Full Moon Alpacas is a featured alpaca farm on,
Other Informative Alpaca Sites:
- Alpacaacademy.com (Providing education and information for the entire alpaca comminity)
- Mallonmethod.com (John Mallon's Training & Handling Techniques)
- Camelidynamics.com (Marty McGee Bennett's Training & Handling Techniques)
- Alpacas.com (Northwest Alpacas Informative Site - includes herd growth calculator, color chart, books, and resources)
- Alpaca Vet Field Manual (Click above link to purchase, "Norm Evans Alpaca Field Manual 2nd Edition". A MUST have for all alpaca owners)
Origin: Native to Andes of South America and primarily found in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. Domesticated more than 5,000 years ago, first imported to the U.S. in 1984.
Abundance: 3 million worldwide, 150,000 registered in the U.S.
Lifespan: Average of 20 years, with an 11.5-month gestation period. Baby Alpaca are called Cria.
Description: 100-200 pounds, 3 feet tall at the shoulder blades. Short and low set tail. Soft-padded feet with two toes. No horns, hooves, claws, incisors or upper teeth; they chew their cud and have 3 stomachs.
Behavior: Herd animals, which communicate by soft humming. Can be pastured at 5-10 per acre.
Diet: Pasture, Hay, Grain & Free Choice Minerals
Care: Sheared every 12 months. Require annual vaccinations, routine parasite control and occasional nail and teeth trimming.
Cost: $1,000-$250,000, with an average of $12,000-$30,000 for females.
Fiber: An adult alpaca can produce 50-90 ounces of first-quality fiber and 50-100 ounces of second-third-quality fiber per shearing. Alpaca fiber comes in 22 tones. Raw fiber commands $2-$5 per ounce. Each stage of the process (cleaning, carding, spinning, knitting and finishing) adds value to the fiber. As a finished garment, it can sell for $10 per ounce. Hand-knit goods have sold for up to $1,000.
Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association