Where do alpacas come from?

Alpacas are one of six animals of the camelid family, known as Camelidae. They originated from South America; Andes Mountain range in Chile, Peru and Bolivia. They were domesticated thousands of years ago by the Incas. They believed alpaca fiber was a gift from the gods and only royalty was privileged enough to wear alpaca clothing. Now we're all lucky enough to own these soft and luxurious items. 
They came to the United States in the 1980's. We can trace the family lines of all our alpacas back to their native country in South America. 

How long do alpacas live?

Alpacas typically live 15-20 years. The oldest known alpaca is 27 years old.

What is the difference between a llama and an alpaca?

Llamas are bigger than alpacas in both height and weight. Llamas have longer faces and larger ears. Llamas were bred as pack animals and alpacas were bred for high quality, luxury fiber.

Llamas are protectors and they are very alert animals. They are pack animals and workers. Alpacas, on the other hand, are timid and more relaxed. Although alpacas are also often alert, they are not used as guard animals like the llama.

How much can alpacas carry?

The answer is very little. An alpaca’s bone structure is not designed for heavy loads. The alpaca’s cousin the llama is a pack animal and used in many countries for transportation of goods.

Can you ride an alpaca?

No, you cannot ride an alpaca. An alpaca’s bone structure is not designed for heavy loads. An alpaca also does not like to have things placed on his back.

Do alpacas spit?

Alpacas do spit, but they generally do not spit on humans. An alpaca will send a warning spit or a full-blown spit to another alpaca if it is feeling annoyed, threatened, or fighting for food. This is a sign of aggression or dominance.

Do alpacas bite?

Alpacas are docile creatures and do not to bite humans. They only have teeth on the bottom of their mouths. At maturity the males will developing "fighting teeth" as a defensive trait to establish dominance in the herd. 

How often are alpacas sheared?

Alpacas are sheared once a year. We shear in the month of May, as this is the optimal time to combat spring’s cold nights and summer’s hot days.

What are alpacas’ favorite treats?

Many alpacas are fond of carrots and weeds. Most of our female alpacas will eat carrots right from your hand. But overall our alpacas prefer their pellet supplements over any human treat.

Can you keep an alpaca in a backyard?

An alpaca could live in a backyard if it had other alpacas and plenty of space. The backyard would need to have an acre dedicated to the alpacas to live, graze, and roam with an adequate shelter to protect them from the elements. Also alpacas are considered livestock, so you would need to have approval from your township.

What noises do alpacas make?

Alpacas commonly hum, but they make a number of other noises which include an alarm call, snorting, grunting, screeching, and orgling.