Alpaca Facts
Countries of Origin -
Peru, Bolivia, and Chile; first imported into Australia in 1858.
Population -
Approximately three million worldwide, with over 90 percent still living in South America. Approximately 90 percent of all alpacas are
huacaya and ten percent are suri.
Size -
A mature alpaca weighs 60 to100 kg and is 85 to 95cm tall at withers (top of the front shoulder). Crias normally weigh 6 to 8kg kg at
birth.
Lifespan -
15 to 20 years, with some living to 25 years of age.
Reproductive lifespan of female -
from approximately 2 to17 years.
Reproductive lifespan of herdsire -
from approximately 3 to16 years.
Gestation period -
11 to 12 months. (Average on our farm is 11.3months). Healthy females can produce cria approximately once each year. Single births are
the norm with twins reported once in 50,000 births.
Colors -
There are more than 22 natural shades of alpaca fleece ranging from white to black.
Annual Growth rate of fleece -
80 to 150 mm.
Weight of fleece -
A junior (first fleece) is often about 1.5kg. Some mature individuals can yield up to 8kg.
