Alpaca Who are They?? What you should Know.

The Alpaca is a domesticated member of the Camel family and is a cousin of the Llama. Alpacas have been domesticated for 6000 years, the Incas developed these cameloids into a superior fibre producer. An amazingly resilient animal, alpacas are hardy and adaptable to all climates and regions of the U.S. , though Peru, Bolivia, and Chile are still home to the largest percentage of alpacas in the world. Alpacas come in 22 natural colors, which is more than any other livestock.
There are two types of alpacas: Suri and Huacaya. A young female can breed at around 15 months or 110 pounds. A female alpaca bears only one offspring a year after an 11- to 12-month gestation period. The offspring are called cria; a cria weighs around 18 pounds and starts walking within one hour of birth. A cria receives milk from its mother for 6 to 8 months.
Alpacas produce one of the world's finest and most luxurious natural fibers. Each animal will produce 5 to 10 pounds of soft warm fiber and they are shaved once a year without causing any injury. Soft as cashmere and warmer, lighter and stronger than wool, it comes in more colors than any other fiber producing animal (approximately 22 basic colors with many variations and blends). This cashmere-like fleece, once reserved for Incan royalty, is now enjoyed by spinners and weavers around the
world.