An alpaca stands in the field at Able Oaks Ranch in Rusk. The ranch is home to 32 alpacas and miniature llamas.
--Staff photo by Bedell
Fancy Fibers: Cuddly companions attract customers
By CODY BEDELL, Country World Staff Writer
May 15, 2008 - After living in California for 30 years, Texas native Virginia Lyons decided to move back to her home state and retire from the fast California life.
“I wanted to live in the country and raise animals,” said Lyons. “But I didn’t know what to raise. It was too hard to try to raise cattle or any other sort of big livestock, so I looked for something that was easy to raise, but made a return on my investment. That is when I decided to raise alpacas.”
Alpacas are rare and gentle animals that originated in South America, especially around Chile and Bolivia, where they have been domesticated for over 5,000 years. Alpacas are from the same family as the camel, yet are between 110 to 170 pounds and 30 to 38 inches tall at the withers.
“I bought my first female alpaca from New Mexico in 2003,” said Lyons. “After buying my first, I knew she needed a mate, so I soon began buying others from Ohio, California and Colorado.”
According to Lyons, most people buy alpacas because they are an easy tax exemption, but there are more to them than just reducing taxes. Alpacas produce fiber that is softer than cashmere, and warmer and more durable than wool. Alpaca fleece is semi-hollow, very light weight and has great wicking properties that allow perspiration and moisture to evaporate. The alpaca fleece also has a very shiny luster that is compared to silk. Recognized as one of the world’s most luxurious fibers, alpaca fleece can be found in designer-label sweaters, socks and other garments.
Today, Lyons has about 20 registered Hucaya Alpacas and 12 miniature llamas at Able Oaks Ranch in Rusk.
Miniature llamas and alpacas are from the same family, but have many different traits. Alpacas have short, spear-shaped ears and a slightly curved top-line and low tail-set, whereas mini-llamas have larger, banana-shaped ears, a straight top-line and high tail-set. Alpacas and llamas make great pasture companions and can be cross-bred but is not suggested, according to Lyons.
“Miniature llamas, do not know they are minis,” said Lyons, they think they are 10 feet tall. Miniature llamas are slightly bigger than alpacas and make great guard animals. Mini-llamas will run to the fence, stomp their feet and spit at anything that they feel is threatening.”
Alpacas and llamas are very communicative and make several noises to either attract, warn or to call babies.
Alpacas graze and eat pasture grass and hay. Alpacas have three stomachs which allows them to be very efficient in what they consume. Typically, one alpaca will consume one bale of hay per week.
“Here at Able Oaks we provide them with a quarter to half a pound of llama pellets which costs about twelve dollars a bag,” said Lyons. “Feeding alpacas is fairly inexpensive compared to feeding other livestock.”
“We keep our alpacas and llamas on five acres that is divided up into several paddocks. Female and males are separated into different paddocks, so we can manage the breeding selection. We try to breed our females during the winter or early spring, so that they are not in their second and third trimester during the hottest part of summer or coldest part of winter.”
Alpaca females can be bred at 18 months and have a gestation period of 11-1/2 months. Alpaca females can be bred back two to three weeks after giving birth. Typically, alpacas are bred year round. Alpaca females have very few troubles when giving birth to their babies, called cria. If the female is healthy and has adequate nutrition, then there shouldn’t be any troubles.
Alpacas come in 22 different recognized colors, including shades of brown, white and black. They can be solid colored, spotted or mixed shades of color. Alpaca fleece grows one-half inch a month and is sheered once a year, usually in April. The best of the fleece comes from the torso and back, then down the neck. The fleece from the legs is the most coarse and is usually woven into yarn or thrown away.
“I am breeding my alpacas to eventually have persistent fine fiber,” said Lyons. “The finest fleece comes from younger alpacas and becomes more course as they get older. Hopefully, with breeding selection, my alpacas will still be producing fine fleece at 6 to 8 years old.
Alpacas may only produce fine fleece for a few years, but they still can be bred and have crias that make fine fleece.
One alpaca with fine fleece can produce six to eight pounds of fleece at each sheering. The fleece that comes from the animal is bagged, shipped to a fiber co-op, where it is made into yarn and then processed into rugs, clothing or other apparel.
One of the biggest rewards of raising alpacas, according to Lyons, is the animal doesn’t have to be killed to get the product. Each year the animal is sheered and makes a profit, and/or has a baby that can be sold.
“I have noticed that a huge risk for alpacas is the heat during the summer,” noted Lyons. “During the summer months we keep our them under barns with fans and misting systems that keep them cool. During the hottest days I will go out to the barn and spray their bellies to try to keep the cool and comfortable.
“Along with the Texas heat, internal parasites can be fatal to alpacas. We de-worm them once a month and take extra precautions to keep them healthy.”
While there are many perks to raising alpacas, Lyons said it still takes time and effort to be successful. “Raising alpacas is not a get rich scheme,” said Lyons. “But, it is a great tax exemption and a way to gain a great companion.”
For more information about alpacas and Able Oaks Ranch visit www.AbleOaks.com.
