Alpacas were treasured by the Incan civilization on the high plateaus of the Andes Mountains. About 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, the natives started domesticating the wild vicunas which were developed into the present day alpaca. There is archeological evidence that the Incas worshiped there alpacas and regarded them as a gift from the "Earth Mother". There are two types of alpacas that come from Peru, Bolivia and Chili; the Huacaya and the Suri. The huacaya has a shorter fleece while the suri have "dreadlocks" that can grow down to the ground. Alpacas only have bottom teeth and chew their cud like cattle. Their two pronged hoof has a pad on the underside like a dog and have no horns, claws or incisors, however the males have fighting teeth which are easily removed. The alpaca is a gentle stoic animal that is easy to handle. Their life span is approximately 20 years and the gestation period can be 11.5 to 12.5 months. They grow to about 36" at the withers and weigh between 100-200 lbs. Alpacas require minimal fencing and can be pastured at 5 to 10 per acre. They also deposit their droppings in "communal" piles within their pasture making clean up easy!

The alpacas fleece is one of the world's finest, most luxurious fibers. It has no allergens and is warmer than sheep's wool. The fleece is also lighter, softer and stronger than wool and comes in more colors (over 20) than any other fiber producing animal. The products that can be produced with this fleece are unlimited. There are approximately 100,000 alpacas in the United States today and there is a high demand for fine alpaca fleece. (Compare that to about 160,000,000 horses!) There are not enough alpacas to support a mill, however, there are a number of "cottage" mills growing all over the country.

The United States first imported alpacas in 1984 and have since closed the borders for any further importation. There is a national organization called The Alpaca Registry (ARI) that regulates and ensures accurate records to document each alpaca by blood type and owners are issued a registry number for each individual alpaca.

Alpaca owners also have a strong national organization; Alpaca Breeders Association (AOBA) which addresses all aspects of this industry. There are several other helpful organizations, such as Alpacanation and numerous farmer's websites that offer many links in addition to their own knowledge and experience.