Here are our 6 Alpaca included 2 babies

The Alpaca

The alpacas from our estate The Alpaca, which is located in the Périgord, are reared outdoors on our estate.

We currently have 6 Huacayas alpacas, 4 adults and their 2 cubs.

A little culture
The alpaca a small camelid like the llama, the camel, the guanaco, the vicuña and the dromedary. The alpaca lives in herds and is native to South America.

An adult alpaca can weigh between 48 and 96 kg.

There are two categories of alpacas:

• Huacayas , they have dense, shiny and curly fleece. It grows vertically in relation to the skin of the animal
• Suris , they have a silky fleece, drooping and stiff but recognizable by their shape resembling dreadlocks.

Their way of life

An alpaca should NEVER live without at least one congener of the same sex. The ideal for the well-being of the alpaca is that there are at least 3 or 4.

If the alpaca is well fed and can take shelter in windy conditions, the alpaca is an animal that requires little care. It is enough to feed it morning and evening, to see to the supply of hay and fresh water and to clean the pens and pastures regularly.

The alpaca is a ruminant herbivore … thus, for food, it grazes, eats pasture grass and hay. The alpaca can also seek to graze hedges and has a particular preference for the fresh hawthorn shoots found in the spring.

Does the alpaca spit

First of all, llamas and alpacas are domesticated, while vicuñas are wild. We still have this famous image of the llama spitting at Captain Haddock, but in reality he’s a sociable animal, who only spits if he feels really in danger.

It is above all a means of defense used between alpacas, in conflict situations but also when the female wants to tell the male that she is pregnant and that he must distance himself.

Their wool

Every year, our alpacas are mowed in the spring by a professional. But not only, she also cares for the hooves and teeth, filing her teeth if necessary.

The shearing of our alpacas is essential for the well-being of the animal. The alpaca is sheared at this time of year to keep it from suffering from the hot summer months. But also, to prepare the regrowth of its fleece until winter so that it does not get cold.
About 2.5 kg are harvested per head. The hairs are then graded, washed to remove dust, then combed and finally spun.

Alpaca wool is a very high-end fiber, softer, warmer, stronger and lighter than sheep’s wool.
Among the domesticated llamas, the alpaca produces a fiber whose fineness (15 to 25 microns) comes just behind that of cashmere. This explains the extreme softness of this knitting yarn. The older the alpaca, the more its fleece loses its finesse. This is why the fleece of very young alpacas, called “baby alpacas”, is by far the softest. Baby alpaca wool is rightly considered a premium yarn.

Every year, the alpacas are mowed in the spring by a professional. About 2.5 kg are harvested per head. We are currently looking for a spinning mill specializing in the treatment and transformation of Alpaca fiber. The hairs will then be classified, washed to be rid of dust, then combed and finally spun.

We of course offer for sale the fleece of our alpacas for people who wish to perform
Alpaca yarn has many qualities that make it excellent knits. In addition to its finesse, alpaca is a light, resistant, elastic and warm fiber. It has recognized insulating properties thanks to its hygroscopic qualities (it slowly absorbs moisture from the air).
Unlike sheep’s wool, alpaca is lacking in lanolin (the fat in wool, also called “ooze”). This makes it an interesting hypoallergenic product for sensitive skin and that of babies.

22 IS THE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT DRESSES IN THE ALPACAS
Pretty outfit. Indeed, while there are two categories of alpacas, it has been noted that 22 natural shades exist in total for their fleece. A rich panel that ranges from black, to white, through more nuanced colors such as beige, brown, red or even gray. Enough to vary the pleasures and offer a wide variety of weavings.

Know a little more

THE GESTATION OF A FEMALE ALPACA LASTS LONGER THAN THAT OF A HUMAN

Do you think nine months is a long time? Tell yourself it could be worse. In fact, the gestation period of a female alpaca is 335 days, or 11 months. Two more than a typical pregnancy in humans.

The little one of the Alpaca is called the cria.

THE ALPACA IS CLEAN

Believe it or not, the alpaca chooses the places it goes to defecate and goes there systematically when needed. A reflex that makes it possible to preserve maintained grounds and which also attests, it is always good to remember, to the great intelligence of the species. In addition, their manure is composted in just a month and can be easily reused in gardens.

LIVESTOCK IN ALPACAS ARE GREENER THAN OTHERS

Among all the qualities of the alpaca, its breeding is not considered harmful to the environment. Known to have a very small appetite (one bale of hay is enough to feed two alpacas per week), it is also known not to deteriorate pastures by pulling up grasses as it simply cuts them with its teeth. Also, as mentioned above, alpaca manure is recognized as an extremely effective fertilizer.