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Alpacas were a cherished and worshipped treasure of the ancient Incan civilization. They played a central role in the Incan culture that was located high on the Andeas Plateau and mountains of South America. Most of the world's alpacas are native to the Andes of South America where they lived at great heights in Peru, Chile and Bolivia. They have been domesticated for thousands of years and bred for their fleece. They are related to other camelids of South America - the guanaco, the llama and the vicuna. Until the Spanish Conquistadors introduced sheep, camelid fiber was the only material available to the Andean people and as a result they have a long tradition of working with these fine fibers. The fiber was 'discovered' by the English textile trade and became extremely popular throughout the western world during the 19th century. During the latter part of the 20th century, however, alpaca enterprises started to grow in other countries. Alpaca enterprises throughout North America, Australia and New Zealand now flourish and they are being successfully raised and enjoyed.
Alpacas come in two types - the Huacaya and the Suri. The lifespan of the alpaca is about 20 years and gestation is 11 1/2 months. They require good fencing, adequate shade, low protein hay or pasture, and fresh water. Not only are they a pleasure to raise, they are very low maintenance being small livestock. . Adults range from 100 to 175 lbs and stand approximately 32" to 36" tall at the withers. Female alpacas are first bred about 18 to 24 months, and are capable of producing one offspring a year for 15 years. The new mothers are often rebred 2-3 weeks after giving birth. Males reach breeding age at about 3 years. A single baby called a "cria" is normally delivered without assistance during the daylight hours. Twins are rare, and a cria generally weighs 12 to 20 lbs. at birth and can stand to nurse within an hour.
Alpacas produce one of the world's finest and most luxurious natural fibers. It is sheared from the animal without causing it 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. As an added advantage, most alpacas are gentle and easy to handle, and don't bite or butt. They do not have incisors, horns, hoofs or claws, so even if they did, little harm can be done. Clean-up is easy since alpacas deposit droppings in only a few places in the paddock. They require minimal fencing and can be pastured at 5 to 10 per acre. Alpacas communicate through soft humming sounds. They are a rare gem, a treasure that we would like to share with you.
At Travis Farm, we select our Alpaca breeding stock for outstanding fiber characteristics such as extreme density, super fineness, uniform crimp and overall coverage. Conformation is also very important to us and we strive to not only breed for good conformation and texture, but for pleasant personalities as well. We currently have crias (babies) available for sale and take pride in our beautiful herdsires who are available for your consideration. Check them out:
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bred female - A pregnant alpaca. cria - A baby alpaca, usually younger than 5 months. dam - An alpaca's mother. fiber - The fleece of an alpaca. huacaya - A type of alpaca with fine fiber and a wooly appearance. pet male - A male alpaca whose genetic characteristics are not worthy of breeding. sire or herdsire - An alpaca's father, or a male alpaca with the genetic characteristics desirable for breeding. suri - A type of alpaca with tightly-wound fiber that looks like dreadlocks. weanling - A weaned alpaca, younger than 1 year. yearling - An alpaca between 1 and 2 years old.
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LIFESPAN AVERAGE HEIGHT AVERAGE WEIGHT AVERAGE GESTATION BIRTH COLOR
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