Alpacas Q & A Alpaca Facts What is an Alpaca? Why Alpacas? How do I make a return on my investment?

What is an Alpaca?

The alpaca is a domesticated member of the camelid family, a cousin of the llama, but one-half to one-third the size. 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 an average of 120 to 150 pounds and can live 20 years or more. A female alpaca bears only one offspring a year after an approximate 11 month gestation period.

The alpaca originated in South America with the heaviest concentration in Peru, Chile, and Bolivia. The Inca civilization, which lived in the Andes mountains many years ago, prized the alpaca for the fiber it produced. Inca Royalty were the only citizens allowed to wear clothing made from alpaca fiber. When the Spaniards invaded Peru and Chile, the alpaca sought refuge in the higher mountain regions. The adapted to the harsh conditions and low protein vegetation, and only the strongest survived. Today, the alpaca is a very strong and healthy animal that adapts to almost any climate. They are raised on farms from Alaska to Florida.

Alpacas were not imported to the US until 1984. There are about 25,000 alpacas in North America today. The alpaca registry was closed to any more imports after 1998. Any additional growth in the alpaca population of North America will come from newborns.

Alpacas are sheared every 12 to 18 months. The yield is approximately 5 lbs. from a female to 8 lbs. from a male. Alpaca fiber is made into beautiful garments of many different colors. It is easily dyed and may be blended with other natural fibers. Alpaca fiber is found in 22 different natural colors.

There are two types of alpacas - the Huacaya and the Suri. Of the total world population, about 97% to 99% are Huacaya and 1% to 3% are Suri (like at right). The Huacaya has very soft crimpy fiber which stands out from their body. The Suri fiber has no crimp, but hangs in very defined pencil like locks. On our farm, we have mostly Huacaya (see Sonny Boy above), with Hummer (at left) being our only Suri.

The alpaca industry is now in the breeding and growth stage. We are now developing the best quality alpacas in the world. The next business stage will be fiber production. Before the North American alpaca fiber industry can become a reality, however, the number of alpacas must dramatically increase. The present 25,000 animals must grow to several hundred thousands before there will be enough fiber production to attract a fiber processing mill.

For more information on alpacas, contact the following organization: Alpaca Owner and Breeders Association at http://www.aoba.org.