CANDALARAINE ALPACA INFORMATION

Alpacas (Lama pacos) are members of the South American camelid family and are closely related to their cousins the llamas, guanacos and vicuñas. Alpacas are indigenous to the Peruvian highlands, where they were domesticated thousands of years ago. There are an estimated 3.5–4 million alpacas in South America, and about 95% of them are found in the southern regions of Peru.

Alpacas, along with llamas, were treasured animals for the Inca civilization and closely integrated into the daily life of the Andean region. Both animals are the result of human intervention in their breeding. Many thousands of years ago, pastoral hunters and herders experimented with the breeding of the wild guanaco.  Through a gradual process of trial and error, they learned the intricacies of artificial selection. By 3000 or 4000 BC, the ancient guanaco hunters had successfully “created” two new races of animals: the llama and the alpaca. Whereas llamas were used as a means of transport and communication, alpacas were used for clothing, fertiliser and fuel, and they were also eaten. The alpaca’s finest fibres were considered of such value that they were only used by Inca royalty. The Incas considered the alpaca a source of wealth and used it as a medium of exchange. Nowadays, the alpaca is the key component to the economy of over 65,000 rural families, named “Pastores Alpaqueros” or Indian herders/breeders, in the Andean region of Peru. These families practise a traditional breeding system that has been passed on from father to son and share the same native environment as the animals they herd. The women maintain the spinning and weaving traditions of their ancestors and make rugs, mats, sweaters, gloves, socks, hats, belts, jackets, etc. that are worn by their families or sold at local markets. Family-owned businesses and alpaca herders depend on the alpaca for their survival and well-being.

THE CAMILID FAMILY

The camelids are herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Camelidae. Their evolutionary history starts some 45 million years ago in North America with the Protylopus petersoni, an animal 30cm in height which was the forerunner of a series of species in which the tendency was to increasing size. It is known that approximately 3 million years ago, the hemiauchenia, a North American camelid similar to the llama, migrated to South America, but little is known about its evolution because the fossil record is fragmentary.

Taxonomy

Two of these species are domesticated (the llama and the alpaca) while the other two are wild (the guanaco and the vicuña). With the exception of the guanaco, which may also be found in zones at sea level, all of these species inhabit semi-arid terrain at altitudes ranging from 3800m to 4500m above sea level and where temperatures vary between –15ºC and +23ºC.

The llama and the alpaca were domesticated approximately 6000 years ago and almost all the pre-Inca cultures used the camelids for food and clothing. During the Inca period, greater importance was accorded to raising these animals and this activity became well organised.

In the Upper Andean zone, especially in Peru and Bolivia, the raising of llamas and alpacas constitutes a very important economic activity which, in many cases, represents one of the few means of subsistence available to rural families.

The camelids provide the following products:

* Fibre, which has unique characteristics in the textile industry
* Meat, which has a very high nutritional value
* Furs and hides, used in industry and by craftsmen
* Manure, used as fertiliser and fuel.

It is not expected that alpaca will ever be a meat industry in Australia although alpaca and llama are readily eaten in their native countries. 

Alpaca Habitat

Alpacas are mainly bred in the highlands of Peru (the Altiplano), but also in Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, at altitudes ranging from 10,000 to over 14,000 feet above sea level (3,000 to +4,500m) and withstand temperatures that fluctuate between 65°F and over 85°F (20°C to +30°C) in a single day. It was these conditions that habituated the animals to giving birth in the morning, so that by night time, when temperatures fell below freezing, the babies would be dry.

The highlands provide a low-protein diet based on natural grasses that help grow their fine fleece. In countries outside South America where they are now bred, fleeces are finer if the animals are not raised on protein-rich grass. One of the attractions of alpacas is that in general health they do as well on poor grass as on rich.

Properties of Fiber                                                                                    

                                                           Peru is the main producer and exporter of alpaca fibre in the world, producing  4,000 tons annually.  Alpaca fibre, one of the “noble” fibres, and considered a luxury fibre, usually rivals the popularity of such fine fibres as cashmere and  pashmina (for those who are not familiar is the wool from the neck and underbelly of the goat "Capra Hircus" also known as "Chyangra" that thrives only in the Himalayan of Nepal, India &Tibet at heights of 12,000 to 14,000 feet or more where there is little vegetation and extremely cold winters. Pashmina is only 12-14 microns thick ) because of its natural properties.

Alpaca is a smooth, velvety, lightweight, soft, and durable fibre. Good-quality alpaca also has considerable lustre and crimp, though no such oil as lanolin. If 100% pure, alpaca wool is absolutely thermal due to its hollow fibre and microscopic air pockets, so the wearer never loses body heat and is able to breath in warm weather. Alpaca fibres do not let water or dust settle. Alpaca hair also comes in more than 22 natural shades, which makes it an attractive alternative for top designers worldwide.

             some of the factors which affect the value of alpaca fleece are:

• Fineness: This is a genetic hereditary factor—the finer the fibre, the higher the price.
• Colour: White fibre commands a higher price from the textile industry because it can be dyed to any colour, including pastel shades. However, craftsmen place a greater value on fibre of certain natural colours.
• Fibre length: The decision on whether to process alpaca on the woollen system or the worsted system depends on the fibre length.
• Production: The weight and degree of cleanliness of the fleeces are important, since larger prices are commanded by fibre that is free from impurities such as vegetable matter.
• Nutritional considerations: Nutrition affects growth and fineness of the fibre.

PRINCIPAL NOBLE FIBERS USED IN TEXTILES

THE ALPACA                

The alpaca is the most numerous of the four South American camelid species. With a populationof 3.5 million in Peru, representing 75% of the world's total, the alpaca provides the main means of sustenance for thousands of families in the high Andes. The alpaca usually stands at 1.20m high and weighs between 45kg and 79kg. It  has a smaller and more curved profile than the llama and has a distinguishing fringe of hair on its forehead.

Alpacas share other physical characteristics of their camelid cousins: long necks, large brown eyes (though blue eyes have been created as a genetic defect), long legs and soft, padded feet with two hard toes. Outside their natural environment of stony ground, their toenails need regular clipping.

There are two varieties of the alpaca: the huacaya and the suri.

The Huacaya is the more numerous type in Peru, representing 93% of the population, and has fibre that is shorter than that of some other camelids.  Its texture combines lightness in weight with density, lustre, crimp and high volume. The fleece covers almost all the body, only the face and lower parts of the legs having a covering of short fibres, and it stands out at right angles to the skin, making shearing easy. The chest and sometimes neck and belly are characteristically covered with medullated, i.e. hollow, guard hairs that are discarded.

The huacaya is the predominant alpaca type. Its fine and bulky fleece offers the widest range of natural shades and has a natural crimp or wavy quality that is enhanced by breeding. The animals have a pleasing conformation giving the appearance of strength and gracefulness.

In Peru alpacas are shorn with knives or shears, usually once a year between November and April. The yield per animal is very variable, but a general average is about five pounds (2.3kg). There are specimens, however, which can yield fleeces weighing up to 15 pounds (6.9kg).

The colour of the fibre varies. Up to 22 colours have been defined, but alpaca fibre is more uniform in colour than that of the llama. Alpaca colours range from white to black through greys, fawns and brown s.This variety of colour is not found in other natural fibres used in textile production.

The fibre is classified manually according to its fineness and sorted into qualities such as Royal Alpaca (less than 19 microns), Baby Alpaca (up to  22.5 microns), Super Fine Alpaca (25.5 microns), Huarizo (29 microns), Coarse (32 microns) and Mixed Pieces (short fibres generally coarser than 32 microns). The names of these qualities do not necessarily reflect the age of the animals or other phenotypic characteristics. The appellation 'Baby', for example, is applied to products (tops, yarns, cloth, etc.) where the average fibre diameter is 22.5 microns. The fibre used to obtain this quality does not necessarily come from baby animals; it could easily come from an adult animal with a very fine coat. Each quality is employed to create different products such as cloth, scarves, sweaters, blankets, carpets and so on. The alpaca may also be blended with other fibres, generally of natural origin. Alpaca fibres are extraordinarily tough and strong, even in the finest qualities, thus making it ideal for industrial processing. It is furthermore easily dyed to any colour and always retains its natural lustre.

It is also possible to process alpaca on the woollen or worsted systems, so that it can be used to produce a range of cloths from coarse tweeds to fine gabardine. Alpaca fibre does not easily break, fray, stain, or accumulate charges of static electricity, and it is easy to launder.

Alpaca provides a relatively high yield of fibre after processing (between 87% and 95% compared with 43% to 76% for sheep's wool). Furthermore, it is easy and economical to process owing to the lack of grease or lanolin in the fibre and, unlike cashmere, does not need to be de-haired. Low-grade alpaca fleece may be contaminated with guard hair, in which case the fleece is of no commercial value.  

The Suri is the least predominant alpaca type. It produces a fine, lustrous, silky fibre that hangs in long pencils or corkscrews that give the animal a characteristic and eye-catching appearance. Its fleece comes in a narrower range of natural shades than huacaya alpacas: white, fawns and light browns to greys and blacks.

THE OTHER CAMELIDS

Llama (Lama glama) is the heaviest and largest South American camelid. Its long legs and its prominent and crooked ears are are the two main features that distinguish the llama from the other camelids. Llamas have been domesticated and used as a beast of burden since pre-Incan times. Even today, llamas are part of the customs and religious rituals of the Andean people.

Some 65% of the world's llamas live in the high plateau region of the Bolivian Andes. According to recent investigations, the llama was first domesticated, like the alpaca, some 6000 years ago. Llamas played a very important role in the Inca economy as they were used for transport as well as for providing meat, fibre and skins – as indeed they do nowadays in some Andean regions. Each animal yields an average of 2700g of fibre. In Peru, llamas are not necessarily shorn every year.

There are two types of llamas: the Chaku, which has abundant long hair; and the Qara, with very short fibre and features which strongly resemble those of the camel, especially in the sparse hair on the face, neck and legs.
The colour of the fibre ranges through white to black through a series of greys and all tones of brown. In recent times in countries outside South America, such as the United States of America, Canada and Australia, an interest has arisen in the breeding of Lamas for pets.

Guanacos (lama guanacoe),like vicuñas, are wild camelids that live in small bands of females, usually led by a male. There are approximately 600,000 guanacos in South America and 90% of these live in Patagonia and Argentina, and in small numbers in Peru, Bolivia and Chile.  

The guanaco is the toughest of the South American camelids. It is to be found mainly in the extreme south of the continent, where some 500,000 specimens live wild among the mountains of Argentina and Chile. It does, however, inhabit a wide range of environments, ranging from warm deserts to cold, wet zones and from sea level up to an altitude of 4000m. In Peru, the guanaco is now almost extinct and the population cannot be more than 5000 specimens. For thousands of years, the guanaco provided meat and furs for the tribes who inhabited Patagonia, a region of extreme climatic conditions.

Unlike the alpaca and the llama, guanacos have no variation in colour, but have a shaggy fleece of a uniform reddish brown, with white underparts and blackish face. The guanaco has a small head and pointed ears, a long, curved neck and long, slim legs. It can measure from 1.20m to 2m in height and can weigh from 120kg to 150kg. Guanacos live in groups comprising one male and five to ten females with their young. The mating season is between November and February in Peru, and a female gives birth to a single baby after an eleven-month gestation period. The guanaco is a very swift animal and a good swimmer, able to cross from one island to another in areas like Tierra del Fuego. It is also extremely curious, a trait that sometimes allows it to become a victim to its predators –  even when being shot at, the animals will not take fright and run away.

Its coat consists of a double layer of fibres. One layer is made of relatively short fibres (3–4.5cm) which are fine and soft, the other layer of long, coarse hairs. Average diameter is approximately 16 microns, but the fibre is not legally traded on international markets unless there is express authorisation from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Each animal can provide up to 500g of fibre annually.

As the strongest of the South American camelids, guanacos are hard to capture and shear. Many are hunted even to this day and are thus threatened with extinction. It is therefore necessary to find a way of capturing these animals alive so their fibre can be used, but without harm to the species.

Vicuñas (Lama vicugna) are the smallest, rarest and most delicate of the South American camelids, with a fleece that is the finest and most sought after in the world. There are approximately 150,000 vicuñas in South America, which is 85% of the world population, and most of these inhabit Peru, with smaller numbers to be found in Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. Vicuñas were on the edge of extinction in the 1960s, but thanks to various conservation programs they are no longer in danger of extinction. They inhabit the higher regions of the Andes at altitudes close to 3800m above sea level.

The vicuña has a shoulder height of about 90cm and weighs 35–50kg. It measures 1.25–1.50m to the top of its head, and its hair, which consists of fibres 2–4cm long, is usually a light brown or cinnamon colour with, like the guanaco, white on the chest, belly and the inner parts of the legs. The chest fibres may reach a length of 20cm and serve as protection against the cold. The vicuña can live for up to 20 years. The females give birth to a single young animal, between December and April, but especially in February, after a gestation period of 11 months.

The vicuña has a remarkably long, fine, soft and lustrous fleece, which gives an annual yield of approximately 250g per animal. Average diameter is 10—12 microns, making it the finest fleece in the world. During the Inca Empire, its use was permitted only for making garments to be worn by members of the government. Nowadays it has an extraordinary value in textiles and  apart from its fineness, is remarkable for its providing a very high degree of thermal insulation.

The Huarizo: A cross between an alpaca and a llama is generally known in Perú as a Huarizo. This hybrid has rather coarse fiber and phenotypic characteristics of both the alpaca and the llama. In the upper Andean zone, where alpacas are raised by families of herders whose resources are limited, it is not uncommon to find mixed herds of alpacas and llamas, and this can give rise to the procreation of huarizos.

For industrial purposes, the term 'huarizo' denotes a fiber quality which does not necessarily come from the hybrid animal; it is used to describe a product (top or yarn) in which the average fiber diameter is between 28 and 29 microns and may indeed come entirely from a pure alpaca.