They look something like a cross between a teddy bear and a very small giraffe.
By: Vanessa S. Holt
They look something like a cross between a teddy bear and a very small giraffe.
A thick coat of fleece gives them a soft, cuddly look, and large dark eyes watch curiously from atop a long neck.
They are alpacas not llamas, as you might think at first glance, seeing the necks and camel-like features.
And they are coming to a nearby farm to meet both potential and experienced breeders and anyone who would like to get to know these unusual animals in person.
The second annual Alpaca Heritage sale and show will be held April 6 at the H.P. Precision Rebuilding Center in Upper Freehold.
The show will feature breeders from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland, spinning and processing demonstrations and fiber artisans.
Ingrid Wood of Springfield Township, one of the organizers for the event, held the first Alpaca Heritage festival at her own farm in Jacksonville last year.
She began breeding the animals in 1995 after many years breeding dogs.
Because they are small and produce a very fine quality fiber, they seemed ideal for their small property, she said.
Alpacas, like, llamas, are members of the camelid family. They come from South America and have been domesticated for over 5,000 years, but unlike llamas, alpacas are bred mainly for their fiber.
Llamas, on the other hand, are pack animals.
There are two main types of alpacas huacayas, which look more woolly, and suris, with longer hair resembling dreadlocks. A full-grown alpaca stands about 36 to 40 inches tall and weighs about 150 to 200 pounds.
Alpacas are shorn once a year and their fiber is turned into yarn. They come in a wide variety of colors from white to black with all shades and patterns in between.
Ms. Wood said you can breed for certain colors and patterns, but most breeders are interested in the quality of the fiber itself.
"You also breed for straight legs and a level back; things that make it comfortable for the animal to walk," she said.
The alpacas on the Wood farm include two black alpacas with white tuxedo markings, a chocolate brown gelding, a red-haired female and a dark fawn-colored male.
Their life expectancy with optimum care is generally 15 to 20 years, and the animals have only one baby each year, called a "cria."
Sensitive to heat because of their thick fleece, alpaca breeders keep fans going in their barns throughout the summer months to keep the animals cool.
Ms. Wood is a handspinner, using a sewing wheel to turn the fibers into thin strands of incredibly soft wool. She belongs to the South Jersey Guild of Spinners and Handweavers, who will be among the demonstrators at the Alpaca Heritage show.
"The alpaca is beautiful to spin, because unlike sheep wool it doesn’t have lanolin," explained Ms. Wood. "It’s incredibly soft, very clean, and when you wash it, it doesn’t lose any weight. One pound of alpaca is truly one pound of alpaca, one pound of fiber."
Alpacan wool is used in many European fashion houses where it is turned into expensive coats, sweaters and suits, she said.
Ms. Wood joked that she can’t knit quickly enough to sell wool products but she enjoys making things for herself and friends from the wool she spins.
Although aloof as far as humans are concerned, they are a curious animal, said Ms. Wood.
"Their personality took a little getting used to," she said. "They are prey animals and have a flight instinct; they would just as soon prefer not to be constantly handled by people."
They also are rather good watch animals, she added. The alpacas all run to the front gate when there is a car coming up the driveway at the Wood farm, alerting the family to visitors.
"They like to see what’s going on," she observed. "They will say hello to visitors on their terms."
The Alpaca Heritage show has already grown by leaps and bounds since it began last year. Ms. Wood said the Precision Center seemed like an ideal place to hold this year’s show because of the ample space and parking available compared to a private farm.
"The people who run the Precision Center are proactive in terms of treating animals well," she added. "They are looking out for their welfare."
There will be 16 breeders on-site with over 40 alpacas. People interested in purchasing animals will have an opportunity to tour the farms the next day, when an open farm day will be held simultaneously at many of the participating breeders’ farms.
"Quite a few people might go out of total curiosity and fall in love with the animal and become alpaca breeders," she said. "They’re hard to resist once you get to know them."
The second annual Alpaca Heritage show and sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 6 at the H.P. Precision Rebuilding Center in Upper Freehold. From I- 195, take exit 16A and drive past Six Flags on Route 537 west. At 8.9 miles from the exit, turn right onto Province Line Road and at 0.1 miles, turn right into the center. Alternately you can reach the center from the south by taking Route 206 north to Route 537 east. After passing the intersection with Route 528, turn left onto Province Line Road.
Maps will be available on April 6 for the farm tour that will be held at area alpaca farms on April 7.
For more information visit the Web site at www.mountairyalpacas.com/newjersey.html.