Since this is going to be my last blog, I thought I would do something special, something spectacular, something I personally love myself, Alpacas!!There are two different types of Alpaca, the Huacaya and Suri. The only difference is in the fur, or fleece. Their fleece comes in 16 different natural colors. White, beige, light fawn, medium fawn, dark fawn, light brown, medium brown, dark brown, bay black, true black, light silver grey, medium silver grey, dark silver grey, light rose grey, medium rose grey, and dark rose grey.
Like all animals, alpacas show individual personality. They are herd animals, preferring the companionship of their friends and their established community, and will become stressed if separated from their buddies.
The oldest known records of the Alpaca were 1,000 years before the great pyramids of Giza. The Incas showed their wealth by the number of alpacas they owned and by showing off their beautiful tops woven by the Alpacas fleece.
“What's the difference between alpacas and llamas?” you may ask.
Well the difference is size and fiber quality. Llamas were primarily bred to be beasts of burden, and alpacas were bred primarily as fiber producers. An average alpaca stands 34"-36" at the shoulders, whereas a llama stands 42"-48" at the shoulders. Alpacas weigh 125-175 pounds on average. An adult alpaca will generally produce 5-8 pounds of high-quality fiber each year.
