| Species | Camelid (yes, they are related to Camels!) South American Camelids also include the Llama, Guanaco and Vicuña. |
|---|---|
| Breeds | There are two breeds of Alpaca, the Huacaya and Suri. The Huacaya’s fleece is wavy this is usually referred to as Crimp; The Crimp enhances its use in spinning. The Suri’s fibre has no Crimp, it is grouped in spiral locks, and is heavier & shinier. It resembles the fleece of Lincoln sheep and the length of Angora goats. About 3% of the worlds Alpacas are Suris. |
| Country of Origin | South America, mostly Chile, Peru and Bolivia. However, Alpacas have been imported into the USA, Canada, mainland Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other parts of the world. |
| Life Span | In the region of 15 to 20 years. |
| Height | About 0.85m at the withers (shoulders) and 1.5m at the head. |
| Weight | About 50 to 75 kg for a fully-grown adult alpaca. They are 6 to 8 kg at birth. |
| Gestation | Usually 11.5 months. Births normally occur during daylight hours and twins are extremely rare. |
| Colours | Alpacas come in 22 natural colours from white through fawns, greys and brown to black; there are many variations and distinctive markings. |
Alpacas can make good field guards against dogs and fox’s worrying lambs and poultry as they will chase prey animals out. Due to their cloven feet alpacas do not poach paddocks in wet weather and they make great grass trimmers. Pet males are best kept in a herd of 3 or more and can live on less than an acre of pasture. Two can be kept together but never alone. They need shelter and a little special hard feed and hay.
Toe trimming required 3 to 4 times a year and vaccinations every 6 months. Regular contact and halter walking make the alpacas easy to handle and is a relaxing experience.