Alpacas are small, endearing members of the camel family. They come from the high Andean plateaux of South America where they share the territory with their cousins the llama, vicuna, and guanaco.

Facts and figures

Alpacas have a life span of around 20 years. Adults weigh from 45kgs to 80 kgs and stand about 1 metre tall at the withers (shoulder area) whilst baby alpacas, called cria, generally weigh between 6kgs and 10 kgs at birth. Gestation is about a year and, as a rule, they give birth during the daytime. Alpacas constantly communicate with each other through body posture, tail and ear movements, and a variety of sounds. The sound heard most often is a soft humming, a mild

expression befitting such a gentle animal.  They will spit at one another, if sufficiently angered, but they rarely spit at people.

Alpaca history

Alpacas were domesticated over 5,000 years ago and became a cherished treasure of the ancient Inca civilization, their fine cashmere-like fleece being reserved for Incan royalty. These amazing animals provided the food, fuel and clothing for a civilization that thrived in an otherwise hostile environment.

Huacaya and Suri

The Incas selectively bred alpacas for their luxurious fibre and out of this careful animal husbandry evolved two breeds, the huacaya and the suri. These two breeds differ primarily in the character of their fibre. The

huacaya, which is the most common alpaca breed, has a crimped or wavy fleece whereas the suri has straight, lustrous, fine fibre. In full fleece, the huacaya has a fluffy appearance, while the suri is elegantly draped in long wavy locks. Alpacas are the only animals in the world that occur in so many natural colours. Prized for its unique silky feel, superb handle and incredible insulation properties (it is much warmer and stronger than sheep's wool), alpaca fibre is highly sought after today by textile producers throughout the world. As the future unfolds, the alpaca and its beautiful fleece will rightfully take its place at the head of specialty fibre industries across the globe.

Nutrition and its effect on alpaca fibre

Alpacas are pseudo-ruminants, which means they chew the cud like a cow or a deer. They survive well on different kinds of low protein hay or pasture grass but because alpacas evolved in harsh conditions, they utilise their food more efficiently than other ruminants. Feeding practices, therefore, are thought to have a significant impact on their fibre. In their native habitat in South America, alpacas forage on poor quality scrub vegetation, low in protein and sparse in distribution. The high quality of the alpaca fleece evolved out of the harsh climatic conditions of the high Andes where they live quite comfortably at 4,000 meters above sea level. The fleece of

these animals can be very fine, which is desirable, but when they are moved on to the much more lush pastures that are the norm in New Zealand, or are given feed supplements and introduced to high protein hays, the micron measurement (fibre diameter) of their fleeces often becomes coarser. This is not to suggest that it is desirable to under-nourish our alpacas. The goal must always be to maintain properly fed, healthy animals. Please go to our Alpaca nutrition page for more information on providing a healthy diet for your alpacas.

Getting to know fleece and fibre characteristics

When comparing fleece qualities of various alpacas, the differences in nutrition that individual alpacas may have been exposed to should always be taken into account. Nutritional differences not only vary from country to country, but also from stud to stud and can be expected in your own operation as well. This should be considered carefully when comparing the micron of the fleeces of different alpacas. Another factor that will have an impact on fibre quality is the age of the alpaca. Cria generally have finer fleeces than adults and the fibre characteristics generally mature with the animal. The micron of a fleece from an alpaca which is between two and three years of age gives

a better indication of the quality of fleece that the animal will produce throughout the rest of its life. A similar measurement taken when the alpaca is less than one year old can give quite a false indication of future quality. To view a larger version of this fleece photo, simply click on it. This will bring out its lustre and character.

Crimp, density and lustre

Although fibre micron testing is useful as a genetic selection tool and for giving information about the fineness of the fleece, it should always be used in conjunction with handling and visual appraisal of fleeces. Put your hands into as many alpaca fleeces as possible. Have a good look at them and feel them. How does the fleece feel in your hands? Soft? Coarse? Silky? Full? Part the fleece with both hands. Is there good crimp (the crinkle-like structure) up each hair? Is it  tightest at the base? Can you feel little resistance when you handle fleece? If so the alpaca has a light fleece. Conversely, if there is plenty of resistance, the fleece is dense. Is there much skin visible at the base? The amount of skin you can see will also give some indication of density. Is there any lustre (shine) in the fleece? Is there good fleece coverage from the topknot to the legs? The more fleeces you assess, the better your eye will become, and you will learn to spot the best ones. To find out more about crimp and lustre read our page on fleece characteristics demystified.