Alpacas - Did You Know?

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Here are a few interesting things about alpacas:

• Alpacas are South American Camelids, related to llamas.
• Alpacas are kept for their fleece, a luxury fibre, which can fetch up to 150 times more than sheep wool.
• Alpaca fibre is very different to wool, it is much finer, has no barbs and can be worn next to the skin without irritation.
• Alpacas are sheared every one or two years.
• Alpacas can protect sheep from dogs and foxes.
• Alpacas are intelligent, friendly and inquisitive.
• Alpacas love to sunbathe - they also love water.
• Alpacas can have one cria (baby) a year.
• Alpacas can live for as long as 25 years.
• Alpacas are not true ruminants. They graze and browse, eating much the same as sheep and goats, but they process what they eat very efficiently.  I've seen one article say "they can get fat on concrete" - this is a bit of an exaggeration! Our alpacas eat what they can find in the fields and hedgerows for most of the year, with hay during the winter, along with a little coarse mix and a food supplement called Camelibra specially formulated for alpacas.
• Alpacas have two toes on each foot and need to have their claws trimmed three or four times a year. Alpacas don't suffer from the foot problems that sheep do.
• Alpacas are not generally affected by Foot and Mouth Disease.
• Alpacas can reach just about everywhere on their own body to groom, so flies are not normally a problem.
• Alpacas use a communal latrine, and manage their pasture more or less by themselves. Their dung is an excellent natural organic fertilizer, and we even had some made into paper - the ultimate in recycling. Read more here.
• Alpacas can be registered with the British Alpaca Society.  All registered alpacas are microchipped for identification and security in addition to having ear tags.