Physical
Characteristics
--There are two types of Alpacas:
Huacaya
(pronounced
wah-KI-ya) and Suri
(pronounced surrey).
--Huacaya fibre is short, dense,
crimpy and
gives a
woolly
appearance.
--Suri fibre is silky and resembles
pencil-like locks.
--Average lifespan of an alpaca is
about 20 years.
--They are members of the Camelid
family.
--They have soft padded feet with
two toes.
--They do not have horns, hooves or
claws, incisors,
or upper teeth.
--They eat grass and chew cud, 10
alpaca consume
as much as one cow.
--They have three stomachs.
--Their dung makes excellent
fertilizer.
--Adult alpacas generally weigh
between 100 and
150 lbs.
--Average height is 36 inches at the
withers.
--They are adaptable to any climate.
Behavior
--They are alert, intelligent,
curious, and predictable.
--Alpacas prefer being outdoors, and
a three sided
shelter is all they
need for protection in harsh
weather.
--They are social animals that seek
companionship
and require at least
one other alpaca companion.
--They communicate by softly
humming, with neck
posturing , ear and
tail positioning, and head
tilting.
--They deposit their odorless
bean-like pellets in
concentrated areas.
End Products
-- Main end-product
is fibre.
--In ancient times, alpaca fiber was
known as the
"Fiber of the Gods"
.
--It is as soft as
cashmere and lighter and warmer
than wool.
--Hypo-allergenic and contains no
lanolin, therefore,
no itch.
--Comes in 22 natural colors.
--An ounce of raw alpaca fiber sells
for $2.00-$5.00.
Each stage of the
process (cleaning, carding,
spinning,
knitting,finishing, etc) adds more
value to
the fibre.
--As a finished garment, it can sell
for $10.00
per oz
Hand knit goods
are more desirable and have sold
for $1,000.00, in
some cases.
Alpaca fiber
is sold several ways. Hand-spinners
and fiber artists buy raw fleece.
Knitters often purchase
alpaca yarn. Fiber Cooperatives
Mills collect alpaca
fiber and process it on behalf of
the producer. |
History
--Native
to Andean Mountain range of
South
America.
--Primarily found in Peru,
Bolivia, and Chile.
--First imported in Canada and
the United States in
1984.
--They were
Domesticated over 5,000 years
ago.
Current figures note about
50,000 registered
alpacas in the U.S. and 20,000
registered in Canada.
Reproduction
--
Females can be bred between
16-24 months and
must
weight a min. of 80 lbs.
--Males are ready for breeding
between 2-3 years of
age.
--Gestation is 340 days.
--Females are induced ovalators,
which means the
actual process of breeding
causes ovulation.
--Female alpaca normally gives
birth, without
assistance, in
the
daylight hours.
--Baby alpacas are called crias.
--Females are called Dams.
--Males are called Machos,
hersires, sires.
--Cria mortality is very low.
--Have single births. Twins are
extremely rare. Most
recent figures note
1 in 2000 is a twin.
Maintenance/Care
--Shear on average 6-12 lbs
every 12 to 18 months ,
enough to make 4-6
sweaters.
--Require minimal fencing and
they can be pastured
at 5-10 per
acre.
--Disease-resistant animals.
--Need occasional nail and/or
teeth trimming.
--Deworming needs to be done
approximately every
3 - 4 months.
--A grain supplement is required
to give the alpacas
the vitamins
and minerals that are missing in
our
pastures
|
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