Alpaca Fast Facts

* Alpacas are small, easy to handle, and disease resistant.

* Alpacas are intelligent, pleasant to be around and easy to train.

* Alpacas are adaptable to varied habitat and are being successfully raised from sea level to 15,000 feet and from Australia to Alaska.

* Alpacas and llamas were domesticated several thousand years ago in South America. They were the foundation of a prosperous civilization living in the Andes Mountains.

* In 1984, the first Alpacas were imported into the United States.

* There are two types of alpacas: the Suri which has fiber that appears to be in the form of dreadlocks and is silky and the Huacaya (pronounced wa-ki-ya) which has fiber with a crimp or wavy quality that enhances its use in spinning. 90% of the alpacas are Huacaya.

* Alpacas require no special fences or barns. Fences need to be able to keep out dogs and coyotes. The alpaca prefers grazing in an open pasture and a three sided enclosure is adequate for shelter.

* Alpacas are ruminants and are exceptionally efficient in utilizing the nutrients in grass.

* The gestation period for alpacas is approximately 11 1/2 months with a productive life of around 20 years. Females can be bred at 18 to 24 months.

Alpaca Fleece and Fiber

* Today the alpaca fiber market in South America is a multi-million dollar industry. Over the centuries, breeding practices have resulted in a consistent, uniform coat of fine, luxury fiber.

* Alpaca fiber occupies a small niche in the world textile fiber market. American breeders are working aggressively to establish a commercial market in this country.

* Alpaca fiber, which has no lanolin, is very different from wool. People who are allergic to wool can wear alpaca garments.