What do I need to know?
The only silly questions are the ones not asked...
What is an alpaca?
Alpaca is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance.
Where do alpacas come from?
The alpaca along with the llama, guanaco and the vicuna are all members of the South American camelid family, mostly found in Bolivia, Chile and Peru.
How long do alpacas live?
The alpaca lifespan is approximately 20 - 25 years. Adult female alpacas can breed for most of that time.
How long are they pregnant for?
Gestation is usually between 11 and 11.5 months. Often a pregnancy due in spring will take a little longer than one due in autumn.
When do they birth?
Usually alpacas give birth during the day, often before lunch. 95% of alpaca births are trouble free and reasonably quick, but it does pay to know what to look for. Crias usually stand and nurse within an hour.
Do alpacas have a mating season?
Alpacas are induced ovulators – that is the female ovulates in response to the male’s orgling regardless of the time of year. In Canterbury most breeders will manage their herd so there are no births planned for the winter months, but they are physically capable of breeding all year round.
What breeds are there?
There are two types of alpacas. The Huacaya (pronounced wah-kai-ya) and the Suri (pronounced soo-ree).
The Huacaya alpaca accounts for around 90% of the world alpaca population. They are characterised by their dense, fine, crimped fleece growing in bundles perpendicularly to their body.
The Suri fleece is distinguished by its long silky fibre that grows parallel to the body and hangs in long, separate, locks.
How much do alpacas weigh?
Cria usually weigh between 6 and 9 kilograms at birth. You would expect them to gain a kilogram per week. An adult will weigh from 60 to 80 kilograms.
