About Alpacas
Alpacas are native to South America and alpaca farming is concentrated mainly in the high altitude areas of Peru, Bolivia and Chile. Already 5000 years ago the alpaca was domesticated by the ancient Inca civilization.

Alpaca types
The most common type is the Huacaya. This is the ‘wooly’ type. Preferably with a bonnet on the forehead, even fleece coverage up to the toes. The less common type is the Suri. Suri fleece hangs down, preferably in long, fine pencil-like locks. This fleece has lots of lustre and is silky and slippery to touch. Both types come in a rainbow of colours, from whites, fawns, greys, rosegreys, browns to blacks.

Farming and Care
Farming alpacas generally means dealing with easy to handle, curious, gentle animals. They do not require a special diet, just some supplements with trace elements, vitamins and minerals. Apart from that they need the usual worming and vaccinations. They are shorn once a year, just before summer.

Alpacas do less damage to the soil than a lot of other farm animals, because they have soft padded feet.

Alpaca females carry for eleven months, and generally give birth during the day. Most births are trouble free and the young, called crias, can often stand and feed within an hour after birth.

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