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Here is a bit of information to introduce you to
the alpaca and alpaca farming in the US. This just scratches the
surface, but there are several really excellent books and CD's available
for more information, please see our recommendations at the bottom
of this page.
Alpacas originated in the Andean mountains of Peru,
Bolivia, and Chile. They are raised for their fur, called fiber
or fleece, in the same way that sheep and goats and other fleece
animals are raised. Alpaca fleece is shorn off the animals generally
once a year and usually in the spring, and their fleece regrows
until the next shearing.
Alpaca fleece is really, really nice! If you haven't
felt baby alpaca yarn ("baby" refers to the fineness of
the fibers rather than the age of the alpaca) or an alpaca blanket,
then you should. Alpaca farming is really popular in the US in part
because the end product, alpaca fleece, creates truly delightful
and wonderful yarn or fabric in 22 natural colors. This means the
yarn or fabric without any harsh dies can be black, gray, rose-gray,
light brown, dark brown, white or any of 22 color categories.
Alpacas have an excitement and mystique that have
really made them popular in the US. They are elegant and delightful
to watch grazing in the fields. Raising them is fairly undemanding
once you have your farm set up and your maintenance procedures in
place. All these benefits, added to the amazing profit potential
(the US market has been steadily profitable since the early 1980's
when they first began importations), make them a wonderful venture.
What is an alpaca?
Alpacas are related to the wild vicunas and llamas.
Llamas are quite a bit larger and have a banana shape to their ears.
Llama fleece can have a lot more guard hair (coarser fibers) throughout
their coat than alpacas. Alpacas have been bred in South America
for hundreds of years to refine their fleece to make the guard hairs
finer and fewer until the whole blanket can be used without having
to process out the coarser fibers.
Breeding and raising alpacas:
The gestation is approximately 11.5 months (nearly
1 year!) and a single baby alpaca (called a "cria") is
born at the end of this time. The beginning age for breeding varies
from breeder to breeder and from alpaca to alpaca depending on the
speed of their development. Many breeders start breeding at 18 months
to two years for females and from two to three years for males.
Worming and vaccination programs vary in different
parts of the country. You will want to consult your local camelid
veterinarian for their recommendations and give regular treatments
for worms and regular vaccines to the whole herd.
Alpacas eat hay and grain that can be purchased through
farm farm feed stores, and they graze on pastures if it's available
to them. Some farms keep their alpacas in barns at night and others
keep theirs on the pasture year round with shelters.
Alpacas are herd animals, so it wouldn't be right
to keep only one. You would want at least two to keep each other
company.
Alpaca prices?
Alpaca prices vary depending on all sorts of factors
such as the age of the alpaca, whether it is proven or not (whether
or not it has had a healthy cria or sired a healthy cria), whether
it has won awards at shows or its parents have won awards at shows,
the color and fineness of its fleece, its conformation (the size
and shape of the body parts in relation to one another and how well
it "conforms" to the desired alpaca size and shape and
bone structure), market value and other factors. An unproven male
who is too young to evaluate his fleece quality for breeding might
sell for $2,500 while a proven stud male with extremely desirable
characteristics and who is a Champion in the showring might sell
for $40,000. Prices for females tend to start higher at around $8,000
and up to $40,000 or so. There have been much higher prices on occasion.
In 2004, Dom Lucilio, a proven stud huacaya male sold at auction
for $425,000!
Reading Recommendations
Secrets of the Andean Alpaca by Maggie and
Richard Krieger (This has excellent descriptions of fleece characteristics,
conformation and even a purchasing checklist.)
The Complete Alpaca Book by Eric Hoffman
Caring For Llamas and Alpacas - A Health and Management
Guide by Claire Hoffman, DVM and Ingrid Asmus
Llama and Alpaca Neonatal Care by Smith, Timm and Long,
DVMs
Llama Alpaca Field Manual by C. Norm Evans, DVM
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