Only the hardiest of the animal kingdom have the endurance to survive the harsh elevation of South America's Andes Mountains. It may come as a surprise to you (or maybe not) that alpacas of all animals called these mountains home--predominantly Chile, Bolivia, and Peru. In 1984, a herd of high-quality alpacas was first imported into North America. The sturdy nature the mountains taught them has aided them in adapting into new habitats all over the world. More than five thousand years prior to even this, their fleece was a crucial asset to the Inca civilization’s economy.

                Alpacas are part of the Camelidae family, grouped with other camelids such as camels, dromedaries, llamas, vicunas, and guanacos. Camelids are characterized by slender necks, long legs, and are strictly herbivorous. They are ruminants; meaning they are cud-chewing animals. Instead of hooves, they have soft pads on the undersides of their feet. Each foot has two flat toes. Alpacas in particular are three feet tall on average at the shoulder blade. They weigh one hundred to two hundred pounds. They have no incisors or upper teeth; they have three stomachs.

                There are two different types of alpacas: the huacaya and the suri. The suri grows something like dreadlocks--their fleece grows out quite long into silky, pencil-like locks. The huacayas’s fleece is more akin to a sheep’s woolly coat; their fleece is denser, shorter, and has more crimp than the suri. Alpaca fiber can be among the twenty-two natural colors, including mixed color groups in between the “pure” colors. These colors can range from white to fawn to rose gray to true black.

            Alpaca fiber can benefit its owner in a variety of ways; some alpaca farms send their best to be judged in competitions. Others ship their sheared fleece to be processed into yarn (or some do this themselves), and upon getting it back, they can use the yarn to knit goods . . . that can be sold at very profitable rates (a hand-made alpaca good can be sold for up to one thousand dollars!). An adult alpaca can produce on average fifty to ninety pounds of first-quality fiber over their lifetime. Alpacas themselves can cost in excess of twenty-five thousand dollars; naturally, the alpaca business is a huge investment to consider.

            Alpacas have a diet of mostly grass and hay, along with an assortment of minerals that can be distributed in specialized alpaca feed. Alpacas are herd animals; that means they don’t like to be alone! That makes it best to purchase your first alpacas in at least pairs. They need to be sheared every twelve months; they require annual vaccinations, routine parasite control, and occasional nail and teeth trimming; up to ten alpacas can be pastured in an acre. On average, they live for about twenty years; their gestation period lasts about eleven to twelve months. They usually only give birth to one cria at a time . . . twins are very rare.