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Hope of Glory Farm       For more information, contact us at judi@hopeofgloryfarm.com
Types:
    Alpacas are in the camelid family. They are gentle and curious animals.  There are two different kinds of alpacas,
    huacaya (pronounced: wha-KI-ah) and suri (pronounced: sur-E).

Fleece:
    The huacaya and suri are distinguished by their fleece. Huacaya fleece is wavy, crimpy, and fluffy. Suri have fleece
    that resembles dread-locks. Alpacas were originally imported into the US from Chile, Peru or Bolivia. Shearing is
    done once a year, usually in the spring months. Each full grown alpaca yields between 5 to 10 pounds of fleece.
    This fleece, after very little preparation, can be spun into yarn. Lower-grade fleece can be used to make felted
    items, such as hats, rugs, slippers and toys.

Physical Qualities:
    Alpacas are approximately 36 inches tall at the withers (the area where the neck & spine come together) and weigh
    between 100 to 200 pounds. Alpacas have two toes with soft pads (like dogs and cats). They have incisors only on
    the bottom front of their mouths. Camelids have three distinct compartments in their gut and stomach, making them
    ruminant animals. Normally, a female can start breeding at 18 months. The normal gestation period for a female is
    335 to 355 days. Most births (95%) require little or no human intervention. A baby alpaca is called a cria.

Requirements:
    They require only a few hay flakes a day plus grain, minerals and lots of fresh water. They are extremely easy to
    work with. They are easy to halter train in a few sessions. Alpacas are herd animals and do not thrive well when
    alone. Normally two to six alpacas can be put on a one acre dry-lot. Usually ten or more alpacas can be put on an
    acre that has more lush pasture. They are safe around children.

Cost:
    The price of an alpaca depends largely on its quality, judged by its conformation (body structure), its fleece and
    genetic bloodline. Generally females bring higher prices than males, however to date the highest prices paid for
    alpacas have been for the few highest quality males.

A Short History of the Alpaca:
    As mentioned above, alpacas originate from South America and are members of the camelid family. You will find a
    thriving alpaca industry today in Bolivia, Peru and Chile. The somewhat better known llama and less known vicuna
    are also members of the camelid family and like the alpaca originate from South America. The relationship between
    alpacas and the camels native to other regions of our world is a recognition of the similarities between the animals.
    Some but not all of these similarities are their soft padded feet, their digestive system, their long necks and some of
    their behaviors, such as everyone's favorite behavior of spitting. Nobody really knows why the alpaca, llama and
    vicuna came to be in South America while their larger "relatives", the camels came to be on other continents of our
    world.

    Among the indigenous people of South America, the Incas, alpacas were raised for their fine fleeces. This prized
    fiber was woven into clothing for the royal class and high officials of Inca society. In the 1500's when European
    people conquered the region, they brought sheep and cattle with them. The alpaca was viewed as a competitor and
    was quickly pushed out. If it had not been for the fiber which also had become prized in Europe for its luxurious
    softness, one can only wonder if we would have the alpaca living among us today.

    Others had tried to raise alpacas outside of South America but it wasn't until the mid 1980's that alpaca farming
    began to make serious inroads into countries outside of Bolivia, Peru and Chile. From 1984 to 1998, there were
    large scale importations of alpacas into the United States. Similarly, Canada also imported and registered alpacas
    into a separate Canadian registry. These imported animals became the genetic base for all registered alpacas in
    North America. Since 1998, no further alpaca importations into the US have been allowed. Despite this restriction,
    the alpaca herds in the US have continued to grow as more people recognize the value of alpaca farming. Just
    twenty years after the first large scale importations into the US, alpaca livestock sales alone have grown to
    approximately eighty million dollars per year.