What are alpacas?`
This is a question that we asked two years ago.
Alpacas are animals domesticated in the high altitudes of South America thousands of years ago for their luxurious fleece. Their countries of origin are: Peru, Bolivia, and Chile.
They are members of the camelid family, which also includes camels, llamas, vicunas and guanacos. Alpacas have been in the U.S. since 1984 and are being raised for their fleece as well as for the sale of their offspring. Alpacas are disease resistant easy keepers and are gentle on the land. People who have no former experience with livestock are successfully raising alpacas all over the U.S.
There are two types of alpacas - suri and huacaya.
The Huacaya is the most common variety of alpaca. The fibre of the huacaya grows perpendicular to the body. It forms a lock structure that surrounds the body with fibre, giving the animal a fluffy teddy bear appearance.
The Suri is a less common variety of alpaca. The fibre of the suri grows parallel to the body and hangs down the sides of the body in curly ringlets. Suri fibre does not stand out from the body, but parts along the backbone and hangs along the sides giving the animal a slender, sleek look.
The life span of an alpaca is 20 to 25 years. Females can be bred generally between 18 and 24 months of age. Males usually begin breeding when they are two years old, although a six month variation in age is not uncommon. Females are induced ovulators, which means they can be bred year around. Following an 11 ½ month gestation, they give birth to a single cria that weighs between 15 and 22 pounds.
Adult alpacas usually weigh between 125 and 200 pounds and yield 5 to 8 pounds of fleece annually. Shearing is done in the spring to keep the alpaca comfortable during the summer months. Fleece grows 3 to 6 inches per year.
Alpacas come in 22 different natural colors ranging from white to black, beige to dark brown. The fleece is prized by pinners for its softness and is warmer and lighter weight than wool. People who are allergic to wool can often wear garments made of alpaca, which is as soft as cashmere.
Due to their bone structure, alpacas are not used as pack animals. Alpacas are herd animals and prefer to be with other alpacas.
Alpacas communicate with each other by ear, body, and tail positions, shrill alarms calls, or a humming sound. Spitting among themselves is used to divert annoying suitors, protect themselves from a threat, or to help establish dominance over other animals. Occasionally, they may spit at humans but only if they feel threatened
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