Alpaca pet. Funny Pet Photos - Alpaca

All the time I am looking online for positive information about Russian in the Russian Federation, and now my friend Alexei Evgenievich brought a gift to all of us. A gift, because it's not so bad, " when there are such people in the Soviet country". And it is doubly pleasant that the farmer is a woman. Moreover, commenting on my previous one, my friends write: "Thanks to the current state policy, we will soon have neither a small agricultural producer nor organic agricultural products. It is more profitable for large retail chains to import vegetables from Israel than to buy from a local producer. And the private farm has always been vulnerable due to the inaccessibility of cheap animal feed and draconian sanitary requirements". Yes, so far it is. But water wears away stone. And I believe that thanks to the efforts of all of us - and not only peasants and farmers, but all good people who love the Earth - the situation will soon change. Russia, as before, will become a great agrarian power, able to feed not only itself, but half the world. If only we and our rulers had good will.
Now the story about alpacas first person and some photos:

Five years ago, I saw alpacas for the first time online and found out that there are such animals. She was struck to the very heart, and when she read about their properties as farm animals, a firm decision was formed to try to get them and breed them. For three years in a row, she received permission to import animals from the Rosselkhoznadzor, but could not implement it. It was not possible to find a farm where they would sell to Russia, and the price was not exorbitant, and they agreed to take care of all the veterinary documents and organize the shipment. In general, alpacas have been an impossible beautiful dream for me all this time. Very expensive and inaccessible. I searched in Chile, in Australia, New Zealand, I found good animals, good carriers, but it was impossible to organize everything together.

The main obstacle was, of course, the cost of animals and shipping. In 2011, the network unexpectedly attacked several acceptable offers in the US. I went to these farms, tried to persuade the owners to deal with the import of a batch of alpacas to Russia and quarantine. Alpacas are usually dealt with by rather poor elderly people who do not want unnecessary fuss and difficulties. However, on one farm they agreed (crisis, damn it!).
As I understand it, it is beneficial for them to change animals from time to time, since during the first few years after buying a new alpaca they receive some kind of significant benefit from the state, either tax deductions, or a large subsidy. Here you go.

Then I began to organize everything that is needed for the purchase and shipment: to get money (their amount, as you understand, is the main condition and component of success), to negotiate with a transport company, an airline, a company that transports animals by car to the airport, a carpenter, so that make cages, etc. In the process of all this, it turned out that the price of all transportation operations greatly exceeds the cost of the animals themselves and there is no point in starting to bring in 3-4 heads (as I used to want). So we came up with a quantity of 11 pieces. I would like more, but for starters, probably, such a number is optimal. Moreover, in the event of an increase in the imported batch of animals, a Russian veterinarian would have to be sent to the USA to control the quarantine, and he would have to pay for his visa, travel, daily allowance for the month, hotel and food (yes, yes, yes !!!, do not be surprised).

True, I heard that it is possible to significantly reduce the cost of importing any farm animals through established "contacts" with various import control authorities. But I don’t have such “contacts” (say, what a fool! Why did you get involved then?), so I had to “sip” and pay everywhere in full.

Why did we bring them in? We plan to admire, breed and study, as they say, "economic suitability".

It is clear that this importation was made on pure enthusiasm, and there are still few prospects for alpacas in Russia, but "someone needs to start." Over in the USA and Australia, and even in Europe, alpacas were brought in quite recently, and they have already multiplied so much that they themselves sell and even start eating. There, of course, the states strongly financially and legislatively supported and continue to support this process, "forge", so to speak, the food security of their powers. We can't count on it. But, as they say, do your own thing, and be what will be.

In response to questions on the merits of keeping alpacas, I am copying the text that I wrote for the Ministry of Agriculture. Many practical things in terms of content, I myself do not know yet. I will read and study.

DESCRIPTION OF THE BREED
Alpaca (lat. Vicugna pacos)

Alpaca- a domestic animal belonging to the suborder of corns ( Tylopoda) - herbivorous mammals of the artiodactyl order ( Artiodactyla), represented by the only modern camel family (Camelidae), which includes the Old World camels living in Africa and Asia, and their South American relatives - humpless camels: llamas and vicuñas. Alpacas were domesticated several thousand years ago. They are bred in the highland belt of South America in the Andes at an altitude of 3500-5000 meters, in Ecuador, southern Peru, northern Chile and western Bolivia. Today, about three million alpacas live there, most of which inhabit Peru. In the United States, alpacas were first imported in 1983-1993. In 1988-1997, alpacas were imported to Australia, where they now number about 60,000 heads.

Alpacas have been classified as Vicugna pacos, and found that the ancestors of the alpacas were vicuñas(vigoni) - not guanaco, the progenitors of all domestic lamas. The difficulty in accurately determining the genus was that all four representatives of the camel family found in South America can produce offspring in the case of interspecific crossing, so only DNA research could give an accurate answer to the origin of alpacas.

The growth of alpacas (at the withers) does not exceed one meter and is 81-99 cm, the weight of animals is from 48 to 84 kg (an average of about 70 kg). They have a soft and long fleece (on the sides its length reaches 15-20 cm). The economic value is, first of all, alpaca wool, which has all the properties of sheep, but in terms of weight it is much lighter. Alpaca wool is classified into 52 natural shades in Peru, 12 natural shades in Australia, and 16 in the USA. In nature, there are two types of alpacas: Suri (Suri) and Huacaya (Wakaya), they differ only in the appearance of the wool. In the former, the hair is long, in the form of pigtails, in the latter, the hair looks like soft plush. Animal wool is divided into several types: Royal Alpaca - fiber diameter 19 microns, Baby Alpaca - fiber diameter 22.5 microns, Very soft Alpaca - fiber diameter 25.5 microns and Adult Alpaca - 32 microns. Alpaca wool is very resistant and has no fat, so products made from it do not get dirty for a long time. The yield of wool from one alpaca per year is from 1.5 to 5 kg .

Alpacas eat grass, hay, leaves and are capable of growing on lower quality forage than other ruminants. They have a digestive apparatus with three sections of the stomach, which is different from the classic ruminants, which have four sections. The alpaca's mouth apparatus is arranged like a cleft lip - an anatomical feature that gives them superiority over other ruminants in the efficiency of foraging. Feeding forage crops is varied, they can feed on all types of vegetation. The incisors are angled and have a constant growth similar to rodents. These animals are considered long-lived. The productive life expectancy reaches 14 years, although animals live more than 20 years. Nutritional characteristics indicate that their nutritional requirements are significantly less than those of similarly sized animals of other ruminant species. Research has shown that they are up to 58% more productive than sheep in terms of product per animal. It is possible to grow 25 animals per 1 ha of pasture. Since they usually use a specific place for defecation and urination, the entire pasture is kept clean. On day 1, an alpaca should eat 1-2% of its own weight, i.e. about 27 kg of hay per month per animal.

Alpacas are herd animals that live in family groups that consist of a territorial alpha male, females, and their offspring. When predators attack a herd, alpacas notify about it by making specific sounds, and defend themselves from small predators by kicking their front legs and spitting.
Female alpacas are "inducible ovulators": the act of mating and the presence of semen causes them to ovulate. Usually conception occurs after one mating, but sometimes (in some animals) there are difficulties in conception. Artificial insemination is technically difficult to implement, but possible.

Sexual maturity of males usually occurs at the age of 12-24 months. Young females are recommended to mate at the age of not earlier than 18 months.
Prenatal development in alpacas lasts 345 ± 15 days. Usually one offspring is born, called "kria" weighing 6-8 kg. The birth of twins is extremely rare and occurs one in 1000 births. After the birth of offspring, the female is usually ready for re-mating after 2 weeks. It is possible to stop feeding a Crea at 30 kg at the age of 6 months. The age at which they are weaned from their mother can vary depending on their physical and emotional maturity and most breeders prefer to leave the mother to take care of this.

Zootechnically, alpacas are considered multipurpose animals. In addition to wool, their meat and skins are being promoted on the market. Alpaca meat is the healthiest and tastiest meat, contains the least amount of cholesterol, compared to traditional meats of other farm animals. It is soft and tender, contains little fat. Alpaca meat contains a lot of protein: 23.1 g per 100 g of meat, which is significantly more than in beef and lamb. The yield of meat is about 23 kg per animal, and 50% of it is high-grade, and the rest can be used for the production of sausages, sausages and ham.

Alpacas can be regarded as environmentally friendly animals. As representatives of the callous-footed suborder, they have two-toed limbs, on which there are only blunt curved claws, hooves as a functional organ are absent. Alpacas walk, leaning on the phalanges of their fingers, and not on their ends, like many other mammals. The foot of calluses is formed by a soft, callused outgrowth, so they do not trample or damage the pasture in the way that sheep or goats do. Because they use a very wide variety of plant material for food and in smaller quantities than other domestic animals, they can be considered the most efficient plant-to-meat converters.

Alpacas are often used as pets, they are useful for developing activities with disabled children and as companions for the elderly. It is possible to use alpacas as pack animals (can carry up to 75 kg).

Keeping alpacas does not require any special facilities or complex feeding systems. Only a little care is needed according to a special scheme. These animals stand out for their humility, calmness and ease of management. Lamas and alpacas, when crossed, give offspring - uarisos - not capable of reproduction, but with a very docile soft character and therefore ideally suited for the role of pets.

A beautiful and intelligent animal lives on the territory of the Peruvian Andes, the bearer of a unique - alpaca. Of all the wool fibers that exist in the world, alpaca wool is the most expensive. It is from it that a fabric is produced, endowed with unique properties, although quite expensive.

Properties

Alpaca is a warm and luxurious fabric that combines the healing properties of camel hair with the softness of llama wool. For various weaves, these fibers are ideal because they do not have shape memory. It should be noted that alpaca is never dyed. It has 22 natural shades, which in the color palette start from pure white to black.

Compared to sheep wool, alpaca fibers are 3 times stronger and 7 times warmer. In addition, it stands out for its increased lightness and durability. According to its structure, alpaca wool is smooth, so products made from it are very soft and do not cause discomfort when in contact with the human body.

Fabrics made from alpaca do not stretch or wrinkle, they are resistant to dirt. Products from this type of wool are not subject to rolling and dumping. In addition, this fabric does not cause allergic reactions and has antiseptic properties.

Alpaca wool is also known for the fact that it protects from both cold and heat. Things made from this type of fabric are comfortable in all weather conditions: they are not hot in summer and not cold in winter. Its only drawback is the high price.

Application area

It was once believed that clothes made of alpaca wool are worthy, worn only by the kings of the Incas. Now everyone can afford products from this fabric. In addition, today alpaca wool is often used for crocheting, knitting, spinning, and fabric production.

Alpaca wool can produce:

• Scarves and caps, hats;
• Socks;
• Sweaters;
• Coats and jackets, jackets;
• Carpets, blankets.

Fabric made from the wool of young animals is used to make garments, while fibers that are sheared from older animals are used to make carpets.

There are several types of wool, which differ in fiber diameter:

1. Royal alpaca - 19 microns.
2. Baby alpaca its diameter is 22.5 microns.
3. Very soft alpaca with a fiber diameter of 25.5 microns.
4. Adult alpaca fibers are 32 microns

Baby wool is considered the highest quality fabric. There are two types of animals: the Huacaya Alpaca is the most common species, which looks like a small fluffy bear and the Suri Alpaca. The second type is rarer and therefore more valuable. His hair is considered the finest material in the world.

History of the origin of alpaca fabric

Several millennia ago, alpaca animals were tamed by the inhabitants of the South American Andes. During the time of the Inca Empire, their wool was the local currency and was valued for its unique color, as well as the highest quality.

Unfortunately, when the Spaniards came to the territory of South America, they did not appreciate the properties of the wool of these animals and began to breed sheep. Popularity returned to the alpaca only in 1984, when the United States began to import animals from Chile.

To date, Peru is the largest supplier of alpaca wool. They produce about 4000 tons per year, while the fibers from animals are sheared once every two years.

Production

Alpacas are bred only for the purpose of obtaining animal hair. But, even despite the fact that the haircut does not occur so often, an adult gives up to three kilograms of quality wool at a time. Melanged fibers are sorted exclusively by hand, which ensures unsurpassed quality of the finished material.

After the wool fibers are sorted, dirt, sand, grass and thorns are removed from them. The next step is the wool spinning process. Then the fabric must be washed in order to remove the remaining dirt and grease from it. If necessary, after all the stages, you can start painting the fibers. After processing, wool can be stored for a considerable time without losing its qualities.

Alpaca wool care

The first thing you need to know about caring for alpaca clothing is how to store it. Such wool does not tolerate the presence of naphthalene, therefore, in order to protect products from moths, it is better to use cedar, lavender or tobacco.

Wash yarn or clothing made from alpaca fibers in cold water with the addition of special detergents. It is better not to wring out things, but to dry them naturally away from heaters and direct sunlight. Lay the product on a flat surface, while shaping it, aligning the sleeves and side seams by hand. This will keep things from deforming during drying.

Alpaca wool should be ironed gently through a damp cloth. In order to save a thing, you need to wash it every six to seven socks. To restore a little lint, simply run a soft sponge or brush over the garment. Alpaca products can be dry-cleaned.

For many years this material has been proving its excellent quality in support of its high price policy. Many sports firms have turned their attention to clothes made from this type of wool due to its ability to thermoregulate and use it for sewing uniforms. It is the unique properties and wear resistance that make woolen products so popular at any time of the year.

Even for animals, warm clothes are made from alpaca wool.

Alpaca fabric: a description of the material with a photo, the composition of the material - we will talk about everything in our article. Many people think that sheep or camel wool is considered the warmest, but in fact this is not entirely true. The fur of alpaca animals, which are bred in South America, has the greatest heat-conducting properties.

Description of alpaca fabric

Alpaca - a fabric, photo, the composition and properties of which are described below, is obtained from thin and light animal wool, which has unique heat-conducting properties.

Woolen fibers - fleece - have a sinuous structure, and their thickness is comparable to cashmere fluff and is only 25 microns.

Depending on the breed of animals (Suri and Huakaya), the fur of which has a different structure, the following types of fabrics are distinguished:

• royal (fiber diameter 19 microns);
• baby (fiber diameter 22.5 microns);
• very soft (25.5 microns);
• adult (32 microns).

Production

To obtain valuable raw materials, animals are sheared once a year. After that, it is sorted by hair length. Then I make yarn from the best raw materials, and after that the finished fabrics are knitted. The most valuable fabric is baby suri alpaca, which is made from the fur of young animals of the suri breed. It is soft, thin and smooth, because it does not have characteristic curls. The entire process of making yarn is done by hand, starting with the sorting of fibers and ending with spinning.

Characteristics of alpaca fabric

Alpaca wool has the following properties:

• • softness and lightness;
  • thermoregulation (manifested at high and low temperatures);
  • light, silky shine;
  • strength and durability;
  • hypoallergenicity;
  • impermeability;
  • dirt repellent property.

Application

Things and products made from alpaca wool are very warm, so they are widely used in the manufacture of winter and demi-season outerwear. From the woolen raw material of adults, a coat, plaid, alpaca wool poncho is sewn. In addition, warm children's clothing is made from unique yarn, which is absolutely hypoallergenic. Read about all the materials for coats, shirts and skirts in the "" section.

Advantages and disadvantages

Alpaca wool fabric has the following advantages:

• preservation of all properties of sheep's wool with less weight;
• very warm fabric - the woolen raw material of young alpacas is 7 times warmer than sheep;
• animal fur does not contain fat, which means that products made from it are less susceptible to pollution;
• the absence of any allergic reactions in adults and children;
• variety of natural colors (22 natural shades).

The material produced has only one drawback - a high price. To do this, cheaper raw materials (acrylic, viscose, polyamide) are mixed with wool fibers. This allows you to preserve the unique qualities of the fabric and reduce the cost of products from it.

Read about and you will learn all about its application.
care for woolen fabric read in our special section.

The video will tell you about the yarn from the wool of this wonderful animal:

Alpaca - This is a domesticated species of llamas, humpless representatives of the camel family. Thanks to its extremely thick coat, it is perfectly adapted to life at high altitude.
DIMENSIONS
Height at the withers: 94-104 cm.
Weight 55-65 kg.
BREEDING
Puberty: usually from 2 years.
Mating season: all year.
Pregnancy: 11 months.
Number of cubs: 1.
LIFESTYLE
Habits: herd animals; active during the day.
Food: Herbs and perennials.
Life expectancy: grown up to the age of seven, in nature can live up to 25 years.
Related SPECIES. Other representatives of American calluses are guanaco (Lama guanicoe), domestic llama (Lama guanicoe f.glama) and vicuña (Vicugna vicugna).
Alpacas are usually bred only for their wool. It is believed that the alpaca appeared as a result of crossing a domestic llama with a vicuña. Numerous attempts to acclimatize the alpaca in Europe and Africa ended in failure, as people ignored the fact that the alpaca is an animal of the high plains.
FOOD . Most of all, the alpaca loves young fresh grass, but in general the animal is unpretentious in food.
Like other callosities, the alpaca's upper lip is bifurcated. Alpacas eat almost the same food as horses. These animals graze high in the mountains. During the search for food, alpacas move very slowly, carefully examining the highlands in search of food suitable for them. Small herds of these animals move from place to place, looking for the most tender and most nutritious plants.
High in the mountains, alpacas can only rely on themselves, so if necessary they are satisfied with simple food. Only a few wealthy farmers allow alpacas to graze in meadows overgrown with grass, alfalfa or clover. During the day, alpacas feed in the meadows, and at night the animals sleep. In the evening, they chew the food eaten during the day. Alpacas require regular watering. To obtain high-quality wool, livestock breeders give animals mineral supplements. An acre can feed 6 to 10 alpacas, but livestock keepers tend to add hay and minerals to their diet.
ALPACA AND HUMAN. For over 2,000 years, the alpaca has been a pet.
Alpacas began to be bred a very long time ago - the Incas did this about 500 BC. These animals were raised for their wool, meat and skin. Even their dung was not thrown away by the Incas, since it can be used as fuel. Not surprisingly, in the past, alpacas were called the "gold of the Incas". For modern Indians, the alpaca remains an important pet. Alpacas are grown mainly for their wool. In Chile, Argentina and Peru live semi-wild herds of alpacas, which are caught only for shearing. There are two varieties of alpacas. Sura wool is considered especially valuable. The wool of these alpacas forms twisted pigtails, it is longer and shiny than in UAKI. Wool UAKI very thick and soft.
REPRODUCTION. An hour after birth, the cub is already on its feet.
wild ancestors of the alpaca- vicuñas - keep family herds, which consist of an adult leader, several females and their cubs. Harems living on their own plots, sometimes uniting in large herds.
Only the leader mates with the females in each harem. Fights between males for position in the herd or for a female happen all the time and are very fierce. When breeding alpacas in captivity, the situation changes, since the reproduction of alpacas is led by a person. Animals of both sexes, as a rule, are kept in separate enclosures, and only selected males are allowed to mate. In female alpacas, ovulation occurs upon contact with a male, so an alpaca can become pregnant at any time. Cubs are born after 11 months. Newborns weigh only one kilogram, but grow very quickly. After 9 months, when lactation stops, their weight already reaches 30 kg. Cubs grow quite quickly until the third year of life. Females can mate immediately after giving birth, but usually they give birth to cubs every two years. The fecundity of alpacas is not high. Often, females have miscarriages.
PLACE OF RESIDENCE. High in the mountains, forests and coasts of Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile, alpacas are found in large numbers. The alpaca is one of two domesticated species of the llama genus. All animals that are found in vast areas are kept in captivity or lead a semi-wild lifestyle. The most herds of alpacas are found in the Peruvian Highlands and in the highlands of the Andes, where they graze, often reaching the border of snow. The Peruvian highlands are located at an altitude of 800 m above sea level. Of the wild plants, only herbs grow here. Some breeders are trying to enrich local meadows with other plant species to increase the amount of food for alpacas.
Alpacas are also bred high in the mountains. In these areas, this is the only profitable agricultural activity, since there is sparse vegetation and the climate is very harsh.
Did you know? That the red blood cells of all calluses are not round, but oval.
Alpacas, like other humpless camels in America, have so many red blood cells that they can easily breathe the rarefied mountain air.
Pure white alpaca's natural wool lends itself well to dyeing, but it is very rare. Such wool is in great demand and is sold at high prices, so the Peruvians are interested in breeding albinos alpaca.
Alpaca considered a miniature type of llamas.
When communicating with each other, alpacas widely use body language that is unfamiliar to us (stand, position of ears, neck).

Cub: Has a soft, creamy coat that darkens with age. A newborn weighs about 1 kg. Its weight for 9 months, while it feeds on milk, reaches 30 kg.
Muzzle: bifurcated upper lip and incisors of the lower jaw, constantly growing, allow alpaci to eat different types of plants.
Wool: very fine. There is practically no difference between the length of the undercoat and the guard hair. Wool grows constantly. The color varies from white to brown-black, sometimes there is a pattern of white and brown spots on the body.
LIVING PLACE. Alpaca in a semi-wild state is bred in the territory from the south of Peru to the north of Chile and Argentina. Due to the growing demand for alpaca wool, its breeding has become popular in other countries of South America.
Preservation . The number of animals today is estimated at 3 million and is constantly increasing, due to the growing demand for alpaca wool.

Fatherland and pedigree of the alpaca, description of the appearance, behavior of the animal, alpaca breeding, advice on the care and maintenance of exotics at home, cost.

The content of the article:

Alpaca (lat. Vicugna pacos) is an incredibly beautiful animal created by nature. From the very first day you meet, this amusing living creature will become not only a faithful, cheerful friend and comrade, but also a kind of decoration for your home, especially if you have a spacious plot and are looking for some original four-legged “neighbor”, as well as his delightful appearance and ease of maintenance is captivating.

Origin and home territories of the alpaca

Since these mammals are revered as one of the most ancient and well-established animals on the planet, their homeland remains unchanged. The most numerous alpaca populations have survived in South America, namely in its high mountainous regions. Probably, most of these excellent artiodactyls live on the lands of Peru, where they settled quite comfortably in the Andes, where they feel great at an altitude of over 3000–5000 meters above sea level. Considerable social groups of alpacas are also found in Chile, Ecuador and the western part of Bolivia.

In recent years, these mammals are increasingly trying to breed, because these are not just cute "animals", but also a very decent source of income. Alpaca breeding is very common in Australia, maybe the microclimate is more suitable there, but it is believed that animals from the Australian continent wear more valuable and high-quality fur than those from South America.

Description of the appearance of the alpaca

The growth of this animal varies from 75 to 100 cm, the average body weight is approximately 60–80 kg. The entire surface of the alpaca's body is covered with a layer of thick, soft and curly fur, which is not only pleasant, delicate and soft in texture, many compare it to children's plush toys. Another feature of this mammal is its muzzle, it is so pretty and beautiful that it seems that rays of goodwill and friendliness emanate from it. Their lower lip is bifurcated. On the lower jaw, it seems possible to notice powerful and strong incisors, it is thanks to this that the alpaca can quite easily eat a wide variety of plant foods.

These good-natured animals were assigned to the callosity suborder for a reason, there is a reason for everything, but all because there are no hooves at all in their anatomical structure, in the place where they should be located, there is only a kind of callous outgrowth, for alpaca it serves in as a foot. These "animals" move on the surface of the earth, relying on finger phalanges, so they cannot trample pasture for themselves. Each of their limbs ends in two fingers, on which there are blunt claws that have a slightly curved shape.

If we talk about something separately, it is about the wool of this animal. It grows constantly with them, “without days off and holidays”, on the sides of the body the length of alpaca fur reaches approximately 25–35 cm. Under the main hair there is an even softer and more delicate undercoat, but it is not inferior in length. Usually it is the same as the base fur.

As for coloring, this also has its own characteristics, the thing is that although in nature there are only two subspecies of this soft and fluffy mammal, but there are plenty of colors, so alpaca wool products are rarely repainted. The entire color spectrum ranges from white to rich dark brown. There are also individuals in which a pattern can be seen on the body, which is formed by asymmetrical inclusions and spots.

Alpaca lifestyle in open area

As their permanent residence, these callus-footed with especially valuable fur have chosen not the most comfortable conditions for themselves, but this does not affect their well-being and cheerfulness. Their pasture places are also not quite ordinary, since for this they choose areas in the most severe upland regions, where snow already flaunts at arm's length. It is clear that in such locations there is not always an abundance of food, so people living nearby try to sow these areas with vegetation, so long as these cute and valuable "animals" never go hungry.

Alpaca is not just a cute and friendly animal, it is also very sociable. Between themselves, mammals find a common language very well, in the literal sense of the word. In the process of communication, they use not only sound signals, but also their own, incomprehensible body language. Every certain movement of the neck, ears, and even this or that posture means something, but if you are not an alpaca, then you will not be able to figure it out. But science does not stand still and maybe after some time we will still know what is in the mind of these sweetest creatures.

But, unfortunately, not everyone respects, loves and appreciates these artiodactyl representatives so much, in their natural habitat there are also such “persons” who, without remorse, can eat alpaca for lunch and do it with great pleasure. Most often, these creatures are attacked by cougars and cheetahs, if a not so large and strong predator is encountered on their way, then the alpaca will not be taken aback and will begin to fight back from the enemy, using blows with their forelimbs and spitting. In addition, during such a battle, the animal never forgets about its relatives, with piercing and loud sounds it notifies everyone of the danger.

The mating season and offspring of alpaca

The body weight of a newborn alpaca is approximately 5–8 kg, after an hour and a half of age, the baby is already on its feet. Whatever color the female is, in all the children the coat is colored exclusively in cream shades, after some time the color changes.

Babies feed on mother's milk for 5–6 months, but these terms are very relative, since it is believed that these young animals can already be fed with adult food when their weight is more than 30 kg.

Maintenance and care of alpaca at home

Since these camelids belong to those creatures that are used to living, albeit in small, but herds. And if possible, it is better to start three individuals at once, in extreme cases, a couple. Firstly, animals, therefore, adapt to new conditions much faster, and they will not be bored.

Taming. If we talk about this mammal, then this is actually the sweetest and kindest creature. They can be stroked and squeezed calmly, without fear, most importantly, do not make sudden movements and do not approach your pet from around the corner unexpectedly, otherwise you may get hit by the front limb from the alpaca, he will not do it on purpose and not from evil. It's just that by their nature they are already very shy and in a state of fear they can proceed to the means of self-defense. Do not be afraid if your child approaches a pet - the animal never attacks, and even more so on children, but if provoked on purpose, it can violate its principles and kick well. So if children are allowed near this comrade, then only under the supervision of adults.

Alpaca cage. Such a peculiar pet is perfect for keeping in a country house; for its comfortable living, it will be enough to build a spacious lawn. It is up to you to install some kind of shelter or other structures in this place, if you don’t do this, nothing bad will happen, for such a pupil, the main thing is that he has a place where he can hide from rain and snow, and everything else it's already a living thing. For the period of winter colds, the alpaca can be placed in some kind of warm room, but be sure that she will feel good on the street under a canopy, because nature has awarded her with such a fur coat in which the pet is not afraid of either wind, or cold, or even severe frosts. Only, wherever the animal happens to spend the winter, you need to make sure that the floor in this place is dry, warm and as soft as possible. So it would be nice to line it with a wide layer of straw.

Feeding. In principle, alpaca nutrition is not much different from what ordinary farm animals eat. Moreover, the body of this exotic is designed in such a way that it is more adapted to food of lower quality. Maybe this is due to the fact that in their native areas sometimes it is scarce with food and you have to eat everything that meets on the way, or it's all about anatomy - in alpacas the stomach has three sections, while in other ruminants - four. But this fact does not exclude the regular cleaning of the alpaca pasture from weeds and poisonous plants.

The basis of the alpaca's diet should be greens, it can be meadow grass, shoots of young plants and tree leaves, they especially like the leaves of fruit trees, you can bring your friend and branches of various shrubs, as well as willows, birches, acacias and mountain ash. With pleasure, this exotic will eat moss growing in your area. In terms of hardness and rigidity, these animals can probably cope with any food, since their incisors grow constantly, like those of rodents. And in the pasture, their bifurcated lower lip helps them to collect food.

For a period when there is no greenery, hay should be the main dish of a homemade alpaca, you can feed your pet with different varieties and fees, the main thing is that the hay is fresh, without rot and mold. You can also give oats, chopped vegetables, in particular, they are very fond of carrots and cabbage leaves, they will not refuse apple peels either. With pleasure they eat rye bread and oatmeal. It is good to put salt in the pet feeder, they love to lick it very much.

On average, in one day, an adult alpaca should eat food, the average weight of which is approximately 1–2% of the body weight of the animal itself, which is approximately 25–28 kg of feed per month. The main thing is to make sure that your pet does not overeat, alpaca obesity is very bad for his health in general.

Hygiene. These animals are not just cute and beautiful, they are also very clean. You don't have to worry about the fact that the area where your pet grazes, there may be waste products everywhere. The fact is that it is customary for these smart and neat living creatures to relieve themselves in a specially designated place for this, then most likely your pet will choose one of the corners of your site as a restroom and will visit it regularly.

As for bathing, we can say that the alpaca is simply not indifferent to water, he will gladly stand humbly while you wash him by watering him with a hose. Even if you just sprinkle water on her, she will also be incredibly happy about this. But such washing will have practically no effect on the appearance of wool, except that there will be no dirt on it. In order for her fur to always look beautiful and well-groomed and fluffy, it is necessary to regularly clean the wool with sand. Such procedures should be done at least once a week.

Shearing wool and claws. Your pet will need to be groomed annually as their coat grows at a rate of approximately 14-20 cm per year. Such haircuts should be carried out somewhere around the middle of spring, so that their warm fur coat has already recovered before the first cold weather, but in no case cut them completely bald, as you risk ruining the future fur.

Also, due attention will need to be paid to the limbs of the animal, at least once every 10–15 days it needs to cut its claws.

The term “Inca gold” meant alpaca wool, which used to be a local currency, and today it is an expensive export commodity.

Purchase and price of alpaca

More information about alpaca in the following video: