Alpaca Facts Worth Knowing

There have been many advertisements promoting the profitability in raising alpacas, and a few alpaca facts are certainly worth knowing before you start planning your alpaca ranch.

Most of what is said about these delightful animals is true.

Alpaca Facts Worth Knowing

They are related to camels, also related to llamas, but different animals entirely. Alpacas are considered to be livestock rather than pets, but in general are very friendly and affectionate, and can be treated like pets if one wishes.

Livestock, Not Pets – Usually - 

Alpacas are primarily grown for their hair or fleece, there being two distinct types of alpacas.

As livestock go they are not particularly large, usually standing about 3' at the withers and weighing in the neighborhood of 150 pounds. They handle quite easily, respect fences, so are not difficult to keep in a pasture or paddock, and are relatively inexpensive to feed. Fencing is done more to keep potential predators out rather than to keep alpacas in.

Alpacas are grazing animals, usually eating grass, but will eat hay as well. An alpaca will do fine on 10 bales of grass hay a year, as opposed to the 150 bales of hay needed yearly for a horse.

Unlike horses, alpacas, as a herd, tend to select one area in a pasture to do their business, making manure management much easier. Alpaca dung makes excellent fertilizer and is basically odorless.

A Native Of The Andes - 

Alpaca facts reveal an interesting history.
They have over the centuries served as South American sheep, prized for their 22 different colors of fiber. They have been fought over by the Incas and Aztecs, not to mention the Spanish conquistadors. Alpacas are native to Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, and were first introduced to the United States in the mid-1980's.

There are presently alpaca farms or ranches in many different countries, both in the New Worlds and in Europe.

Not A Llama - 

Alpacas are confused with llamas by many, partly because we tend to see more llamas and, not having seen alpacas, assume they are about the same.

Unlike llamas, the alpaca does not make a good pack animal. It is a very tough, hardy animal, but not built to carry heavy loads. One thing they do have in common with llamas however is they spit! Nearly all members of the camel family do that, but when alpacas spit they are almost always spitting at each other, usually when trying to establish a hierarchy at feeding time.

If you get spit on by an alpaca it's usually because it was aiming for another alpaca, and you just happened to step in the way. An alpaca spitting on a human on purpose is a rare thing.

Alpaca Fiber, Good For The Alpaca, And The Pocketbook - 

With alpacas, the fiber is the thing. They are native to high altitudes and can get along fine in a freezing cold environment. Their fiber is extremely dense and soft to the touch.

The fiber retains its natural color, but also dyes quite easily, and clothing made from alpaca will usually last for years. Besides clothing, alpaca fiber makes excellent blankets, and is even used in upholstery. The alpaca is shorn once a year.

A small herd of a dozen or so alpacas can yield over 100 pounds of fiber, which can bring a nice income, far exceeding the cost of keeping the animals.

If an alpaca ranch is in your thoughts, when gathering together your alpaca facts, be sure to consider not only the care and feeding of the alpaca, but look for potential buyers of the fiber, unless you decide to spin your own yarn. It's worth its weight in gold.