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Below is a scene of shearing day in Peru and their rock pens.
What kind are yours? There are two types of alpacas, the suri (su-ree), with the dreadlocks, and the huacaya (wah-kai-yuh) that looks like a teddy bear. About 90% of alpacas in the USA are huayaca and that is what we have here at Jackpot!
What colors do they "come" in? There are twenty-two natural colors of alpaca fleece.
What do they eat? Alpacas graze, eating grass and hay. They also get grain and mineral supplements, as most need extra copper and selenium.
What's up with those feet and teeth? Alpacas have soft padded feet with two toes and toenails, which make them very easy on the environment They have no top teeth in the front just a hard palette; when they chew they grind their food sideways. Males have fighting teeth that are usually removed (ouch!).
How big do they get? They weigh up to about 120 to 200 lbs. and are usually not over 36 inches at the withers (shoulders). Males are usually bigger.
How many babies do they have? Alpacas have only one 15-20 lb. baby, called a cria, at a time, after an 11.5 month gestation. Most alpacas give birth between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. This timing allowed them to up and mobile by the time the herd moved for the night in the altiplano. Nature rocks!
Can you really hug them? Actually, they are herd animals, not like dogs, so they will tolerate being handled, but they do not usually LIKE it. Some are more sociable than others though and they are often used as PR animals.
How long do they live? About 15 to 20 years, although that is based on life expectancy from South America - we are not sure how they will adapt to our climates, etc..
Can I have just one? Nope, they have to be in pairs or they will pine away and may even get so depressed they cross over! They MUST have an alpaca companion. If you want pets, get two gelded boys and life will be great!
There are about a gazillion websites on alpacas that answer every imaginable question in a LOT more detail than I will attempt to go into here. So, I will just answer a few of the most common questions...
Do they spit? Yes, they do. Only if they are really mad or afraid will they ready, aim and fire and it is usually at each other, not people. They have three levels; Level One is a FLURFFF noise and they just kinda spit what is in their mouths at each other. Level Two involves a louder noise and a bigger hunk of wet matter from the mouth. Level Three (get a HazMed suit) is VERY dramatic and is dregged up from the depths of one of their three stomachs, this one is reserved for extenuating circumstances (thank goodness).
Are they camels? Camel cousins...members of the camelid family, which includes alpacas, Dromedary (one hump) and Bactrian camels (two hump), llamas, vicunas, and guanacos. Pictured to the left is a vicuna and an alpaca. See how similiar they are to this day?
Where are they from? Peru, Chile and Bolivia. They evolved into hardy animals with thick fleece to endure the cold, living on sparse vegetation. Click here for more on history.
What do you DO with them? Alpacas are bred mostly for their soft fabulously cuddly fleece, like cashmere, but way better (we are prejudiced). The fleece can be blended with wool, silk or even acrylic. Alpacas are shorn annually and can produce ten pounds of fleece per animal. Hand spinners, artisans and the commercial fiber industry purchase the fleece.
Below is a grazing scene and a woman in traditional dress weaving.
Above is how to handspin in the traditional way.
