Source: http://perfecttimingalpacas.com/starting-an-alpaca-farm-the-key-is-to-diversify-and-find-your-niche/
So you think you want to start an alpaca farm? The first thing you should know is that owning alpacas is not a “get rich quick” type of business. If that’s what you’re looking…… Read More
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Alpacas are domesticated livestock that are raised for their costly coats. These animals are South American camelids and are related to vicunas, llamas plus guanacos. Alpacas’ coats, which can be sheared once per year, can be sold at a premium for use in clothing and in house materials. Alpaca materials are more powerful and more comfortable than wool, and they’re hypoallergenic as well.
Alpacas are native to South America, and were actually found in Peru, Ecuador, Republic of Bolivia and northern Chile. They are generally compared to llamas, and for many years, alpacas were thought to have descended from llamas, since their appearances is the same. Some people believe alpacas are the offspring of llamas and vicunas. However, in 2001, using DNA analysis, researchers proved that alpacas are more related to the Vicuna. To reflect that relationship, the original name for the alpaca was changed from lama pacos to vicugna pacos.
Currently, there’s about 70, 000 alpaca in the USA. Initially, the United States population was imported from South America. Today, alpaca shall no longer be imported, and the US alpaca populace grows strictly from domestic births.
A fully grown alpaca has a life span of fifteen years, weighs between 100 and 180 pounds, and stands around three ft tall. The alpaca diet involves grass, hay and oats. Alpaca are ruminants, which indicates that like cows and deer, they are cud-chewers.
Alpacas are gentle, nevertheless they may shriek or spit if they are anxious, frightened or angry. They usually reserve this stuff for other alpacas, but from time to time, they will aim this behavior at humans. If you pay attention to an alpaca, you can notify how the alpaca feels, and may easily avoid a confrontation! Alpacas don’t like to be held, but most can tolerate pampering from humans they know and are comfortable with. These animals are naturally curious animals. They don’t jump fencing and they can be halter-trained and led.
In a herd, alpacas use a common dung heap. This can help reduce the occurrence of disease among a herd. Reason being they’re particular about their bathroom behaviors, some alpacas have recently been house broken!
In the earlier many years, a lot of folks have been considering keeping alpacas for their wool, for showing plus breeding. The gestation time for a single alpaca is around eleven months on average. Twin alpacas are extremely unusual, occurring in only one of about every 12, 000 births. A lot of alpacas give birth to their newborns, called cria, in the morning.
