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Introduction to Alpacas
Alpacas:
- live 15 to 20 years
- grow to about 1 metre (at the shoulder)
- weigh up to 70 kg
- gestate for approximately 335 days (imagine being pregnant for 11 months!)
- give birth to young weighing usually 6 – 8 kg (compared to 2.7kg – 4kg average human baby).
These unique animals begin life as crias. As they hit the adolescent years, they’re called tuis, then grow into hembras (adult females) and machos (adult males). You may wonder, why so Spanish?
Buying your first Alpaca
When you’re thinking about joining the alpaca owner’s community, there are lots of questions to consider. As it’s a long-term commitment, it’s important to be prepared and informed. If you are intending to start an alpaca based business, the information below will assist you in building your business plan.
To streamline this process, we’ve compiled a Buyer’s Checklist covering all the most important questions.
Alpaca Farming Choices & Agistment
If you’ve seen alpacas at shows or open farms and are thinking of becoming part of a fast developing industry with great potential, then you’re thinking of starting out with alpacas.
At this early stage, it’s important to consider what your goals might be, so you can work towards them from the outset. This way, you’ll be best established to achieve those goals and get the most out of your alpacas.
Do you want to build a successful business on a larger scale? Or do you want to keep it small and simple? Even if you’re not sure what scale you may develop to, it’s important to start out by giving yourself the greatest range of options. For example, if you’re interested in the fleece industry, you may want to breed for low-micron fleece that’s best for soft garments, and so starting out with an older alpaca with high-micron fleece isn’t the best option.
Suri Fleece
The fleece is the primary distinguishing feature of the suri alpaca. The animal is covered with lustrous, silky, locking fibre, prized both in the show ring and by processors. The fleece hangs from a centre part – neck through to tail – with the locks lying close to the skin in a draped, free-swinging curtain.
Huacaya Fleece
The fleece is the primary distinguishing feature of the suri alpaca. The animal is covered with lustrous, silky, locking fibre, prized both in the show ring and by processors. The fleece hangs from a centre part – neck through to tail – with the locks lying close to the skin in a draped, free-swinging curtain.
Fleece & Fashion
The fleece is the primary distinguishing feature of the suri alpaca. The animal is covered with lustrous, silky, locking fibre, prized both in the show ring and by processors. The fleece hangs from a centre part – neck through to tail – with the locks lying close to the skin in a draped, free-swinging curtain.
Alpaca Meat
The fleece is the primary distinguishing feature of the suri alpaca. The animal is covered with lustrous, silky, locking fibre, prized both in the show ring and by processors. The fleece hangs from a centre part – neck through to tail – with the locks lying close to the skin in a draped, free-swinging curtain.
Property Identification Code (PIC) Numbers
The fleece is the primary distinguishing feature of the suri alpaca. The animal is covered with lustrous, silky, locking fibre, prized both in the show ring and by processors. The fleece hangs from a centre part – neck through to tail – with the locks lying close to the skin in a draped, free-swinging curtain.