childlike curiosity. Easily domesticated, alpacas are friendly, gentle and curious.

Alpacas were exported from Peru in the mid-1980s and have become a premier livestock in North America and abroad. In the United States, the national Alpaca Registry (ARI) was formed to ensure breed purity and high standards. Importation from South America is now closed.

Each alpaca born in the US is blood-typed before registering. This practice helps keep our North American standards high, our animals healthy, and our breeding practices more focused on growing the best alpaca fiber in the world.

Fleece

The hair of the alpaca is called 'fleece' or 'fiber' rather than 'fur' or 'wool.' Alpaca fleece has 22 natural shades ranging from black to silver and rose gray and white, from mahogany brown to light fawn and beige.

There are two types of alpacas, classified according to their fiber type:

Huacaya ('wah-KI-yah') — dense, crimped, wooly, water-resistant fleece. About 90% of all alpacas in the North America are "teddy-bear" huacayas.
Suri ('SUR-ree') — very fine and lustrous fiber which grows parallel to the body in long, separate locks. Only10% of the alpaca population in the US are suris.

· Unlike the llama, the fiber of the alpaca can be used for clothing. Alpaca fiber is softer than cashmere or angora, and warmer and lighter weight than wool, without the prickle-factor that some wool has. Since alpaca fleece has no lanolin, many people who are allergic to wool are not allergic to alpaca.

· Alpacas are sheared annually, usually in the spring. The fiber may be sold and processed into rovings, spun into yarn, knitted or woven into fine fabrics. Each step adds more value to the product.

Personality

Like all animals, alpacas exhibit individual personality. They are herd animals, preferring the companionship of their friends and their established community, and will become stressed if separated from their buddies.

Gentle and curious, alpacas respond well to children, and many ranches are a family affair. A confident youngster can handle an animal in the showring or on an obstacle course. Regional events sometimes offer a costume contest. Alpacas are well-suited for 4-H projects to learn animal husbandry. During winter holidays you may even see a couple of them stand in for their camel cousins in a Nativity scene.

FAQs

Q: Is alpaca fiber really useful?
A: Alpaca fleece is a premium fiber and in high demand in the fashion industry. It is light-weight, warm, durable, soft and not itchy. Hand spinners appreciate its quality, and handcrafters find it easy to work with. The natural hues are highly desirable, yet light colors readily accept dye. Many ranches have small stores selling yarn from their own animals or clothing and accessory products crafted from the fleece.

Q: What's the difference between alpacas and llamas?
A: Size and fiber quality. Llamas were primarily bred to be beasts of burden, and alpacas were bred primarily as fiber producers. An average alpaca stands 34"-36" at the withers (shoulders), whereas a llama stands 42"-48" at the withers. Alpacas weigh 125-175 pounds on average, llamas average 220-300. An adult alpaca will generally produce 5-8 pounds of high-quality fiber each year.

Q: How long do alpacas live?
A: Alpacas have a life expectancy of 20-25 years.

Q: When do they reach breeding maturity?
A: Females reach breeding capability by 16-24 months. Males usually don't reach sexual potency until 24 months or more, with the rare one becoming potent as early as 12 months.

Q: What is the gestation period?
A: The gestation period is 11-1/2 months (~350 days).

Q: When do females stop breeding?
A: Females will breed throughout their life.

Q: How much do the babies weigh when born?
A: Alpaca crias average 18 lbs. Delivery usually occurs during the daytime and rarely requires the assistance of humans. Twins are extremely rare. Cria are weaned at about 6 months of age.

Q: What do alpacas eat?
A: The alpaca is an herbivore, grazing on grass and munching weeds, shrubs and trees. They process their food through 3 stomachs where special secretions enable the animal to absorb 50% more nutrients than sheep. Low-protein feed is recommended, with additional mineral supplements for females since they are generally pregnant and/or nursing.

Q: Do alpacas spit?
A: Yes, mostly at each other, to signal displeasure at a herd member. A pregnant female 'spits off' an inquisitive male to let him know she is disinterested in his advances. Alpacas also may spit when frustrated or frightened.

Q: What predators threaten alpacas?
A: The alpaca is prey to mountain lions, coyotes, bears, and other carnivores including dogs. In its native Andes, the alpaca's long neck helps spot predators among the rocks of the mountain slopes. On US ranchs, llamas, donkeys, and guard dogs are often used as herd guardians.

Q: Is their manure good fertilizer?
A: Their manure is excellent fertilizer and may be applied directly to the garden without danger of 'burn.' Because alpacas are not nomadic, they mark their territory with their dung piles and usually wait to get to the designated area to defecate or urinate.

Q: Are alpacas environmentally friendly?
A: The alpaca's two-toed feet are soft pads protected on the top and sides by toe nails. Unlike hard hooves, they leave the terrain undamaged. And as they graze, they only nibble the top of the pasture grass rather than uprooting it. By rotating between two or three pastures, there is always a fresh supply.

	Q. Are alpacas easy to care for?
	A. They are small and easy to maintain, rarely overeat and require no extraordinary care. They should have basic shelter for protection against heat and foul weather. They do not challenge fences. They simply need shearing, worming, and yearly vaccinations.
	Q. What sort of diseases to alpacas get?
	A. Compared with other livestock, alpacas are relatively disease free. Because of their dry fleece and naturally clean breech, fly strike is not an issue with alpacas. Vaccination programs vary by geography on veterinarian's advice. When buying alpacas for breeding purposes it is advisable to arrange a veterinary check to ensure you are buying a healthy animal. Some gardens contain a number of plants that are toxic to most livestock (oleander, rhododendron, laburnum, etc.). Care should be taken when fencing off gardens that such plants do not overhang into alpaca areas. There is a history of calamities with other livestock that have inadvertently been fed prunings from such plants. Local nurseries can provide good advice on poisonous plants or check with your county extension agent. They do need to have ready access to good quality, fresh drinking water.
	Q. How much acreage does it take to raise alpacas?
	A. They are an ideal small acreage livestock. You can comfortably stock between five and ten animals per acre. This makes the alpaca ideal for people who have only a few acres and who want the pleasure of a small herd and a healthy investment return.
	Q. What shelters or barns do alpacas require?
	A. Alpacas are native to the altiplano (highlands) of Peru and are used to a harsh environment found at 12,000 to 17,500 feet above sea level. The snow, freezing wind and bone chilling cold are familiar to these hardy animals. There are no barns for alpacas in Peru. They are put in corrals a night for protection from predators and to keep them from wandering away. Most alpaca breeders here in the United States construct open shelters as opposed to closed barns for their animals. Alpacas simply need to get out of the wind and have a dry place to eat or lay down during a storm. These shelters allow the alpacas to come and go as they please. Gravel as opposed to cement is the best flooring material.
	Q. What type of fence is most suitable for alpacas?
	A. The most important thing about fencing for alpacas is safety against predators. Any fence will confine alpacas since they do not challenge fences. The important thing is to keep dogs, foxes and coyotes out of the pasture. Standard 2" x 4" farm fence, four feet high is adequate. You may want to add a barbed or hot wire at the top. "New Zealand " deer fence is good fencing for alpacas. It can be purchased in heights of 5 or 6 feet and is woven wire with smaller squares at the bottom.