Alpacas are, in our opinion, one of the most beautiful and gentle natured animals to roam the earth. Since 1984 alpacas have been found in the United States. There are two kinds of alpacas in the United States: the huacaya (wa-kai-a) which has fleece with a crimp that gives them a fluffy appearance and the suri which has individual strands of fiber that look like dreadlocks.
Alpacas have coexisted with humans for thousands of years. They are native to South America, mainly Peru, Chile and Bolivia. They have been domesticated for over 5,000 years.
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Alpacas are very gentle animals that can be handled safely by children. Alpacas do not spit at people unless provoked.
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Alpacas are raised for breeding stock to train and show. Alpacas are also raised for their luxourious fiber, which is comparable to cashmere.
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They provide an excellent investment opportunity.
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Alpacas live an average of 15-20 years and weigh an average of 100 to 180 pounds.
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Average pregnancy is 335 days and baby alpacas are called crias.
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Alpacas have a herd instinct and feel safe in numbers. Their feet have two toed pads and not hooves, easy on the land.
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There are 16 official colors recognized by the Alpaca Registry and more than 22 colors produced naturally in the alpaca fleece.
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Alpacas can be insured against loss.
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Alpacas are ideal for small acreage as you can have between 5-10 alpacas per acre. It takes approximately 30 minutes a day to care for up to 10 alpacas.
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They are very efficient eaters, only requiring about the same amount of feed as a large dog. The herd consolidates their feces in one or two spots in the pasture, this controls the spread of parasites and is easy to clean up. They are sheared once a year, in the spring.
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Brightside's Dawn winning at the Buckeye Alpaca Show.
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Each breeding alpaca sold at Bittersweet Alpaca Farm comes with a full reproductive guarantee in the form of a written contract. We take great pride in standing behind our animals. All of our alpacas are registered with the Alpaca Registry Inc. (ARI) Each alpaca registerd with ARI is bloodtyped and/or DNA tested to verify parentage.
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Matt showing Brightside's Fall Festival at the Buckeye Alpaca Show.
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