WHAT ARE ALPACAS?

Alpacas are one of the world`s gentlest and most endearing creatures. A defenseless animal and a herbivore, their strength and their comfort rest within the herd. They are curious and intuitive with unique personalities. For the herdsman in South America at 10,000 ft. and above, they are a staple of life providing fleece to make clothes and blankets. As an alternative, they sell the fleece to mills as a source of income.

They also burn alpaca dung in the stoves to keep the home warm and they are a source of food. But to us here in the United States and other countries around the world, they are strictly a fleece producing creature and the World`s Finest Livestock Investment. The alpaca comes in 22 different colors, an important attribute to acknowledge for both fleece production and for our show ring.

There are two breeds that make up the alpaca. The huacaya (90% of the alpaca population) has a fleece which grows perpendicular to the skin and is recognized by the crimp. The much rarer suri alpaca has fleece which lays down on the flank of the animal and forms long ropes. As the alpaca fiber industry grows in the United States, various dyed color options (bright red, blue, yellow, green, purple, etc.) will make white fiber high on demand.