Welcome to the WONDERFUL WORLD OF ALPACAS

Alpacas are fleece bearing animals native to South America, more specifically, Peru, Chile and Bolivia, in the Andes Mountain range. They are imported and raised in North America for breeding stock and fleece. Their fiber is similar to cashmere and are a lucrative livestock investment. They come in a wonderful array of natural colors, from white, fawn and beige, through brown, mahogany, coffee, gray, jet black and all shades in between. (No other fleece-bearing animal produces such a wide selection of natural colors.) Adult alpacas weigh around 150 lbs. and stand about 36" at the shoulders. Alpacas are also wonderful animals: serene, intelligent, curious and very clean.
WOODSEDGE WINTER ANGEL (SHOWN WITH HER MOM, SPRING SNOW) She's an alpaca and in this photo, was 5-1/2 months old. She was born 12/13/93 and is snow white. The brown spots you see are dirty elbows and knees from cushing (they sit down much like a cat does on it's elbows and haunches).
I'M PUBLISHED! - "THE MACHO PONCHO" Click here to see a picture of the poncho and the article I wrote for the Fall 1995 issue of Alpacas Magazine.
WOODSEDGE AURORA Aurora is 2 years old and becoming a mom for the first time. She has a very fine, steel-gray fleece with lots of crimp and a wonderful feel. She resembles both her mom, Atalaya, and her dad, Macusani. Alpacas are so fleecy that it is very difficult to tell when females are pregnant, even in their 11th month!. Their gestation is typically around 11 1/2 months. Twins are extremely rare. Alpacas are very protective moms, and babies are up, running around and nursing usually within an hour after birth.
	LAURELEN AND HER "PACA_BUDDY" WOODSEDGE TWINKLE TOES My niece, Laurelen, had a wonderful day with her new-found friend, Twinkle. She followed Twinkle and the other alpaca crias (Spanish for babies) around all afternoon. And then they walked off into the sunset together...
Alpaca crias are some of the cutest creatures on the earth. When they're born they weigh between 12 and 15 pounds, and are all legs and neck. Picture Bambi with fleece as fine as cashmere! They are born normally between sunrise and noon, since in the wild, they must be dry, up and nursing before nightfall for survival. The pumas come out at dusk and the temperatures dip to below freezing at night in the High Andes during most of the year. For these reasons, the species has adapted to birthing in the morning hours.
	There are two breeds of alpaca, Huacaya and Suri. Winter Angel, Spring Snow and Aurora, all shown above, are Huacaya alpacas. Their fleece is crimpy and stands out from their body, giving them a roly-poly appearance. Suri alpacas have a longer, silkier fleece that hangs in thin locks. They have more of a mop-like appearance. Suri alpacas are more rare than Huacayas. Colored suris are the most rare. Their fleece has absolutely no crimp, has lots of luster and feels like silk. Both fleece types are wonderful to spin and weave.
Alpacas are very hearty animals and an easy, fun and lucrative livestock investment. Families all over the country are raising these animals for fun and profit. Everyone can get involved, from the smallest toddler to great grandparents. The fleece is very much in demand as is the breeding stock. For more information on raising alpacas, check out the national Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association or the Mid-Atlantic AlPaca Association web sites.