COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS AT OUR ALPACA PRODUCT SHOP

What country are alpaca native to?

Alpacas are native to the high altitude areas of South America (Anti plano) Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Argentina where the temperatures can be blisteringly hot during the day and freezing at night.

When did Alpacas first come to Australia

The first importation of alpacas took place in 1858 when 336 were shipped to Australia, with only 276 surviving the trip  These initial alpacas were dispersed and eventually died out

What's the difference between a Huacaya and a Suri?

Huacaya alpacas (which make up 95% of the worlds alpaca population) have a dense fibre which grows straight out from their body. Huacaya fleece has crimp along the length of the staple similar to that of a sheep. Their fleece should cover their entire body including their lower leg and they should have a bonnet of fibre on their head. When the fleece is opened on the alpaca's body you can see the defined crimp and lustre shine that starts close to the skin and continues along the fibre. This fibre feels very soft to touch and is used for exquisite fabrics and is spun into yarn to make garments such as jumpers.

Suri alpaca fleece grows in long pencil like locks similar to dreadlocks which hang straight down from their body. Suri fleece generally has more lustre and a much silkier feel than that of the huacaya. When a suri runs in the paddock its fibre moves on its side like a flowing silken curtain. When shorn, suri fleece tends to weigh more than huacaya fleece. Suri fibre is used for more specialised and delicate garments and fabrics.

What is the Baby Alpaca Called?

The baby alpaca is called a Cria, a female is called a Hembre, a male a Macho and a twelve month old Alpaca ia called a Tui.

Animal Husbandry?

The Alpacas are shorn once a year starting in October, the nails are generally trimmed twice a year. In our region of Southern Australia an average rainfall of 800mls per year the animals are inoculated with 5 in 1, Vitamin D twice a year,  with Selenium given orally every six  weeks depending on how deficient the local soil is in selenium.

Why do Alpacas Spit?

Spitting is a characteristic alpaca behaviour. Animals spit at each other if they are competing for space or food. The most notable instance of spitting is when a pregnant female spits at a macho. Alpacas are mated around 17 days after their cria is born. One or two weeks later the male is brought in again to the female and if she sits, i.e. if she is receptive, mating takes place again, but if the female has conceived she will usually spit at the male and run from him. The “spit-off” is routinely used to see if conception has occurred, and may be followed up with an ultrasound later.

When do you shear alpacas?

Alpacas are shorn once a year, usually during spring, which in southern Australia means October and November; September is usually too cold. A mechanical sheep-shearing hand-piece is used to shear and is much faster than the old-fashioned blade shearing method. The animals have to be thrown on their side and roped to immobilize them.

What is the fibre used for?

Alpaca fibre is a luxurious product with rare qualities of softness, silkiness yet light weight and durability together with thermal attributes and is much sought after by the Italian suit industry, as well as by firms making quality winter apparel. A large cottage industry also seeks fleece for hand spinning.

How long do alpacas live?

Alpacas generally live to between 15 and 20 years of age.

How long is gestation?

The average gestation of an alpaca is 335 days (11 months). In our southern region of Australia, because of less ultraviolet light and Vitamin D, it can go to 12 months. A female becomes pregnant for the first time at 70 kg or 12–14 months of age and gives birth for the first time at around two years.

At birth a cria weighs 6–8 kg and drinks its mother’s milk until weaning at 5 or 6 months. Alpaca milk is thick and rich in nutrients. A cria only drinks for a minute or so at a time, going from one of the four teats to the next. Cria begin nibbling on grass from a few days of age but will still rely on mother’s milk for sustenance until about 6 months when they are spend their day grazing with other babies in the paddock and have milk as a supplement. [

If a cria is born prematurely (more than 3 or 4 weeks prior to their due date) they could require additional care as their lungs are too immature for survival. The developing foetus remains small in size until the last two months before birth, so a mid-term pregnancy does not show. Although a female spends all its adult life pregnant, it is put at no discomfort for this is natural: healthy alpacas in their native South America will have a baby every year.

Alpacas give birth easily and conveniently during the day (usually between the hours of 8am and 2pm). The head and shoulders of the baby hang from the mother for up to 20 minutes to drain fluid from its head cavities, and during this time the mother wanders on unconcernedly, grazing and going about her business without fuss. When the baby drops she does not lick its membrane off, neither does she eat the afterbirth. The babies wriggle in the grass until the membrane is shed, then get to their feet and may spent some time before they find the teats. Alpaca babies get little help after birth and show a remarkable toughness.

Do alpacas have twins?

Twins in alpaca are very rare and occur naturally only once in 3,000 or so births. In their native country twins die at birth as the weather conditions are very harsh and there is no human neonatal care. In Australia, eight or so twin births have been recorded. Several sets of these twins have survived after having been given neonatal (and ongoing care, such as bottle feeding) by their owners. But carrying twins is generally thought to be too great a strain on a female.

How many colours do alpaca come in?

Alpacas come in a range of natural colours: bright white, creams, all shades of grey including silver, gunmetal grey, rose grey and roan grey (which is almost pink), beige to medium and dark fawns, light browns, red browns and chocolate browns and even black, which includes what is called “true black”, which can have a brown sheen in some lights, and blue-black, the result of a recessive gene. White alpaca fibre can be dyed just like sheep wool. Of course using natural undyed coloured alpaca wool means that a garment's colour won't run or fade over time.