So you want to know more about alpacas?
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So You Want To Know More About Alpacas?
You may have heard of alpacas, and then again, maybe you haven’t. Alpacas belong to the camelid family, which includes camels, vicunas, llamas and guanacos. They are native to the Andes Mountains of South America, more specifically, the countries of Peru, Bolivia and Chile. They were first imported into the United States and Canada in 1984 and there has been a love affair with these animals ever since.
Alpacas date way back to the ancient civilization of the Incans, where clothing made from their luxurious fiber was reserved for Incan royalty. No wonder… it is one of the finest, most luxurious natural fibers in the world. Some of the wonderful characteristics of alpaca fiber is that it is warmer than wool and is as soft as cashmere, yet very durable and lightweight. Because it has no lanolin, it is also hypoallergenic and has no ‘prickle’ factor, making it very soft against the skin. Alpaca fiber has been used by many well-known fashion designers such as Armani, in making men’s and women’s ultra fine apparel and is in high demand throughout the world textile market. The fiber is also water repellant as well as being fire retardant. Many outdoor enthusiasts appreciate the lighter weight and better warmth, giving them more comfort in the colder weather. Alpaca fiber is very versatile in its use and is one of the wonderful by-products of these fascinating creatures.
Alpacas have become quite a popular livestock to raise and are now being bred in the U.S, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK and numerous other places. It’s no wonder…. These amazing animals are what you would consider a very ‘eco-friendly’ livestock. They are very easy on the environment. Since they have padded feet, they are very easy on the terrain. Their manure is low in nitrogen and makes tremendous fertilizer for your garden. They have a renewable fiber source, as they are shorn once every spring, with an annual clip of anywhere from 3-14 lbs. Many breeders get involved in doing various fiber arts such as weaving, spinning, felting, knitting, etc. Alpacas provide some wonderful by-products and they are a real pleasure to be around.
They are gentle and easy to work with, making them very suitable for families with children. They communicate with each other with a calm, humming sound and mothers will sometimes make a unique clucking sound to their cria (baby alpaca).
Alpacas are very hardy and easy keepers. Alpacas have a relatively long life span that is generally trouble-free. They are very efficient grazers and very economical to raise. I generally spend more money taking care of my two dogs than caring for the alpacas. Depending on your pasture, you can estimate reasonably about 6-10 per acre of land, making them an ideal livestock for a small farm. Since they enjoy being outdoors rather than enclosed in dark barns, a 3-sided shelter is sufficient for them. Although they don’t challenge fences, a 5-ft ‘no-climb’ fencing is advised to keep out any predators.
Alpacas have become known as ‘the world’s finest livestock investment.’ Alpacas share some of the attributes of other more common investments and people pay high prices for them. Although they have grown in popularity, they are still quite scarce, and there is still a lot of room for growth in this industry. Some of the finest fashion centers in the world demand quality alpaca fiber and are willing to pay top dollar for it. There are some excellent advantages of becoming an alpaca breeder with tax advantages and profits to be made from the breeding and selling of quality animals and the by-products they produce. As an investment, alpacas can be 100% insured against risk of loss, which you can’t say that about your stocks and bonds.
What makes raising alpacas so inviting? They offer a wonderful lifestyle, are easy to care for, can provide a profitable business, wonderful by-products to enjoy, and besides that…. They are so darn cute!
Article is written by Anne Marie Perry, breeder
of fine huacuya alpacas since 2003 at Spirit of the Rose Alpacas. We specialize
in mentoring new alpaca breeders and offer alpaca sales, breeding and free
consultation. If you want to discover the wonderful world of alpacas, please
contact us for more information at perryspacas@gmail.com
or visit our website at www.SpiritOfTheRoseAlpacas.com.
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Thanks for your comment, Tamarajo! Alpacas are very gentle and docile animals and I find them very relaxing to be around. They are great stress reducers! There are many people in the cottage industry that love working with alpaca fiber on a smaller scale and for larger farms that produce lots of fiber in a particular color can attract serious buyers from the world textile market.
Many breeders advertise on their websites and will often have open houses or scheduled farm visits. Some may have a farm shop with yarn and products made from the alpaca fiber, as well as do fall festivals where interested fiber artists will be attracted to them and begin purchasing their animal's fiber.
There are different styles of fiber such as merino, vicuna style, suri, etc. and each style has specific qualities of their own and applications, but from my experience, the FINER the fleece, the more desirable it is in the world textile market. Breeders will send out fiber samples to get histograms and know the actual micron of any particular alpaca. Those animals that maintain their fineness as they age are highly desirable and is one of the traits we are specifically breeding for. I know this is a lengthy reply to Tamarajo, but I hope it helps!
I love alpaca's they are just the cutest things! Great article!
Yes, Leslie4130, they are absolutely adorable! Thanks for your comment!
yes it was helpful thank you for replying. Hubby wants a horse. I'm thinking Alpacas would make for a more practical lucrative pet. Of course you can't ride them though. lol
Glad you found the info helpful, Tamarajo. Horses are wonderful animals and my hubby and I have often thought of adding a couple of Icelandic Horses in the future. We'll have to see, since horses are more expensive to care for and as you get older, they aren't as easy as alpacas. Horses would strictly be for pleasure, but alpacas offer more diversity with their wonderful fiber as well as the animals, and there is still lots of room for growth in North America. Essentially, it's all in what you personally desire and alpacas aren't for everyone.
Tamarajo Level 5 Commenter 19 months ago
interesting article about Alpacas. I didnt know they were so gentle and easy to care for. How does one fine buyers for Alpaca fiber and what is the criteria to discern its quality?