For Quality Alpacas Nashville Is The Way To Go

By Raymond Hamilton


An alpaca is one of the animals that fall under the camelid family of animals. The origin of camelids can be traced back to the plains of the Northern parts of the American continent. These animals migrated from the north and ended up in the south, and later got extinct in the north. Modern wild guanaco and vicuna were developed from ancestral camelids. The domestication of vicunas into alpaca for fiber production began over 5000-6000 years ago. When one needs alpacas Nashville offers the best location to check out.

The fiber derived from an alpaca is dense, soft, and fine. It is great at insulating heat and may be either hollow or medullated. There are more than twenty natural colors of the fiber produced. The color of the fiber is natural, which makes it naturally beautiful and does not need dyeing for it to look good. The animals is also easy to shear because it is very gentle. Blood typing and registration is done to all alpacas born in the US.

Fiber ranges from non-fading black to white in color. Some major color shades that can be observed are fawns, roans, pintos, charcoal grays, reds, browns, and rose grays. Annually, an alpaca can give four pounds of fiber. How frequently the animals needs to be sheared depends a lot on the climate.

An alpaca has a life span of between 18 and 20 years. They grow to a height of 3 feet at the shoulders and the head rises to a height of 4.5 feet. Males are usually bigger and heavier than females. An average adult weighs about 150-185 pounds while babies are born with a weight of 16-20 pounds. Gestation is approximately eleven months.

These animals need no help when they are giving birth. Most births are given in broad daylight. Even though it is very rare, some animals have been known to twin. Newborns go by the name crias. Crias only need about one and a half hours to be able to stand up and start nursing. Weaning happens after a half a year. Females become sexually receptive after 14 to18 months. Ovulation is often induced in these animals, which means that they can be bred at any time in the year.

Similar to other camelids, alpacas are generally very healthy, easy-care, and hardy animals. Veterinarian services are only needed twice annually for the administration of regular maintenance procedures and shots. The place where the animal is located also plays a major role on its health. One should have such issues cleared up with their vet first so as to be aware of what to expect.

Apart from producing fiber, an alpaca also produce meat for people. Their meat holds high value on many American markets. People also use them for pets, breeding stock, light pack animals, and therapy. These animals are not beasts of burden because they were not bred to act as such. Therefore, they should not be made to carry heavy loads.

The trainability level in these animals is very high. Four to five repetitions are usually enough for them to learn a skill. Some of the skills they can master include accepting a halter, being led, and loading out and in of automobiles.




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