|
General
Home
About Us
Contact Us
Alpacas
Alpacas for Sale
Products & Services
Standing at Stud
Other
Alpaca Facts
Tours 'N' Tea
Tips 'N' Tales
Links |
|
What are Alpacas?
There are two main types of alpaca, the Huacaya and Suri. The Huacaya is
by far the most common in Australia and South America. The main difference
is that Huacaya grows a "corkscrew" straight fibre whilst the Suri has a
densely defined lock that is very similar to dread locks.
The alpaca fleece or wool comes in two parts, each with distinct qualities.
The finest part of the entire fleece derives from the "saddle"
or "blanket" of the
animal - the back, shoulders and sides. The lesser quality fibre comes from the
animal's neck and legs.
Removed from the alpaca in the same manner as a sheep is shorn, the alpaca
fibre is combed, carded and, after a simple washing process is ready to
spin.
Despite the many advantages of the fibre, alpaca farming is still in its
infancy and on the world market only represents about 0.1% of wool sales,
lending it an exotic image.
An alpaca herd may be relatively small, often with fewer than ten animals.
The animals graze easily and, with their padded feet, do much less damage
than hoofed farm animals. They are easily managed and dogs are not needed
to move them around pastures.
Being a very hardy animal, the alpaca needs little caring in extreme
weather conditions - they are normally happy to shelter under trees. They
are also a quite contented animal and, as such, need little in the way of
fencing as they tend not to wander. So in other words, if your property
has been fenced for sheep, this will be adequate for alpacas, provided it
is well maintained
Brief History of Alpacas
Alpacas are relatively rare animals first re-introduced to Australia in
1989. A native of South America, the alpaca was favoured by the Incan
civilisation and their fine fleece was reserved for the use of the Inca
royalty. Alpacas are similar to llamas and have been domesticated for
5,000 years.
The importance of the alpaca to the local Indians and the ability of the
alpaca to withstand the harshest conditions assured its survival through
adverse years. After the modern world discovered the special qualities of
alpaca fibre, farming for export started to grow. Alpaca farming is now
concentrated in the Altiplano area in the high altitude regions of
Southern Peru, Bolivia and Chile. There are some 3 million Alpacas in Peru
and Bolivia.
Alpaca farming outside of South America started in 1984 when alpacas were
first imported into the United States. Farming spread further in 1989 with
the export of the first alpacas from Peru and Chile to Australia and New
Zealand. Here the better climates and more accessible and efficient
veterinary services have made the alpaca a successful local farm animal
Although still relatively new to Australian farming, there are now over
40,000 alpacas in Australia. The current direction of alpaca farming is
towards breeding, although the economic outlook for fibre sales is
improving each year particularly in the light of the high quality of the
fibre available here in Australia.
Alpacas are a unique animal in that their environmentally friendly habits
ensure optimum use of relatively small holdings and can provide a stable
long term investment.
Managing alpaca is relatively easy as they are hardy, easy on fencing, and
unlike hoofed animals do not damage the ground.
|
|
