Llamas and alpacas do not have a heat cycle, they are induced ovulators and can be bred at any time of the year. Normally a single baby (cria) is born from a standing mom, without assistance, within half an hour. The majority of births occur between 8 am and 2 pm. The cria is usually up and nursing within 90 minutes of birth or sooner. Weaning is done between 5 to 7 months.

The main differences between llamas and alpacas is their size, their fibre and their uses. Llamas are primarily used for packing or trekking, for fibre, as guardian animals, and as companion or therapy animals. Alpacas are primarily used for fibre production and breeding stock but also can be companions or therapy animals. Historically, in South America, llamas have been used for transport of goods; llamas and alpacas for meat, skins, fibre, for sacrificial offerings and manure for fuel.

Llamas and alpacas were domesticated 5000 years ago in South America, making them one of the oldest domestic animals in the world. They are camelids (yes they are related to the camel). “Lamas” consist of llamas, alpacas, vicunas, and guanacos…vicunas and guanacos are the wild relatives of llamas and alpacas. Guanacos, which resemble llamas, are sedentary, and when food sources become scarce, they become migratory. Their numbers have decreased to fewer than 150,000 from millions over the centuries. Vicunas, the smallest of the camelids, live in altitudes higher than 3700 m (up to 4900 m) and as a consequence have hearts with more than 50% the capacity of similar sized mammals. Prized by the Incas for their fine fibre, vicunas are still worshipped as sacred animals today, and number fewer than 125,000.

There are presently an estimated 7 million llamas and alpacas in South America in roughly equal numbers. Still Gold of the Andes, in many parts of the continent, the economy revolves around llamas and alpacas and culturally they are still very important. In Canada, there are approximately 12,000 llamas, 9,000 alpacas and 25 guanacos.

Llamas and alpacas are one of the most enjoyable and “user friendly” livestock found anywhere. They are easy to care for, are used to a harsh climate, and are very hardy and healthy animals in general. They are gentle, intelligent, easily trained and quite safe around children. Llamas and alpacas are herd oriented animals and need to be in the company of at least one other animal. In the case of a guardian llama, it would bond with “its” herd of sheep or goats, etc. and would be quite content. Llamas and alpacas communicate through body language, a variety of humming sounds, a shrill alarm call and in some cases spitting. A pregnant female will “spit off” an advancing male. An animal that is extremely threatened or stressed will spit, for example, at a strange dog in or near the pasture, or while a rectal temperature is being taken. Spitting will occur amongst the herd to establish a “pecking” order while feeding. Once this is established, it is a rare occurrence. Llamas and alpacas will not spit at you. It is possible to get caught in the crossfire, though. Learning to duck on occasion
avoids this.

Llamas and alpacas are modified ruminants, having 3 stomachs. They are efficient eaters, gentle on pastures because they nibble, they don’t rip out the roots and they have soft pads on their feet. They will chew evergreen bark, shrubs and flowers if permitted. Llamas and alpacas are browsers and are at their best if fed grass hay, low in protein (2nd cut if possible). A mineral supplement or salt lick and fresh water should be made available. They need to eat approximately 2% of their body weight in food per day. For example: a 150 lb. alpaca would eat 3 lbs. of food per day, a 400 lb. llama would eat 12 lbs. Of that, only 30% could be grain or similar supplement, although, it is not recommended unless you are trying to fatten up an animal. An overweight lama is not a healthy one; too much clover or alfalfa can compound this problem. A 60 pound bale of hay could support 15 to 20 average size alpacas per day or 4 to 6 llamas. An average acre of pasture could support 8 to 12 alpacas or 2 to 4 llamas. Care should be taken to remove poisonous plants in or near pastures, the loveliest of azaleas and rhododendrons are lethal if nibbled on.

Llamas and alpacas suit small acreages and require minimal three sided shelters. If the weather is extreme, extra steps should be taken. Shade and soaker hoses to prevent heat stress should be provided in the warmer months and enclosed barns in severely cold weather. Fencing is more of a predator control issue. No climb fencing is recommended. A llama can jump 5 or 6 feet quite easily, some from a stand still position, but usually prefers to remain with the herd, unless open females are in the vicinity. The herd has a defense position, a cluster around the crias, once an alarm call is sounded. In the absence of a guardian llama, alpacas sound alarm calls as well.

Llamas and alpacas are very clean and tidy when compared to many forms of livestock. They share a communal dung pile, which is easily raked up. Cushing on the knees prevents the fibre from ever coming in to contact with what is on the barn yard floor! The pellets provide an excellent fertilizer for gardens and best of all, once the ammonia smell from the urine has evaporated, the pellets can be used indoors for house plant fertilizer as there is no smell! A very marketable by-product.

An annual 8-way booster and deworming shots 2 or 3 times a year are the only inoculating that is required. From time to time toe nails will need trimming with rose snip type cutters. Some animals need trimming every 2 or 3 months and others never need it at all. Front teeth need to be checked as well. They don’t have upper front teeth. They have what is called a dental pallet which the lower teeth push against to bite off grass. Most never need their front teeth trimmed. Others may need them trimmed every two years. Males, as they mature, will develop k-9’s or back fighting teeth, which may need filing. All in all, maintenance is quite minimal and inexpensive.

Besides the lifestyle and anti-stress aspects, there are financial benefits to llama and alpaca ownership, whether you own a farm or not. Farm tax status, company deductions and depreciations are some of these benefits. They are an insurable investment and alpacas seem to have avoided the boom and bust of other investments. The average cost of owning an alpaca is about $1 per day, consisting of feed, inoculations, shearing, and vet expenses.

The industry is quickly expanding and there are associations in place to govern registrations and help with marketing and general information. There are fibre co-ops and more fibre processing mills than ever to
choose from. There are clubs and associations throughout Canada and the United States, in Europe and in Australia. The veterinary community has gained much knowledge about camelids, over the last decade. There are research farms in the United States and Australia with studies available for anyone to access. In general, llamas and alpacas have become firmly entrenched in the agricultural outlook of many countries.

• as many boxes, bags, fabric bags as required (extra if possible)
• animal name tags or stick-on labels as required…label containers ahead of time to speed things up…label with fibre origin: blanket, neck, legs and bib / belly (grades 1,2,3-5)
• herd list with special concerns, requirements listed (i.e. Due dates,
  check teeth, etc.)


• labelled ziploc bags for fibre samples
• tools near by: extra oil for shears, toe nail clippers, broom for clean up, towels and rags for mop up, first aid kit to avoid injuries, water and snacks for crew
- sorting area set up with tables or screens, and containers for fibre:
questionable fibre, and completely sorted, picked and labelled fibre. Fibre of too short a staple length (2” or less) is still useable if blended with wool but should be kept separate.
• if you decide to “blow” your animals (some farms vacuum) an air compressor or blower
• a shearer with good eguipment and references, not every shearer has experience with camelids. Shears are available but this would not be recommended for a novice.
• Some farms use a shearing table, we use leg holds to stretch the animal out on the floor. Llamas are shorn standing, some use a restraint chute, others prefer a halter tie.
• A team of at least 5 including the shearer is required. For any amount of sorting to be done on shearing day, a number of other volunteers would be required.

On the day! Weather permitting, llamas and alpacas need at least 24 hours to dry off if they have been caught in the rain. Damp animals can be shorn but cuts are more likely to occur. The fibre cannot be stored in damp condition and the job is messier (trickier) in general. If it is too hot, equipment easily overheats. So, again, if weather permits, shearing commences!

Animals are shorn light colours through to darker colours (prevents
contamination from fibre of other colours), and pregnant females are shorn first to prevent stress. Some clean up of the fibre before shearing is helpful. Cria fleece can be full of debris and it is much easier to pick out the debris while the fibre is still on the animal. Speed is of the essence. Oftentimes the shearer is so heavily booked that you may only have one day to complete the job. Stress on the animal is minimal if it is not held down for too long a period of time. Less than ten minutes is good. Five minutes is optimum. Before long the team becomes a “well oiled” machine! Unfortunately, sorting of fibre is often left for another day; in an ideal situation, there is a sorting crew which skirts the fleece (removes lower grade fibre), sorts it as to type, or grades it and picks out as much debris and second cuts as possible. This is an important day for the fibre enthusiast but no one appreciates it more than the animals themselves!

Llama and Alpaca fibre is not a new idea, it has much to offer:

• warmth without the bulk…up to seven times warmer than wool
• no lanolin…gentle soaps can be used to wash llama and alpaca, no harsh chemicals are necessary.
• Those with allergies can wear the finer yarns with no guard hair next to the skin, there is no prickle factor.
• 22 natural colours
• very dyeable, can be blended with other fibres
• strongest natural fibre next to mohair
• all fibre yield is used, there is no waste…the top quality fibre is used for yarn and fabric
• Second grade is used for sport weight yarn, socks and felt.
• Third grade is used for heavy felt, duvets and pillows.
• Inca royalty wore garments of spun vicuna, a relative of the llama and alpaca which was almost extinct at the turn of the last century
• alpaca is popular with design houses worldwide, in particular the Italian and Asian markets

Llamas and alpacas can be shorn with electric sheep shears or hand shears. Alpacas are shorn annually, llamas every other year. In either group there could be exceptions, as some colours of alpaca tend to grow more slowly and in some cases, one llama’s coat can grow almost twice as fast as another.

The average llama fibre yield is in the 3 to 5 + lb. range. There are “fibre” llamas, some can be described as heavy wool llamas and others, whose coat is not as heavy, are single coated llamas, which often have very fast growing coats. The real difference between the llama and the
alpaca coat is the abundance of guard hair (very coarse fibre, acts as a protective outer coat). Llamas were first and foremost a work animal and their coats had much guard hair. Single coated llamas have little guard hair. All llamas have a fine under coat of fibre that has similar characteristics to alpaca, although has less density and crimp. The first step is to get rid of the guard hair and now there is equipment available at mills to do this.

The average alpaca fibre yield is 4 to 6 lbs. Animals who have been bred up, with fibre density in mind, have a fibre yield of 6 to 10 + lbs. Improved crimp, density and consistency in coat, from one area of the body to the next, is a goal of the Canadian herd. Grade one fibre is generally from the sides, back and rump and has a micron count of 20 or less. Some animals have a lower fibre yield from the neck or shoulder area and often a lower grade of fibre in these areas (less crimp in the fibre, shorter staple length and some guard hair). So, of the 4 to 6 lbs., only half of the fibre might be grade one. But, all of the fibre from shearing day is used. Llama or alpaca, the coarser fibre, which has a higher micron count, is still useable!

The price of fibre is affected by these factors: grade or fineness; cleanliness; availability and rarity of colour. Cria fibre is the finest of all. Some colours are quite rare. Apricot faun, warm rose grey, and steel grey, just to name a few. Camelids are the only fibre animal that produces a true “jet black”. End product in these rare colours or in cria fibre can fetch top dollar.