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 alpacas and regarded them as a gift from the "Earth Mother". Alpacas come from Peru, Bolivia and Chili and there are two varieties; the Huacaya and the Suri. The huacaya has a shorter crimpy fleece while the

suri ‘s fleece grows in long "dreadlocks" that will actually grow down to the ground if not shorn. Alpacas are camleids and have only bottom teeth, three stomachs and chew their cud like cattle. Their two pronged hoof has a pad on the underside like a dog and use these as shredding weapons as their defense.  They have no incisors, however the males have fighting teeth which are easily maintained. The alpaca is a trainable, intelligent, stoic animal that can be gentle and easy to handle. Their life span is approximately 20 years and the gestation period is 11.5 to 12.5 months. They grow to about 36" at the withers and weigh between 100-200 lbs. Alpacas do not challenge fencing and can be pastured at 5 to 10 per acre. They also deposit their droppings in "communal" places making clean up easy!

The alpacas fleece is one of the finest, most luxurious fibers and is likened to angora.  It has no lanolin and is warmer than sheep's wool and is naturally fire retardant. It is also lighter, softer and stronger than wool and comes in more colors (over 20) than any other fiber producing animal in the world. The products that can be produced with this fleece are unlimited.

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.  There are approximately 250,000 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.

There are helpful organizations such as Alpaca Breeders Association (AOBA) which addresses all aspects of this industry, The Alpaca Registry (ARI)  and several other helpful organizations, such as Alpacanation, AlpacaStreet and numerous farm's that offer additional knowledge and expertise from their hands on experience.