ABOUT ALPACAS

Alpacas are livestock and produce fine and valuable fleece.  They were created as livestock from Vicunas by an ancient Incan civilization and produced the garments for the Incan Royalty in y were South America.  They were first imported into the United States in 1984.

Alpacas are now found worldwide in large national herds including throughout North America.  Alpacas come in 2 varieties- the Huacaya and the Suri.  Their gestation cycle is about 11.5 months and they have a lifespan of about 18 - 23 years.

Alpacas are vegetarians and forge on grasses and hay and chew a cud.  The Adult female alpacas are about 36" tall at the withers and generally weigh between 100 and 150 pounds with the males pushing upwards of 200 - 250 pounds.

They are curious, gentle and generally not a challenge to handle. Alpacas also are safe around children and the elderly as they don't have incisors, horns, hooves or claws.

Alpaca poop.....no smell....clean-up is easy since alpacas deposit droppings in only a few places in the pasture.  They do not challenge fences require and can be pastured at 5 to 10 per acre.   Alpaca poop is great fertilizer!

Alpacas fiber is one of the world's finest and most luxurious natural fibers and it is hypoallergenic and it is painlessly harvest from the animals each spring and is as soft as cashmere and warmer, lighter and stronger than wool, it comes in more colors than any other fiber producing animal (approximately 22 basic colors with many variations and blends).  Alpaca fiber is also used to make beautiful rugs and medical garments

The national organization, The Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (AOBA) with a growing number of Regional Affiliates and AOBA sanctioned national committees addressing every aspect of the industry.

The Alpaca Fiber Cooperative of North America (AFCNA) accepts fleece from its members, and turns the precious textile into quality alpaca garments and products.  There are numerous private alpaca mills as well.  Members benefit from a ready outlet for their fiber, while the cooperatives work to increase awareness of and demand for this every day luxury.

The Alpaca Registry ensures accurate records and has a state-of the-art system to document bloodlines. Alpacas must be blood typed in order to be registered.

Patricks' Pastures is one of the larger alpaca businesses in the U.S. and was established in 2004.  Patricks' Pastures solely works with new alpaca livestock owners to build alpaca businesses with a positive ROI.   We pride ourselves on extensive mentoring of our clients.   We offer our clients invitation to our annaul Shearing Festival which is a celebration of the harvesting of the fleece.  We did 114 alpacas in 8 hours this year alone.