Introduction

As you can see by the photos, alpacas are first and foremost adorable and stately creatures. They are gentle and peaceful and fun to watch grazing in the fields hour after hour. The American dream of a successful, country lifestyle on a farm is coming true for many Americans who are breeding and raising alpacas for a living.
Alpacas originally came from South America from the countries of Peru and Chile and also, Bolivia. In recent decades alpacas have been exported from South America to the US, Australia, England, Japan, and other countries around the world due the popularity of their fleece and products made from the fleece.

Alpaca Products

Alpaca wool, called "fleece," can be extremely soft and remains strong and warm even when processed into a very thin fabric, making it ideal for lightweight warmth. It comes in 22 classified colors by the Alpaca Registry, Inc. (ARI) ranging from white to shades of brown and red, to shades of black and gray. It can even exhibit great luster or shine, especially in suri alpaca fleeces. Alpaca fleece is used for high-fashion merchandise in the international fashion centers of the world to create items such as coats, dresses, and shawls. Alpaca fleece makes fine yarn, is highly desired by hand-spinners, and is used to make hats, scarves, blankets, felted purses and hats, sweaters and much more.

What is an alpaca?

Alpacas are members of the camelid family and are related to their larger cousins, the llamas, and their smaller cousins, the vicunas.

Llamas are significantly larger and are sometimes used to carry light packs but alpacas are not large enough to carry any significant weight are raised primarily for their fleece.

Types of Alpacas

There are two types of alpacas recognized by ARI, huacayas (wah-KI-yah) and suris (SUR-ree). Huacayas are the more common type comprising about 80% of the population of North American alpacas. They have fleece that grows out from their bodies similar to a sheep. Suris have fleece that is more similar to human hair, hanging in ropey locks. Here at Great Rock Alpacas, we raise and sell huacayas.

 
Huacaya alpaca & huacaya fleece

 
Suri alpaca & suri fleece

Caring for Alpacas

Alpacas eat grass, hay, and llama/alpaca feed pellets that are often available in feed stores or can be ordered and shipped. They are about 1/10th the weight of a horse and eat proportionately less as well, thus being much easier on the land than horses or cattle.
They also need shelter from severe weather conditions, and regular program of worming and vaccinations. Toenails and teeth (including the fighting teeth on adult males) need periodic trimming. Some females with a proper dental architecture will not need to have their teeth trimmed at all. Many camelid veterinarians are able to help with these services.

Reading Recommendations

These can be found at Amazon.com for online ordering:

Caring for Llamas and Alpacas: A Health & Management Guide (Spiral-bound) by Claire Hoffman, Ingrid Asmus

Llama and Alpaca Neonatal Care (Spiral-bound) by Bradford B Smith

The Alpaca Book (Hardcover)