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Commonly asked Questions/Answers 1. What is an alpaca? An alpaca is a member of the South American camelid family. They sometimes are confused with their cousins (Llama). However, an alpaca is smaller in size and structure. 2. What do you do with one? Alpaca produce one of the world's finest most luxurious natural fibers. Until recent years, these animals were only found in South America, making their fleece very hard to obtain and unheard of by most people around the world. Even today, in the United States most alpaca fiber is sought after by fashion designers, spinners and weavers. 3. How much does an alpaca cost? Alpacas range in their prices depending on the use and quality of the animal. In the USA, you can buy a gelded pet male for as low as $500, with most breeding females averaging between $10,000-$30,000. 4. Do I have to own a large quantity of land to own an alpaca. The nice thing about alpacas is they do not require alot of grazing acres. You can easily have 5-7 alpacas on 1 acre of pasture. They have soft padded feet which makes them a very low impact animal on land. Plus, they gently nip of grass and do not disturb the root systems. 5. Are they easy to maintain? Alpacas have been referred to as the "aristicrat livestock" Alpacas are puesdo ruminant animals with very efficient digestive systems. They required very little grain supplement and are most happy grazing on grass and eating hay. Their life span is approx. 20 years and are accustomed to using a communal dung pile, which make clean-up an easy task. 6. How long is their gestation cycle? Female alpacas are induced ovulators and can be mated ant time of the year. Their gestation averages 11.5 months and they will only have one cria (baby alpaca). Twins are extremely rare and very few known of to survive. 7. Are they safe around children? One of the reasons we chose alpacas was because of their docile nature. They are prey animals, therefore, naturally stand of-ish to humans. However, they are intelligent, curious creatures that possess a calm demeanor. They do not typically spit, bite, or butt at people. They do spit as a way of communicating displeasure with one another! (They are herd animals and have an order which they accept) They are great for children because they are small easy to handle. 8. Can I have just one? No, alpacas are herd animals and need to be with other herd animals (alpacas). Alpacas do co-inhabit well with Llamas. I do not recommend mixing alpacas with horses or goats. 9. Can you eat alpaca? Not is the USA ! All parts of the alpaca are used in their home countries of Peru, Bolivia, Chilie. 10. Who owns alpacas? Alpacas owners come from all walks of life. You will find doctors, lawyers, teachers, builders.........etc..... raising alpacas either as a primary source of income or a supplemental income. A large portion of alpaca owners are retired , while another portion are young couples with small children. Another portion of alpaca owners, who are attracted to the tax benefits, never even touch their animals. 11. What is so great financially about owning alpaca? Basically, owning an alpaca is considered an investment that will compound. Meaning, once a bred female has a cria (it being a girl) than you would have up to a 100% return on your initial investment. Alpaca compounding is a method of tax-deferred wealth building. Alpacas receive all the livestock tax benefits and are still considered scarce in the USA. For more than a decade, alpaca prices have remained then same and is predicted to remain high for at least another decade. Until the USA has grown a herd for fiber production, then the value will turn to the fiber itself as it will be available to all consumers. (remember an alpaca will have only one cria a year and it has a 50/50 chance of girl or boy -- slow growth rate) The alpaca industry in the USA have taken great strides in safe guarding their genetics. A DNA registry is in place and you can not import alpacas from other countries to the USA anymore. 12. What is so great about alpaca fiber? Few facts about alpaca fiber; ~ Naturally hypo-allergenic/ contains no greases or lanolin ~Found in 22 natural colors ~ Stronger, lighter yet warmer than wools ~Soft as cashmere and less peeling ~ naturally fire-retarded ~wrinkle free and excellent wearability
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