Huacaya Alpacas
Suri Alpaca Kindred Spirit born to Griffonwood
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Huacaya (pronounced "wah-KI' -ah") alpacas are fluffy like a teddy bear. Their fleece has a
waviness or "crimp" to it that gives it this appearance.
Haucayas do not have luster but have "brightness" that judges look for. The more fiber
around the face, a good top knot, and in all general uniform coverage is good. Crimp comes
sometimes big and bold waves, and sometimes smaller but much finer fleece. You can have
your fiber tested for micron counts which is called a Histogram. Spinners and weavers can
take your raw fiber (right from your animal) and spin it. A good haucaya herdsire might
have 10 pounds of fiber on their body.
Alpacas are part of the Camelid (camel) family. There are two types of Alpacas, Huacaya and Suri. The main difference between the two kinds of Alpacas is their fleece.
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Suri Alpacas
The Suri fleece fibers wrap around each other and form locks that hang down from their
body, with a part at the spine. Suri Alpacas are very rare, with a worldwide ratio of
huacayas to suris at about 98% to 2%.
Suris should have somewhat of a natural part down their necks and backs. Luster is that
SHEEN. Suris should have a cool feel to them, and fiber can have locks, stringy, but with
a twist near the base. You can tell if the suri cria is good, especially if fiber on the
cheeks! Good suri fiber is heavy when you pick it up after shearing! Baby suri fiber had
sold for $20./ounce! They may do better in the southern states, although our haucayas
have done fine too. It appears to us that our suris have a solid, muscular, body style in
the males in particular. They may be stronger than haucayas in general.
We love both our haucayas and suris! They are both intriqing creatures. All with different
characteristics, personalities, and bloodlines! If you are interested in investing in alpacas,
please call us for a visit! You will grow to have a passion for them. "Nothing like looking into
those deep dark eyes....
Both species like all animals need to be dewormed on a regular basis which is not a big deal, especially if you have under 10
animals! Taking your drink and sitting in the pastures with your animals, you can enjoy quiet times in the shade. You will see
them cush and watch you back and they will when comfortable start chewing, as they have a 3 compartment stomach and
can regurgitate. This shows that they are relaxed with you. Although much like a cat, and remains aloof each one has a
different feelings about people. We are sure that as in all living things it has to do with the way they have been treated. You
learn to touch who wants to be touched, and talk to those that "love to hear their name".
One Dark Knight (Suri) and Royal King (Haucaya) Alpacas
Alpacas can be found indigenously only in South America, mainly in the Andean regions of Peru, Chile, and
Bolivia. Alpacas are very resilient animals, and can be raised in both extremes of weather, warm and cold. We
do take certain precautions to keep our animals healthy and safe, like shearing fleece off early in the year,
and providing plenty of shade and fresh water. Our Alpacas love to get their legs and bellies sprayed with
the hose on hot days, and gather around when they see us coming over to cool them off!!