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The alpaca is a member of the Camelidae or Camelid family which also includes the llama, the guanaco, and the vicuna. This very distant cousin of the camel has a three-compartment stomach, has cloven hooves and chews grass like sheep and cattle.
There are two different types of alpaca: huacaya and suri.
Three StudMaster males - on the left is Tiago - sire of two of my suri youngsters. In front is Bogart, and at the back is Radiator. This picture shows both breeds of alpaca.
The huacaya is fluffier because the fiber grows perpendicular to the skin. The suri has fiber that hangs in long locks, giving them a dreadlocked appearance.
Adult alpacas will average between 120 to 200 pounds, and stand around 3 feet at the shoulder. The alpaca's lifespan averages 20 years. Alpacas don't have a heat cycle, but are induced ovulators like cats. Males become sexually mature at around the age of 2 years, and females when they reach 80% of their mature weght, usually between 18 and 24 months. They deliver one offspring, called a cria. The gestation period is roughly 11.5 months. Females are capable of being breed within 2-3 weeks after delivery.
Alpacas are alert, intelligent and docile. They are a herd animal, and are happier and healthier in groups of their own. Because they originate from the high plains of South American - the "Altiplano" - where forage may not be of the best quality, they utilize their food and water efficiently. They do well in cold climates, but need protection from wet conditions and wind.
They can be house at a rate of about 5-10 per acre, depending on variables such as sex and age of the animals, quality of the pasture, and shelter available. They require at least a 4-5 foot fence - geared as much to keeping predators out as to keeping the alpacas in. Many farms use no-climb horse fencing.
Alpacas are easy on their pasture. Their feet are padded, and leave almost no damage to the most delicate terrain. They are browsers - they won't pull up new tender grasses by the roots. They use a communal dung pile.
Herd health includes annual vaccinations, regular de-worming, toenail trimming and occasional teeth trimming. Annual shearing is important to the health of the animal, especially in warmer climates, and is where that fabulous end product originates. Alpaca fiber was worn by royalty in the time of the Inca Empire, and has been rediscovered in the last hundred years or so. Want to know what all the fuss is about with the fiber? Read about it here. A brief history of the renewed interest in the fiber from the little South American camelid is here.
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