Alpacas originated from the Andes mountains in the South American countries of Peru, Chile and Bolivia. They were first imported into the United States in 1984 but due to closure of the registry, importations ceased in 1998.
Alpaca are cousins to the llama but are smaller and possess slightly different features. Adult alpacas weigh between 135 and 185 pounds and females reproduce "crias" (or babies) about once every 11 1/2 months. They are very easy on pastures and fencing and consequently, one acre can support five to ten alpacas.
There are basically two types of alpacas. Huacayas comprise the majority of alpacas (about 90%) and have the fluffy, teddy-bear fleece. Suris are more rare (about 10%) and their fleece looks like pencilled or permed strands of hair.
Alpaca fleece comes in twenty-two different colors and is some of the softest, warmest in the world. It is used to create high-quality (and high-dollar) garments such as sweaters, scarves, mittens and blankets.
For more information about alpacas, please see our "Alpaca Links" section.
Alpacas are primarily grazing animals so their primary food source is grass. Many types of grasses are appropriate for alpacas such as orchard, timothy and bermuda.
If you do not have adequate pastures, you can supplement your alpacas’ diet with nutritional "horse-quality" hay. To insure that your alpaca is receiving the necessary nutrition, you can send hay samples off to be analyzed and some state agricultural departments and universities will do this for free or for a minimal charge.
Many breeders supplement grass and hay diets with some type of grain product. This is especially beneficial if your analysis shows your grass/hay to be lacking in some nutrients. There are a number of different brands on the market that are formulated specifically for llamas/alpacas. In addition, vitamin/mineral supplements are also available that can be feed either by sprinkling over the grain ("top dressing") or by allowing the animals to eat as much as they want ("free choice").
