Originally from the mountains, alpacas are adaptable to all sorts of weather and we certainly get all sorts of weather here in Michigan.



Kids love alpacas but alpacas love the treats that children give more than the kids.  My children are learning the ropes around the barn.  Scooping the alpaca poo,  putting out hay, and other husbandry chores.  They seem to enjoy their alpaca chores more than the ones assigned in the house.  Alpacas are a great learning experience for children and the whole family.

Do you wonder about alpacas as Pets? 

Check out this website for more information:

 Alpacas as Pets

Alpacas originated from South America - in particular from the Andes mountains in the countries of Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. There are two types of alpacas - the Huacaya and the Suri.

Huacaya (wah-ki-ah) alpacas are the most common type of alpaca in the US. Huacaya alpacas have fiber that is tightly crimped and stands perpendicular to the alpacas' body. These type of alpacas appear to look like fluffy teddy bears when full-fleeced.

Suri (surrey) alpacas produce fleece that hangs in long, twisted locks that look almost like dreadlocks. Their luxurious fleece hangs elegantly to the ground. Suri alpacas are known for the luster of their fleece, a highly desired trait in the commercial textile industry.

Alpacas are extremely gentle and easy to handle. Because of their gentle nature, alpacas do well with children and are often incredibly curious about them.  Alpacas live in herds and are very social.

Alpacas don't have incisors, horns, hooves or claws. So they pose no threat to humans or other barnyard animals. Alpacas are environmentally friendly too and have low impact on the pastures in which they live.

Alpaca Care:
Alpacas eat grass, hay, grain and minerals and need a clean source of water on a daily basis. Where a good-quality pasture is unavailable, alpacas can be fed good-quality grass hay.

Caring for alpacas is easy compared to other breeds of livestock. Alpacas need toenail trimming from time-to-time, and they need to be sheared on an annual basis along with parasite control. Because of their intelligence, alpacas are easy to train and lead well once trained. Clean-up is also easy since alpacas use communal dung piles in only a few places in the paddock. Alpacas require minimal fencing and can be pastured at 5 to 10 per acre.

Cria (kree-ah)  is a alpaca baby.  Young alpaca are referred to as cria from the day they are born until they turn a year old.  Quite often you will hear the term Weanling and this is used for the young alpaca that is no longer nursing from it's mother but is not a year old.  Gestation typically lasts from 11 to 11 1/2 months and the newborns weigh between 12 and 23 pounds at birth.  They will begin nursing within an hour of birth.

Communication:
Alpacas communicate through body posture, tail and ear movements, and a variety of sounds. The sound heard most often is a soft, peaceful humming. Dams make a soft clucking sound to reassure and communicate with their cria. When an intruder is sighted nearby, a high pitched call is sounded to warn the herd. Males make a melodious, rhythmic sound called orgling when breeding.

Wonder Why Alpaca Farm, LLC