About Alpacas

What are Alpacas?

Alpacas are members of the camelid family - they are in fact the South American cousin to the camel. Originally from Peru, Chile and Bolivia, Alpacas can now be found in many countries around the world. Alpacas come in a range of beautiful natural colours, ranging from white, through shades of fawn and brown to grey and black.

Why do we farm them?

Alpacas are bred for their fleece, which is shorn once per year. This soft but strong fleece is processed into a wide range of products including luxury garments, blankets, doonas, throw rugs and carpet.

Alpacas are environmentally friendly in a number of ways:

• Their soft padded feet, rather than hooves, are gentler on the land.
• Their grazing technique is easier on the pasture.
• Their habit of dunging in selected piles rather than indiscriminately across the paddock leads to cleaner pasture and less use of drenches and chemicals.
• The range of fleece colours provides an exciting array of natural coloured product without the use of polluting dyes and bleaches. 

Huacaya or Suri?

There are two genetic arms to the alpaca family:

Huacaya 

The huacaya represents the majority of the alpaca population and can best be identified as being more sheep-like in appearance. They grow their fleece outward from the body giving a soft, cuddly appearance.

Suri

The suri makes up only about 10 percent of the alpaca population. Suris are recognisable by their silky fleece hanging in silken locks from a centre-part along the backline giving them a "dreadlock" appearance.