Alpaca Facts

• Baby alpacas are called "Cria" ... NOT Kids or Lambs!
• Alpacas originate from South America with their fine fleece being reserved in the past for Incan Royalty.
• The alpaca has been the provider of clothing, food and friendship for over 5000 years.
• The alpaca is a close relative to the llama, bred mainly for its fibre and meat.
• The breed is able to tolerate extreme conditions including the relentless heat of the sun by day and below freezing temperatures by night.
• Alpaca farming in South America today is primarily done in the altiplano of Southern Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Argentina.

• Herd numbers in South America total 3-4 million approximately.
• The first alpacas imported to Australia were in 1989.
• Since this time the natural increase of Australian herds has been slow as the gestation period for an alpaca is 11 to 11.5 months with the occasional birth earlier or later than this guideline.
• Unlike sheep, alpacas very rarely have twins.
• Most alpaca births occur in the middle of the day.
• Imports including that of EP Cambridge's in 2002/3 have helped increase numbers ensuring future fibre quality and quantity.
• Alpaca numbers are in excess of 40,000 in Australia with these numbers growing daily.
• Sexual maturity for the female comes around 12 months of age or 45kg where as the male takes a little longer, 18 months to 3 years.
• The long term future of the alpaca industry is in the production of fibre but in the mean time increasing breeding numbers is the immediate goal.
• There are two types of alpaca: The Huacaya (most common breed throughout the world), and the Suri.  The Huacaya grows fleece that consists of crimpy bundles more like the sheep, whereas the Suri fibre descriptions include; silky, penciling locks and it hangs down to the ground rather than growing straight our from the body.

Alpacas High in the Andes

• Alpacas are exceptional guardians, protecting sheep during lambing from foxes and other predators.  Wether quality males are popular for this reason throughout Australian Sheep breeders.

• Alpacas come in many shapes, sizes and colours with twelve recognised by the Australian Alpaca Association (AAA).

 

 

• Blade Shearing an Alpaca in Peru

  
  

  
  Sale Pens in Peru
  
  Black Huacayas in Peru
  

  12 Alpaca Fleece Colours Recognised in Australia
  

  • All alpacas can be registered with the Australian Alpaca Association or the British Alpaca Association.  Each alpaca therefore is named and tagged and comes with its own pedigree papers.
  • Wethers do not have to be registered so may not come with the items listed.
  • When purchasing alpacas it is very important that one checks that the vendor of the animal is an Association member within the country of sale and that the alpaca is in fact registered (Wethers excluded).