Alpaca, llama, guanaco and vicuna are part of the camel (camelid) family tree. Treasured by the ancient Inca civilization, there are today about 2.5 million alpaca in the Andean Altiplano region of Peru, Chile and Bolivia. Camelids are a modified ruminant, not only eating less grass than most other animals but converting it to energy very efficiently. Unlike the true ruminant they have three compartments to their stomach not four. It is for these reasons that camelids can survive in areas that would otherwise be unsuitable for other domesticated animals.

Alpaca are thought to have evolved from the wild vicuna and are generally smaller than the llama standing at just under a metre at the shoulder. They produce a wonderful, heavy fleece of fine strong fibre that comes in 22 basic colours including whites, fawns, browns, blacks and greys. A fully fleeced alpaca with good coverage around the face and legs is an extremely beautiful and captivating animal and a good reason why so many farmers and lifestyle block holders have entered the industry. Alpaca are easy to handle and make delightful companions. Alpaca fibre is world renowned for its soft handle and lustre and is often compared to fine merino and cashmere.

There are two types of alpaca:

Huacaya 

The huacaya is characterized by a thick dense fleece growing perpendicularly from the body. Good huacaya fibre has a soft handle, brightness of sheen and frequently has a defined crimp throughout the blanket area.

      

Suri

The rare and prized suri is distinguished by its long silky fibre that grows parallel to the body and hangs in long, separate, distinctive pencil locks. Its softness and exquisite lustre ensures a premium price on the world fibre market. The world population of suris is estimated at 3% of the alpaca population, however in New Zealand suri make up 10%.

     

Differences between Alpaca and Llama

Llamas are “beasts of burden”. They are used for carrying loads on their backs in special packs, like the Dromedary and Bactrian camel. Although not seen as a fibre producer, llama fibre is used a lot in South America. They have a very soft undercoat, with stronger fibre on the outside. Some llama are very coarse, others can be silky and lustrous.

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