Words you may or may not know that are commonly used in the alpaca industry:

• Cria- A baby or group of baby alpacas.
• Sire- Father
• Dam- Mother
• Herdsires- “The best of the best”. These male alpacas are used for breeding and cost a lot more than a male that is just used for its fiber.
• Gelding- As with most any other industry, a gelding is a male that has been surgically altered so that it cannot reproduce. These animals are good fiber or companion animals as they can be with girls or boys full time.
• Fleece- The sheared alpaca “hairs”, also known as fibers.
• Fiber- The alpaca hair on the animal that has not been sheared. (Note: fleece and fiber are often used interchangeably)
• ”Spit-Check”- A task that requires putting a male alpaca with a fertilized female in order to observe the female’s reactions. If the female spits, she is pregnant, if she cushes, she is not.
• Cush- the term used to describe that an alpaca laid down when she had the presence of a male. This means the female feels that she is not pregnant.

What are some facts about Alpacas?

• Their total height, including head and neck, is less than five feet, making them considerably smaller than llamas.
• They typically weigh between 125 to 175 pounds, but it varies.
• Alpacas are very social animals and must be kept in at least pairs at all times; otherwise they can get depressed.
• Females are pregnant for 11 - 11 1/2 months and have only single births. Twins are extremely rare and are typically aborted due to expectations of complications or defects.
• Cria are typically born unassisted and are walking and nursing within an hour.
• There are two breeds of Alpacas: Huacaya and Suri. Huacaya fleece is shorter with a tight crimp and small curls. Suri fleece is long with large “locks” or curls. Huacaya are much more popular and are raised depending on just personal preferences.
• Alpacas can NOT bite. They do not have top teeth, just a plate.
• Alpaca fleece is sheared once a year and one animal can create 3-12 pounds of fleece
• Alpacas eat a small amount of feed and hay and are very easy to maintain. The typical amount of feed consumed is 1 cup per animal per day.
• Alpacas rarely spit at people. They spit at one another for several reasons including dominance and pregnancy. Some dams also spit at people or animals that come to close to their cria.
• Alpaca prices vary significantly: Females typically range from $10,000 to $40,000, Fiber Males from $500 to $2,000, and Herdsires from $25,000 to $400,000. Herdsires are sometimes “co-owned” to split up the cost of the animal per farm but each farm can still hold the benefits of the animal.
• The Highest Valued Alpaca in the United States is 4PERUVIAN LEGACY who is worth 1.5 million dollars; however the highest selling alpaca at auction is SNOWMASS MATRIX,who went for $675,000 in February 2010.

What are they and where did they come from?

Alpacas are a member of the camelid family. They originated in South America, specifically Peru and Chile, and are adapted to the cold climates of the mountains. Alpacas had several uses over their span of existence. At first, they were primarily used for food; however, the Spanish conquistadors butchered the herds to a fraction of the original population and natives discovered the value of the animals was not in their meat but rather in their fibers. They then began to selective breed their herds in order to create better fleece and strong structured animals and since then has been the tradition.

Alpacas were imported until the trade market stopped in and out of the United States not that long ago (1994). That is why the value of Alpacas in the United States is not expected to diminish. There is only a fraction of the world’s alpacas in America, about 2%. With the strict regulation, every alpaca must be computer chipped and registered into the ARI, or Alpaca Registry.

Why do people raise them?

The limited availability alone makes them a solid investment. The largest draw to the animals currently is the selling of the animals themselves through breeding; however, the need for their fleece is increasing with the now worldwide knowledge of the capabilities of Alpaca fibers.

Alpaca fiber is non-allergenic and is actually warmer and stronger than wool. It also has a smooth cuticle which makes it feel considerably better than cashmere. It comes in 22 naturally occurring colors and these colors can be blended to create an endless array of possible color combinations. As numbers of alpacas in the United States increase, so will the market for their fibers.

Another overlooked fact about alpacas is that they hold great tax benefits.

What are they like?

Alpacas are interesting animals. They like to be around people but not necessarily touched and petted. When trained on a harness, they can be walked just like a pet. They are naturally curious but cautious of new things as they have little defense against a predator.