I have wanted an alpaca for about four years now and my desire has not lessened. In fact, it has increased tremendously. My parents have a farm so at first I thought my Dad might actually get me this adorable wooly animal for a pet. Maybe Poppie will say yes to his granddaughter when she asks for this small llama look alike in the future. That is my only hope at this point since clearly I am not getting an alpaca at the family farm as a thirty two year adult.
Alpaca fiber is used for for making yarn, felting, and fabric. This would be perfect for my arts and crafts. Not only that, I am sure I can make a pet out of them. Alpacas are easy to care for, aesthetically appealing, have lovable dispositions, are very intelligent, and seem to love children. What is not to love? Alpacas don't require a great deal of land and only cost around $1000. Some people spend that much on a dog. I will get my alpacas one day. Hopefully, my husband will say yes when we move to Hawaii after we retire. Fingers crossed.
Here are some interesting facts about alpacas taken from www.mnn.com.
- They’re ancient - Alpacas were domesticated by the Incas more than 6,000 years ago and raised for their exquisite fleece. Due to its quality and all of its superhero characteristics, alpaca fiber was reserved exclusively for the elite and nobility.
- They’re trendy -In the 1984, a small group of importers brought the first of a carefully selected herd to the United States and Canada, and they’ve been dotting the bucolic landscape ever since. The North American herd has grown from a few alpacas in zoos and private farms to about 20,000.
- They grow superlative, hypoallergenic fleece -Alpaca fiber is much like sheep’s wool, but warmer and not itchy. It is lacking in lanolin, which makes it hypoallergenic and also allows it to be processed without the need for high temperatures or harsh chemicals in washing.
- They're flame-resistant! -Well, technically their fiber is flame-resistant, meeting the standards of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's rigid testing specifications as a Class 1 fiber for use in clothing and furnishings.
- They're water-resistant -Like wool, alpaca fiber is water-resistant, but it can wick away moisture because of its unique ability to mimic cotton in moisture regain. These attributes are what make alpaca feel lighter than wool, but warmer than cotton in cool and damp climates.
- They come in a rainbow of hues -Alpaca fiber comes in 16 tones that are recognized by the textile industry, from white to light rose gray to dark fawn, in addition to the blends that can be made from those, thus minimizing the need for pollution-intensive dying.
- There are two types of alpacas in this world... -Alpacas come in two types: Suri and the huacaya. The suri has fiber that grows long and forms silky dreadlocks. The huacaya has a wooly, dense, crimped fleece — like a teddy bear — giving it a very wooly appearance. About 90 percent of all alpacas in the North America are huacayas.
- They can mix and match -Alpacas and llamas can successfully cross-breed. The offspring they create are known as huarizo, which are valued for their longer fleece.
- They share a bathroom -Alpacas use a communal dung pile (where they do not graze, thankfully). Because of their predisposition for using a dung pile, some alpacas have been successfully house-trained.
- They hum and haw ... and orgle -Humming is the most common sound that alpacas make, which has been described as a kind of musical purring. Alpacas hum when they are curious, content, worried, bored, fearful, distressed or cautious. When startled or in danger, a staccato braying is started by one animal, then followed by the rest of the herd in the direction of the potential threat. During breeding, the male alpaca Romeo emits a unique throaty vocalization called “orgling.”
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