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ALPACAS - THE GREEN LIVESTOCK
Alpacas are eco-friendly and they are the perfect green livestock. Alpacas are grazing animals that are easy on the environment, they provide a renewable fiber source, and their manure is low nitrogen and it composts easily. We use all the by-products that the alpacas provide to us.
Alpacas graze on grass but they only remove what they eat
and do not tear up the plant roots. They also have padded feet so they are
easy on the terrain.
Alpacas produce a cashmere-like fleece which is considered one of the finest and most luxurious fibers in the world. The fiber is known for its fineness, light weight, softness, and luster. Alpaca fiber is durable and it is warmer and softer than sheep wool.
Alpacas
come in many natural colors including white, fawn, brown, maroon, gray, and black,
with many colors in between. The
Alpaca Registry has 16 colors available for registration, however, there are
many variations of these basic colors.
Shearing
is done annually which makes it a renewable resource. We shear in the spring
usually in late April to early May.
The
fiber yield for an alpaca is five to eight pounds and the average growth rate
is five or more inches per year.
Alpaca manure can be composted or used directly in the garden. Because it is lower in nitrogen it differs from other types of manure. Manure can also be soaked in water to make a manure tea which plants love! Their manure is in small pellets so it is easy to compost with our other green materials. All the gardening we do at the ranch is free of chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
Alpacas are native to the Andes Mountains in South America, specifically the countries of Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. They have been livestock animals for centuries and there are no known alpacas in the wild today.
Alpacas
were a cherished treasure of the ancient Inca civilization.
Clothing made from their fiber was once reserved for Incan royalty.
Alpacas
belong to the camelid family, which includes camels, llamas, guanacos, and vicunas.
Alpacas
were first imported to the United States and Canada in 1984.
There are two types of Alpacas:
The HUACAYA (wa kí ya) has a crimpy (wavy) quality that is similar to sheep’s wool
The SURI (siŕ ee)
has a fine, lustrous fiber that hangs in dreadlocks next to their body similar
to hair
The
life span of an alpaca is around 15 years.
Alpacas
are herd animals and will not survive without a companion.
Female
alpacas can weigh from 125 to 140 pounds and male alpacas can weigh from 160 to
200 pounds.
Babies
are called crias and weigh between 15 to 20 pounds at birth.
Gestation
is normally 11 months, with most crias born during the daylight hours.
Alpacas
communicate by humming softly and live peacefully in herds.
They are good-natured and rarely spit – but when they do it is usually
at another alpaca.
Alpacas are intelligent, easy to train, gentle, and safe for children to handle.
Alpacas require minimal acreage because they are easy on the environment.
MORE ABOUT ALPACA FIBER
Alpaca fiber is measured in microns - a micron is a thousandth of a millimeter. The lower the micron number, the finer the fiber. A uniform fleece is desirable and is measured by the standard deviation associated with the micron measurement. A low standard deviation indicates the fiber characteristics measured are very consistent.
Some other aspects of
alpaca fiber are crimp, density, and staple length. Crimp is
the "s" wave and a tight, uniform crimp is very desirable.
Density is the fiber's volume. Staple length can
vary, but an average growth rate between shearing is about five inches. It
is important to consider all aspects when evaluating fiber.
Small mills and local spinners and weavers process alpaca fiber in the United States. There are also co-ops that pool fiber and create finished products. Many of the garments and other items made with alpaca are hand-crafted. You will find alpaca fiber knit into sweaters, woven into blankets and scarves, and made into wonderful pillows and rugs.
Alpaca Country Ranch
Karen and Rich Gribi
2909 North Victoria Drive
Alpine, CA 91901-3672
619-659-5782
This page was last updated on 01/08/11