alpacas

Alpacas are about the cutest animals you will ever see.
Most people fall in love with them the moment they see them.
These animals or camelids, are native to South America,but are now
becoming internationally recognized. There are two types of Alpacas, Suri
and Huacaya. They both are shorn once a year usually in the spring for
their fiber. Shearing the alpacas causes no harm, and actually is
welcomed by them, as they do not like all that fiber coverage in the summer.
Their fiber is softer than cashmere and warmer than wool. It it used to
make sweaters, mittens, scarves,hats, and any number of other items. It
has no lanolin in it, so you will not be allergic to it. The fiber is either hand
spun or machine spun into yarn. You can even felt, to make hats, vest, or
purses slippers or toys. The possibilities are endless
Alpacas are also used for breeding. Breeding is done to improve the
quality of your animals. The gestation period is 11 - 11 1/2 months. The
newborns are called Crias, and are they the best part of raising these
alpacas. They love to romp and pronk around the pasture.
Taking care of Alpacas is relatively easy. You can raise 5 of them on 1
acre of land. They require some sort of shelter in the winter months. They
are very earth friendly animals, they have soft pads on their feet, so they do
not tear up the pasture and they also only have bottom teeth and a top
palate, so they do not pull out the grass in the pasture they just break it off.
They have a lifespan of about 20 years. They stand about 36 " tall at the
withers and weigh about 150 lbs.
The tax advantages are also impressive. Be sure to check with your tax
advisor for information on Alpaca Farming.
You may be pleasantly surprised.