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Alpacas are a member of the camelid
family. Alpacas are similar to the llamas but they are smaller and are raised for their fine fiber.
There are two breed types of alpacas, the Huacaya, say ("wah-Kay'-ah")
and the Suri. The Huacaya has a thick wooly appearance, its fiber has
lots of waviness or crimp to it. The Suri's (click
here to see a picture of a suri) fiber has no crimp or
waviness. The fiber clings together and hangs down making long
thin locks. The fiber produced by the alpacas is very soft, light
weight, and durable. Items made out of alpaca do not have the itchy
feeling so often associated with sheep wool. The alpaca is usually shorn once a year in the spring
with an average yield of 5 to 10 pounds of fiber. The fiber
is spun into yarn and turned into many different clothing items that are popular all over the world.
Alpacas were first imported into the United States
in 1984. Currently there are about 72,000 alpacas in the United States. Most of
the alpacas in the United States are registered with the
Alpaca Registry Inc.(ARI)
This registry was started in 1989 and it is one of the most
sophisticated registries anywhere in the world today. Alpacas must have
their parentage confirmed through a DNA blood test before they can be
registered.
The alpaca comes in many different colors. The ARI
recognizes 16 different colors for registration purposes, but there are
many different shades of color in the alpacas. The colors ranging from
white to beige, to fawn, browns, blacks, and grays. The most common alpaca color is white. The less common colors
are black, rose grey and grey. One of the tougher decisions in alpaca
ownership is deciding which color or colors you like best!
Alpacas are small, gentle livestock that may offer great
returns on your investment. They are very gentle animals, much safer for
children and adults to be around than horses or cattle are. A full grown alpaca weighs
between 110 and 180 pounds (about 1/2 the size of a llama). Once trained to walk on a halter and lead,
alpacas are quite easy to handle. They can learn to jump into the back of
a van or load into a trailer without much effort. Alpacas are calm, quiet animals. They
make a humming noise to communicate with each other and on rare
occasions they make a loud screeching noise when they feel threatened.
They are very curious and will investigate anything new.
Most alpacas do not like to be touched or cuddled per se, but they do
like to come in close to people and investigate what it is you are
doing.
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Kelly and "Terry" at Jubilee Alpaca show |
Phil and "Cayuga" at Jubilee alpaca show |
Alpacas are very gentle on the environment. They are
grazers. They have teeth only on their bottom jaw and a hard
Pallet (gum) on the upper jaw, they do not pull grass out by the roots
but rather just cut it off about 1/4 inch above the ground.
Alpacas do not eat much, 8-10 alpacas will eat one, 40
to 50 pound bale of grass hay per day. Not all alpacas need to be fed
grain, but they are often supplemented with
small amounts of grain (1/2 to 1 lbs of grain/day). As you talk with various breeders you will notice
they all have a different opinion on grain and which type is best. Most
local feed stores now have alpaca/llama grain available in 50 lb bags.
Alpacas are quite adaptable to a wide range of feeding
and general care. Alpacas are generally wormed regularly and need annual
inoculations. Again, the variation of worming and vaccinations vary from
farm to farm. Talking with local breeders and your veterinarian are
important when designing a
management plan for your farm.
Currently the alpaca demands a high price because
there are so few of them in the United States. They reproduce at a slow
rate. Their gestation is about 11 months. Alpacas rarely have
twins. These wonderful animals are in demand now by people who want
to invest in their futures. Today's alpaca market is
mostly a "breeder's market", raising alpacas and selling animals to new
alpaca owners. But fortunately for the alpaca industry, there is also a
very good end product from this animal that is harvested without killing the animal. Alpaca fiber production is growing in the US.
Someday we will have enough alpacas in the US to support the growing
demand for alpaca made products. If you are interested in seeing some
alpaca products please check out the link for the
Alpaca Fiber Co-op of North
America (here) or on our links page. Autumn Hill Alpacas is a proud member of the
Alpaca Fiber
Cooperative of North America.
The Ideal Alpaca:
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Article Written by:
Mike Safley,
Northwest Alpacas
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Everyone would like to buy, breed, and sell perfect alpacas. To
do that, we must first have a vivid picture of “perfect” in our
mind’s eye. The ideal alpaca will always be a goal that moves as
we come near. That is the way animal breeding is; founded in
evolution.
First and foremost, an alpaca is a production animal. The
product it creates is fleece. An alpaca’s ultimate value flows
from its ability to create fine, dense fleece that is coveted by
the makers of luxury garments.
It also so happens that the fleece characteristics which make an
alpaca valuable are heritable. When mated properly, alpacas pass
these fleece traits on to their offspring. At the end of the
day, the ideal alpaca produces an elite fleece and quality cria
with high breeding value. I found the following quote in the
classic sheep breeding text from Australia, The Merino Past
Present and Probable, 1943, by H.B. Austin:
“If the sheepbreeder, then, goes to his woolbroker for advice;
distrusts, on principle, all stud 'sales talk' and other
propaganda; heeds the scientist; endeavours to buy rams that
will breed truly, and feeds his sheep properly, the increased
profit collectively, to the whole industry, may well be
‘hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.'"
If you simply substitute the word “alpaca” for “sheep” or
“merino,” you will begin to see what it takes to create the
ideal alpaca. In other words, avoid the hype, use genetically
sound selection and breeding systems, always use impact herd
sires, and feed your herd correctly.
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THE IDEAL ALPACA
An ideal alpaca look begins with the head, a dense top knot,
well-covered cheeks converging with the wool cap to form a close
V at the eyes, which are brown. The ears are shaped like an
arrowhead and erect. The muzzle is soft and wedge shaped. The
jaw should fit together correctly, with the lower incisors
meeting the upper dental pad. The head and neck make up about
one-third of an alpacas height, the body makes up one-third, as
do the legs. The neck connects to the shoulder at approximately
a 45° angle to the back, which is straight, dropping off a bit
at the tail. When the alpaca is alert, the neck and back form
almost a 90° angle with the head slightly forward. The perfect
alpaca has a squared off appearance, with four strong legs
setting squarely under it, giving it a graceful stance which
translates into a fluid gait. The ideal alpaca has a soft, dense
fleece, which is completed with abundant coverage down the
legs.
The alpaca’s head is a window onto its quality and type: both
huacaya and suri. The head of the ideal suri should exhibit
well-covered cheeks and a bearded chin. The suri’s fleece should
begin locking at the forehead and continue uniformly down the
neck, across the body and down the legs, finishing at the toes.
The head of the ideal huacaya should exhibit a dense top knot
which is crimpy. The cheeks should be well covered, and the
bridge of the nose clean. The crimp in the top knot should
continue down the neck, across the blanket, and into the tail,
finishing down the belly and legs.
The stars of any herd will catch your eye with an alert, erect
appearance. Their fleece opens into well-organized locks of
soft, bright, and lustrous fleece, which handles like silk or
cashmere. Above all, an ideal alpaca will never be mistaken for
a llama. |
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THE IDEAL SURI FLEECE
The primary characteristic which distinguishes a suri from a
huacaya is the phenotype of its fleece. The suri's fleece falls
close to the body, moves freely, and gives the animal a
lustrous, flat-sided appearance. The luster found in the suri’s
fleece is the primary indication of the animal’s quality. In
addition, the fiber should be fine, and have good handle (a more
slippery hand than huacaya) with a well-nourished feel. The
locks or ringlets that make up the fleece should be round, form
close to the skin, and have uniform twist to the end. Ideally,
the style of lock should be uniform from the top knot to the
hock; particular attention should be paid to uniformity across
the midside. The legs and underbelly should be well covered.
A more rounded or fluffy appearance can indicate volume rather
than density in a suri’s fleece which is undesirable. There
should be no crimp in the staple, but a low wave is desirable
along the length of an individual fiber. Due to the compactness
of the fleece, suris often give the appearance of being smaller
than the huacaya, but this is an optical illusion. The suri
should be every bit as big and robust as a huacaya. Think of the
ideal suri as producing a curtain of silk to grace its sturdy
frame.
Positive Suri Traits in Order of Importance and Emphasis:
Luster 25%
Fineness 25%
Density 25%
Trueness to Fleece Type 15%
Staple Length 5%
Uniformity 5%
Faults:
Crimp
Medulation
Guard hair
Lack of twist (flat, open fleece with no lock definition)
Chalkiness or lack of luster
Short staple length for age of fleece
Coarse handle
Lack of density
Rounded appearance; indicates fluffiness rather than density
Tender breaks
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THE IDEAL HUACAYA FLEECE
The ideal huacaya's fleece should be: fine, dense, uniform, and
grow perpendicular to the skin. The fleece, which grows from
individual follicles in the skin, should be made up of defined
staples of crimpy “bundled” fleece. These bundles should
organize themselves into staples which create a dense
presentation across the animal. The huacaya alpaca should be
well covered with a soft, uniform fleece, except on the ears and
the bridge of the nose of mature animals. The muzzle and ears
should be soft to the touch. The elite alpaca has a well-defined
crimp in their top knot, which continues down the neck, into the
blanket the belly, and on to the tail. There should be very
little medulation. The fleece should be well-nourished, exhibit
a brightness or sheen, and be void of dull, dry, chalky fiber.
The ideal huacaya will produce fleece as soft and as fine as
cashmere. Huacaya alpaca is spun into luxury garments that can
be worn close to the skin.
Positive Huacaya Traits in Order of Importance and Emphasis:
Fineness 30%
Density 30%
Crimp 15%
Uniformity 10%
Luster or brightness 10%
Staple length 5%
Faults:
Coarse guard hair through the saddle or blanket of the fleece
A high proportion of medullated fleece
Tender breaks
Muffled face on adults
Lack of density
Lack of overall coverage
Chalkiness or lack of luster/sheen/brightness
Coarse handle
Short staple length for age of fleece
Lack of Crimp
Study the pictures of the suri and huacaya alpacas that appear
in this article. Examine their fleeces. Burn these images on
your mind and make them part of your quest when you search for
or work to breed the ideal alpaca. Always remember that an
alpaca is valuable for both, its fleece and its ability to
produce excellence in its progeny.
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About the Author:
Mike Safley was elected president of the fledgling Alpaca Owners
and Breeders Association (AOBA) in 1990. While serving as
president of AOBA, he conceived of and became the first editor
for Alpacas magazine. He wrote for the magazine for almost ten
years. He was chairman of the first AOBA alpaca show committee
and on the first alpaca marketing committee.
An accredited alpaca judge, Mike has judged alpaca shows in the
United States, Peru, Australia, and Canada. As a member of
AOBA’s first show committee, he authored the first alpaca show
rules used in the United States and Canada. He was the initial
organizer of the All American Alpaca Futurity, which awarded the
first championship ribbons to alpacas in the United States
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