What is an Alpaca ?

An Alpaca is NOT a small Llama. Although they come from the same area in South America, there are quite obvious differences between the two. An Alpaca is about 1/3 to 1/2 the size of a Llama. It is now strongly believed that Alpacas were domesticated from the wild Vicuna, pictured below.

Llamas on the other hand descended from the Guanaco, pictured below.

The second most obvious difference is the fiber of the Alpaca. Llamas have a double coat, one finer fleece as well as a coarse guard hair. Alpacas are only fleece animals. Micron counts range from 15 to 30, whereas Llamas can range from 20 to 70.

Alpacas have a shorter nose and spear shaped ears. The Llama has banana shaped ears. Their back has a slight upward curve instead of the straight back of the Llama.

There are 2 different breeds of Alpacas, the Huacaya which is the most common whose dense fiber gives them a fluffy coat that sticks out from the body. The second breed is the Suri, whose fiber is more hair-like, has no crimp and forms tight spiral locks that hang down, giving the appearance of dread locks. In the pictures below, you can tell the differences quite clearly.

                    Huacaya                                                                                Suri

                         Alpaca Facts                                  

An Alpaca has a life span of 20 to 25 years

Their average height is 36" at the withers

Alpacas weigh between 100 and 175 lbs

Average gestation is 335 days

Birth weight is usually between 15 and 19 lbs

Alpacas have one offspring per year, twins are very rare

A baby is called a Cria

Alpacas come in 22 natural colors with many variations

One acre of land will house 5 to 8 Alpacas

Alpacas do not bite as they have no upper teeth

Alpacas will spit occasionally but usually only at other Alpacas

Alpacas have feet like deer and are therefore very easy on your pastures

Alpacas are very friendly, will not survive as a single animal

They are extremely intelligent and easy to handle

Alpacas love children

Coyotes and dogs are Alpacas worst enemies

Alpacas are ruminants with 3 stomachs

Feeding an Alpaca costs less per month than feeding a dog

Basic 3 sided shelters are all the protection Alpacas usually need

Alpacas hum to communicate

Alpacas are shorn once a year, usually in the spring and produce anywhere from 5 to 10 lbs of fiber per year

They tend to lay down (or cush) when being transported

Alpacas need a low protein diet with hay and pellet supplements in the winter.

Alpacas love water but laying in it for any length of time will wear off their fiber. Use of sprinkler hoses in the summer work very well to cool them off

Alpacas are disease resistant but need yearly vaccines, worming 2-4 times yearly, toenail trimming every 2 months or so and fighting teeth removed when they are about 2 years old.

Parasite infection is low due to the fact that Alpacas defecate in fixed areas

Male Alpacas are ready to breed by 2 1/2 to 3 years of age

Females start breeding at about 14 months

Every Cria is blood typed to prove its parentage

There are an estimated 3 million Alpacas in the world with Canada having only about 4000

Alpaca fiber is elastic, strong and both warmer and lighter than wool

Bred females are anywhere from $10,000 to $45,000 and up

Breeding males $7,500  to $50,000, sometimes more

Pet quality males start at about $600

Bonnie & Larry McNamara

Ottawa, Ontario

613-443-1029