Since ancient times, the South American Andes Mountains have been the
ancestral home to the prized alpaca. Their fleece was
cherished by members of the Incan civilization
(referred to as "The Fiber of the Gods"), and their
graceful herds of alpaca roamed the lush
foothills and mountainous pastures. In the 17th century, Spanish
conquistadors killed a large part of both the Incan and alpaca
populations, forcing the retreating survivors to seek refuge in the high
mountain plains known as the Altiplano. The high altitude and harsh
landscape ensured only the hardiest of these creatures survived, and these
ancestors of today's best bloodlines have provided a gene pool producing
hardy, agile animals with dense, high quality fiber. In 1984, a small
group of importers brought the first of a carefully selected herd of
highest quality alpacas into the Australia and New Zealand.
Peru, Bolivia, and Chile are still home to the largest percentage of
alpacas in the world, and alpaca breeders in the United States have
learned much from their southern neighbors. Alpacas are a member of the
camelid family, which also includes dromedary and Bactrian camels, llamas,
vicunas, and guanacos. They are a modified ruminant and chew their cud
similar to a cow, although they have three stomachs rather than the true
ruminant, which has four. Alpacas selectively graze, eating pasture
grasses and hay, a fact that makes feeding alpacas relatively inexpensive.
A daily mineral supplement rounds out their diet.
There are two different alpacas types, the
suri
and the
huacaya. The suri has fiber
that grows quite long and forms
silky,
pencil-like locks. The huacaya has a
shorter, dense, crimpy fleece, giving it a very
woolly
appearance.
Alpacas have soft padded feet, making them gentle on their pastures,
and they have no top teeth in the front. The average height of an alpaca
is 36" at the withers, and they weigh from 100 to 175 pounds. Alpacas
are
small and gentle enough to travel
short distances in the family minivan and are easily handled by most
people.
Alpacas have a life span of 15 to 20 years, so you can enjoy your
alpaca for a long time. Not only do they have a long reproductive life,
they will provide fleece for a lifetime.
An alpaca's gestation period is 11 to 12 months, and they have single
births (twins are extremely rare). A baby alpaca, called a cria, usually
weighs between 15 and 20 pounds.
Alpaca fiber comes in 22 colors that are recognized by the textile
industry, and there are many blends in addition to that. Alpacas are shorn
for their
wonderful fleece each year,
which will produce 5 to 10 pounds of
soft,
warm fiber that is turned into the
most
luxurious garments in the world.
When it comes to raising alpacas, there is something for everyone.
