/alpaca/

Alpaca general. Bring your alpaca questions and commentary in here so we can corral it all into one thread. Thinking of starting and alpaca farm? > http://www.alpacafarming.com/starting-alpaca-farm/ Pic related, just brought this boi home today : ) His name is Nate.

Nate a cute

How soft is Nate?

>>4916 Alpaca facts time 1. They're ancient Alpacas were domesticated by the Incas more than 6,000 years ago and raised for their exquisite fleece. Due to its quality and all of its superhero characteristics, alpaca fiber was reserved exclusively for the elite and nobility. 2. They're trendy In 1984, a small group of importers brought the first of a carefully selected herd to the United States and Canada, and they’ve been dotting the bucolic landscape ever since. The North American herd has grown from a few alpacas in zoos and private farms to about 20,000. 3. They grow superlative, hypoallergenic fleece Alpaca fiber is much like sheep’s wool, but warmer and not itchy. It is lacking in lanolin, which makes it hypoallergenic and also allows it to be processed without the need for high temperatures or harsh chemicals in washing. 4. They're flame-resistant! Well, technically their fiber is flame-resistant, meeting the standards of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's rigid testing specifications as a Class 1 fiber for use in clothing and furnishings. 5. They're water-resistant Like wool, alpaca fiber is water-resistant, but it can wick away moisture because of its unique ability to mimic cotton in moisture regain. These attributes are what make alpaca feel lighter than wool but warmer than cotton in cool and damp climates. 6. They come in a rainbow of hues Alpaca fiber comes in 22 colors and hundreds of shades, from white to light rose gray to dark fawn, in addition to the blends that can be made from those, thus minimizing the need for pollution-intensive dying. 7. There are two types of alpacas in this world... Alpacas come in two types: Suri and the huacaya. The suri has fiber that grows long and forms silky dreadlocks. The huacaya has a wooly, dense, crimped fleece — like a teddy bear — giving it a very wooly appearance. About 90 percent of all alpacas in the North America are huacayas. 8. They can mix and match Alpacas and llamas can successfully cross-breed. The offspring they create are known as huarizo, which are valued for their longer fleece. 9. They share a bathroom Alpacas use a communal dung pile (where they do not graze, thankfully). Because of their predisposition for using a dung pile, some alpacas have been successfully house-trained. 10. They hum and haw ... and orgle Humming is the most common sound that alpacas make. Alpacas hum when they are curious, content, worried, bored, fearful, distressed or cautious. When startled or in danger, a staccato braying is started by one animal, then followed by the rest of the herd in the direction of the potential threat. During breeding, the male alpaca Romeo emits a unique throaty vocalization called “orgling.” Source: https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-alpacas Other facts Alpacas will chew their food in a figure eight motion. Alpacas are often tested for pregnancy using the "spit test". If a female is brought near a male after being bred and she sits down, she is not pregnant. If she spits at him, she is pregnant. She usually knows within 4 days of being bred. Not all alpacas spit, but all are capable of doing so. "Spit" is somewhat euphemistic; occasionally the projectile contains only air and a little saliva, although alpacas commonly bring up acidic stomach contents (generally a green, grassy mix) and project it onto their chosen targets. Spitting is mostly reserved for other alpacas, but an alpaca will occasionally spit at a human. For alpacas, spitting results in what is called "sour mouth". Sour mouth is characterized by a loose-hanging lower lip and a gaping mouth. This is caused by the stomach acids and unpleasant taste of the contents as they pass out of the mouth. Females are "induced ovulators"; the act of mating and the presence of semen cause them to ovulate. Females usually conceive after just one breeding, but occasionally do need to be bred more than once. No one has been successful in artificial insemination of an alpaca. After a female gives birth, she is generally receptive to breeding again after about two weeks. The most expensive female alpaca sold for $180,000 and the most expensive male for $675,000. Alpacas are fiber-producing animals; they do not need to be slaughtered to reap their product, and their fiber is a renewable resource that grows yearly to be made into clothing. Alpacas are used for their fleece, which is as soft as cashmere, warmer than wool, hypo-allergenic, almost completely waterproof. They are herd animals and their social structure requires that they live in the company of other alpacas. An alpaca will be lonely, and may even sicken and die if taken away to live by itself. Therefore, we advise prospective alpaca owners to choose two or more in their first purchase unless they plan on agisting, or boarding, their animal with other alpacas. Sidenote: Where is Nate's buddy or friend, you don't want Nate dying from loneliness ?

>>4916 >that pic Cute

What's the difference between alpaca and llama?

>>5048 SEXYNESS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcKRco2Zu0Y

beuatiful opaca you got eh

>>4919 >tfw alpacas have infinite better hairstyles than you That bowie alpaca, 100/10