Archaeological evidence shows that the llama and alpaca were domesticated in Peru about 6,000 years ago.
One theory indicates that the llama was domesticated from the wild guanaco, and the alpaca from the wild vicuna.  In pre-Inca times, certainly by the 11th century AD, sophisticated breeding and management systems were preserving and perpetuating the integrity of the subspecies - breeding animals of supreme quality, ideally suited to their various purposes. The Incas placed prime emphasis on alpaca breeding, as at that time fibre and textiles were of great economic importance. The llama had been bred for use as a beast of burden in addition to their fine fibre.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, private animal collectors and zoos reintroduced them to their original North American homeland. Today Llamas are being farmed in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, as well as North and South America.

Alpacas

The Alpaca is a smaller, heavier-fleeced relative of the Llama. Adult Alpacas weigh  90 to 200 pounds, and stand 30" to 39" at the withers. They have pointed, spear-shaped ears; and fibre should cover their entire body with the exception of face and feet.

The Alpaca has been selectively bred for the quality of it's fibre, and should have minimal presence of guard hair. This makes the Alpaca a superior fibre producer to the multipurpose Llama. Alpacas can be sheared every 12 months and their fleece come in variations of eight basic colours; black, silver, caramel, red, coffee, fawn, and piebald (more than one colour on the blanket).

In North America, the Alpaca industry began in 1984 with the importation of Alpacas from South America. There are two types of Alpaca: the Suri, which has a lustrous fine fibre with no crimp, and the Huacaya, whose fleece has a crimp or wavy quality that enhances its use in spinning. The world population of Alpacas is approximately 90% Huacaya and 10% Suri.

As in the limited edition art market, classic automobiles and rare antiques, market value is determined by the rareness of the Alpaca in the North Hemisphere and the quality of the animal at hand.

Dahlbrook Farm, RR#3, Cookstown, Ontario, Canada 
mailto:llamasandalpacas@yahoo.com