|
What's an alpaca?
An alpaca is a camelid, distant cousin of the camel as you
might have guessed, and a closer relation to llamas. They
are about 36" tall at the withers (shoulder) and weigh
about 150 pounds. They are gentle and easy to handle and
can be halter trained. With a little perseverance they can
be trained to perform in an obstacle course with their handlers.
Alpacas don't bite or butt and don't have, horns, hoofs
or claws. Occasionally they spit at each other, usually
arguing over food and once in a while you can get in the
way of some chewed grass! Cleanup is easy since alpacas
deposit droppings in only a few places in the pasture. They
require minimal fencing and can be pastured at 5 to 10 animals
per acre.
Historically the alpaca was raised by the
Incas of South America in the Andean Mountains, and was
highly prized for its luxurious and versatile fleece. Incisors
have been found dating back to 3500-4000 BC. The Inca empire
depended on llamas and alpacas for food, fuel, clothing
and transport and all were the property of the government.
The Spanish invasion of the 1530's and the introduction
of European livestock caused numbers to dwindle, but the
animals remained the primary source of wealth. Llamas and
alpacas were exported to other countries in the 1800's.
More About Alpacas...
|
About Us
