What do you
do with an Alpaca?
Alpacas provide an excellent investment opportunity,
and source of luxurious fiber. The
fleece, comparable to cashmere, is known for its fineness, light in weight, and
luster. Alpaca textile products
are recognized worldwide. Everyone
should own a soft, warm alpaca sweater!
What do
alpacas do besides grow fiber?
Alpacas make excellent companion animals with high
aesthic appeal and have a loveable disposition. Alpacas are easily trained to lead, gentle enough to be
handled by children and are always a hit in a parade.
What do
Alpacas eat?
Alpacas are ruminants, which mean they chew cud like a
cow or deer. They survive well on
different kinds of low protein grass, providing it has a balanced mineral
content. Because alpacas evolved
in harsh conditions, they utilized their food more efficiently than other
ruminants. The cost to feed an alpaca
is about as much per month to feed a dog.
Are Alpacas
smart?
Yes, Alpacas are amazingly alert animals who quickly
learn to halter and lead. They
constantly communicate with each other through body posture, tail and ear
movements, and a variety of sounds.
The sound heard most often is a soft humming, a mild expression
befitting a gentle animal.
Do Alpacas
spit?
Alpacas will spit on one another if angered, but
rarely spit on their human caregivers.
Are Alpacas
easy to care for?
Alpacas are small and very easy to maintain, rarely
over-eat and require no extraordinary care. They do require basic shelter for protection against the
heat and foul weather and they do not challenge fences. They require basic veterinary care
including worming and vaccinations along with shearing, usually done in the
spring.
How much acreage
does it take to raise Alpacas?
Alpacas are the ideal small acreage livestock. You can comfortably stock between five
to ten animals per acre. This
makes the alpaca fabulous for people who have only a few acres and want the
pleasure of a small herd and a healthy investment return.
What do you
call Alpacas?
A baby alpaca is called a cria. The weaned crias are known as weanlings
or tuis. In Spanish, the adult
males are known as Machos and the females are Hembras.
Can you pack
with Alpacas?
Alpacas can carry a small child or a light backpack on
summer outings, but for heavier loads the larger llama is more appropriate.
How
do you transport Alpacas?
Alpacas load and travel calmly and can be transported
in the family min-van, station wagon, utility vehicle or horse trailer. Once enroute, the alpaca lies down and
enjoys the ride!
Are Alpacas dangerous?
Absolutely not!
Alpacas are safe and pleasant to be around.
What is the life span of an Alpacas?
They live
for 15-25 years.
How tall Alpacas are and what do they weigh?
The average height is 36” to the withers with and
average weight between 100-175 pounds; this is about half to one-third the size
of a llama.
What is the gestation period for an Alpaca?
The average gestation is 335 day, (11 months). The birth weight of a cria is 15-19
pounds and the baby can stand within 30 minutes to an hour after birth. The alpaca mortality is very low.
What colors are Alpacas?
Alpacas are usually solid in color. There are 22 basic colors with many variations
and blends.
