Alpaca Jargon:

Cria - baby alpaca

Conformation - physical appearance; their structure.

fleece - alpaca "wool"

Three-sided barn is all an alpaca needs.

Our Pasture

Alpacas were first imported into the U.S. in 1985. The alpaca is a smaller cousin of the better known llama. They are members of the camelid family. Unlike their cousins, alpacas do not spit at people. They tend to spit when they become possessive with their food or if they are aggressive with one another. They stand approximately 36 inches tall  and weigh between 100 - 200 pounds. They are highly valued for their luxurious fleece. Due to its fleece characteristics, it is far superior to lamb's wool and is sure to be the preferred fleece of future clothing production. It is soft as cashmere and warmer, lighter and stronger than wool, it comes in more natural colors than any other fiber producing animal. It can also be dyed.

With their mild mannered personalities and easy to care needs, the alpaca is the ideal livestock for the small or beginner "farmer". It only takes about one acre of land to be home for about 8 - 10 alpacas, which means big acre farms are not needed in order to raise a small herd. Alpacas has soft padded feet, are gentle on the land and can easily be transported in the family van. They are kid-friendly and make excellent pets. No need to worry about bothering the neighbors, the only noise they generally make is a low volume "humming".

There are two types of alpacas: Huacaya (wah-KI'-ya) and the Suri ("surrey"). The Huacaya has a wool that is similar in shape to a sheep with dense volume giving it a fluffy, "teddy bear" appearance. It grows with a highly valued crimp that makes it excellent for production. The Suri has a straight fleece, with no crimp, that grows into "pencil locks".  Both kinds are sheared, without injuring the animal, annually.

There are lots of alpaca shows to participate in. Alpacas are judged on their conformation and fleece. There is also parts of these shows for your children to participate such as a costume class where the alpacas, along with the children dress-up! There is also an obstacle course and agility course. It's fun to watch children of all ages and adults handle these animals.

Types of Alpacas:

            Huacaya                               Suri