Alpacas are members of the camelid family, eat grasses and chew a cud. They come from the high Andes mountains of South America. They may be the oldest domesticated livestock on the planet.

Alpacas average height is 36" at the withers and weigh between 100 and 175 pounds. They are one-half to one-third the size of their cousin, the llama, and can live to be 20 years old.

Alpacas are ruminants with a three compartment stomach. With teeth only on the bottom jaw, they nibble at grasses vs. pulling roots out of the ground. They are easy-keepers with padded feet that require occasional toenail trimming and annual shearing.

The Alpaca gestation is eleven and one-half months. Females product offspring for most of their lives. Their offspring are called crias, and weigh between 15 and 19 pounds. The cria can stand and nurse within 30 minutes to an hour from birth. Births occur almost exclusively between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Infant mortality is very low.

Alpacas require good fences to protect them from predators as well as minimal shelter to protect from fluctuations in climate.

Alpacas are divided into two types, the huacaya and suri. The most common is the huacaya, with fiber that grows perpendicular to the body and has a fluffy look. Suri alpaca fleece grows parallel to the body and hangs in long, lustrous ringlets. Only five percent of alpacas in America are suri.

Alpaca fiber is a rare, specialty fiber. It comes in 22 natural colors, is strong and resilient. It is in demand by garment manufacturers and home knitters. Alpaca fleece produces beautiful hand spun or machine made yarns. The yarn can be blended with cashmere, silk, mohair, cotton or wool to make exquisite luxury garments and products.