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About Alpacas
Alpacas have coexisted with humankind for thousands of years. The Incan civilization of the Andes Mountains in Peru elevated the alpaca to a central place in their society. The imperial Incas clothed themselves in garments made from alpaca and many of their religious ceremonies involved alpacas. Museums throughout the Americas display ancient textiles made from alpaca fiber.

Alpacas produce one of the world's finest and most luxurious natural fibers. We shear annually without causing injury to the alpaca. It can be as soft as cashmere and warmer, lighter, and stronger than sheep wool.  It comes in more colors than any other fiber-producing animal (approximately 22 basic colors with many variations and blends). Fiber artists around the world now enjoy this luxurious fleece. 

First imported to the United States in 1984, alpacas are now being successfully raised and enjoyed throughout North America and abroad. There are two types of alpacas - the Huacaya and the Suri. The lifespan is about 20 years and gestation is 11.5 months. Alpacas eat grasses and chew a cud. They are about 36" tall at the withers and weigh about 150 pounds. They are gentle and easy to handle. Alpacas are safe; they do not bite or butt.  Even if they did, without incisors, horns, hoofs or claws, they can do little harm.  Clean up is easy since alpacas deposit droppings in only a few places in the paddock. They do not challenge fencing and you can graze 5 to 10 per acre of pasture.

Outside of their native South America, the number of alpacas found in other countries is extremely limited. In fact, 99 percent of the world's approximately three million alpacas are still in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile.