Frequently Asked
Questions:
1. What is an alpaca?
2. What is a cria?
3. What do you do with alpacas?
4. Do alpacas make good pets?
5. How much do alpacas cost?
6. Are alpacas dangerous?
7. Do alpacas spit like llamas?
8. What do alpacas eat?
9. Are alpacas easy to keep
and care for?
10. Do alpacas get along
with other animals?
11. What is
involved in breeding and birthing alpacas?
12. How often do alpacas
need to be sheared?
13. What is so special
about alpaca fibre?
1. What is an alpaca?
Alpacas and their close relatives llamas, are members of the
camelid family, as are camels, guanacos and vicunas.
The main differences between alpacas and their llama cousins are that
alpacas are smaller, friendlier and have luxurious fibre.
Alpacas come in a wide variety of 22 natural colours ranging from bright white to true black with all shades
of brown, grey and rose grey.
back to top
2. What is a cria?
A cria is the name for a baby alpaca. Weaned crias are known as weanlings
or tuis. In Spanish the adult males are known as machos and the adult
females are hembras, or dams.
back to top
3. What do you do with alpacas?
There is a growing market for
alpaca fleece. Income from sale of alpaca fleece is typically adequate
to cover the cost of care (food, medical, etc.), so they earn their
keep. Alpacas are primarily raised as an investment opportunity in
North America. Currently the market value for alpacas is in the animals themselves - breeding
them and selling the offspring provides a very good return on
investment.
back to top
4. Do alpacas make good pets?
Many people do have alpacas purely
as companion animals. They can make very good pets if they are treated
well and the owners are realistic in
their expectations. They are more cat-like than dog-like in their attitude
towards us humans - somewhat timid but very curious and intelligent.
Most alpacas, with time and handling, will eat out of your hand and walk
on a halter. Some people do enter their alpacas in performance
events, such as obstacle courses and have a lot of
fun doing so. Most alpacas are especially sensitive to being touched on their heads and legs.
They each have their own personality and some are quite cuddly and
affectionate!
back to top
5. How much do alpacas cost?
Prices range from around $1,000.00 for a gelded male with no
breeding potential to many thousands of dollars for top quality breeding
males and females. Females can be worth anything from a few thousand dollars
to tens of thousands depending on their age, quality and breeding history.
The girls are valuable because of their ability to produce crias which
can be sold providing very good returns on the initial investment. Top
quality males with good offspring have a high value as breeding animals.
They can also command high incomes for their owners in stud service
fees.
back to top
6. Are alpacas dangerous?
Absolutely not! Treat them
with respect and they will respect you. They are wonderful, gentle
animals - very safe for adults and children alike (in fact they are
often very curious and enchanted by children and make great 4H animals).
They don't bite, they don't butt and it is uncommon for them to kick. They are sensitive
around the back legs and will instinctively kick out if they sense a threat
from the rear but they do have soft padded feet so injury is not likely.
back to top
7. Do alpacas spit like llamas?
Yes, like the rest of the camel
family, they can. It is probably their only vice and
one of their only defence mechanisms.
The good news is that alpacas rarely spit at people. If a person does
get hit it is usually because they got caught in the crossfire between
two alpacas, squabbling over food! The spit is a fine spray of
partially digested grass, not too pleasant smelling, but it brushes off
once dry.
back to top
8. What do alpacas eat?
Alpacas are semi-ruminants which means they chew cud like a cow or a deer.
The bulk of their diet is made up of low protein hay or pasture grass.
They are from a harsh climate so their bodies are very efficient. There are a number of commercially available
alpaca feeds, but these should be rationed as a vitamin and mineral supplement.
Their primary food source should always be good quality grass and/or hay.
They do not drink a lot of water (another of their natural adaptations
for survival in the mountains of South America) but access to clean, fresh
drinking water is a must at all times. Some alpacas enjoy fresh
kitchen leftovers like apple cores, broccoli stems, celery leaves and
corn husks. Offering these "rare delicacies" by hand is a great
way to bond with your alpacas!
back to top
9. Are
alpacas easy to keep and care for?
Yes. They are small and easy to handle. Being hardy animals, alpacas are highly resistant to
disease. A simple protocol of worming and annual vaccinations is recommended.
The need for veterinary care is minimal with alpacas. They do not
challenge fences, and any fence suitable for sheep is suitable for alpacas.
Barbed wire should be avoided. A barn is nice but not necessary for
their comfort. A simple three sided run-in so they can get out of the
elements is acceptable. Alpacas come from the harsh climate of the Andes
Mountains, so
they are pretty tolerant of cold conditions but do not fair as well in
extreme heat - hence the need for a shelter to provide shade. Sprinklers
or wading pools can
be great comfort to them during the highs temperatures of summer. Their earth-friendly
padded feet do not damage pastures.
back to top
10. Do
alpacas get along with other animals?
Alpacas are naturally wary of members of the canine family but get used
to them if they share the same area. They can be easily kept in the
same pasture as sheep, goats, llamas etc. Caution should be used when
pasturing alpacas with horses and/or cows due to the risk of the alpacas
being injured if kicked.
back to top
11. What is involved in breeding and birthing alpacas?
Female alpacas are ready to breed
around 15 months of age.
They do not have a breeding season and can usually be mated at any time
of the year. Alpacas require 'live breeding'. Like cats and rabbits
alpacas are induced ovulators,
which means that the act of breeding causes them to ovulate. The gestation
period is approximately 11.5 months. Births are usually trouble free,
taking about 15 - 30 minutes, and
most often occur in the daylight hours - usually on sunny days. Typically, no help is needed
in the delivery. The whole process of breeding to birth is relatively
easy and problem free!
back to top
12. How
often do alpacas need to be sheared?
Alpacas are usually shorn once a year for their own comfort.
Depending on the density of the fleece each adult alpaca will usually
produce from 3 - 10 lbs. per year. Some of the high quality stud male's
production can often be higher!
back to top
13. What is so special about
alpaca fibre?
The fleece shorn from alpacas has a silky shine,
and super soft feel, yet contains no lanolin and is hypoallergenic. People
who have allergies associated with sheep's wool can comfortably wear luxurious
alpaca garments. Alpaca fibre is 6 times stronger and yet finer than sheep's
wool. It is as soft as cashmere. Evolving in freezing temperatures at high altitudes has given alpacas
more thermal capacity in their fibre than any other fibre bearing
animal. The fibres grow with hollow air pockets which create a thermal,
insulating effect. Alpaca fibre is officially recognized in 22 natural colours,
250 different shades,
and is highly prized. It is processed into high quality fashion garments
such as suits, jackets, skirts and coats, as well as soft, light, warm
sweaters, vests, shawls, hats, scarves, mitts, socks etc. Because of it's thermal properties, coarser fibres are ideal as
quilt filling and felted garments.
back to top
|
