Alpacas
Alpacas are members of the camelid family along with camels, llamas, vicunas and guanacos. There are two different breeds of alpacas - Huacaya and Suri. Both are bred for their fibre. The fleece on Suris hangs in ringlets and has a silky texture. Huacaya fleece has a distinctive crimp to it. The majority of alpacas in the UK are Huacayas.
Alpacas are ruminants, which means they chew cud. They eat grass augmented by hay and specialised food supplements - mainly vitamins and minerals.
They are herd animals and can live up to fifteen to twenty years or longer. They have one baby (called a cria) each year and are sheared annually.
Temperament
Alpacas are not dangerous and make excellent pets and companions. They are easy to raise and handle and co-exist happily with most other domesticated and farm animals. They are quick to chase off trespassers such as strange dogs and foxes.
Alpacas constantly communicate with each other through body posture, tail and ear movements, and a variety of sounds. The sound most often heard is a soft humming. Alpacas may spit chewed grass at one another, but very rarely spit at human beings (unless severely provoked).
They have a strong herding instinct, coupled with a designated pecking order and they become very stressed if kept alone. Alpacas are placid, intelligent and inquisitive animals.
Fleece
With the exception of mohair, alpacas produce the strongest animal fibre in the world. The fleece is luxurious like cashmere and has a fine crimp (wavy quality) which enhances its use in spinning. It is ideal for knitting and makes up into luxurious fabric. The fibre is soft, lustrous, warm, light and hypo allergenic and so is preferred by people with sensitive skins. It comes in a wide variety of natural shades, from white through rose-grey, grey, fawn and brown to black.
22 August 2010