Alpacas Pure and Simple Alpaca FAQ

Purely Luxurious Fleeces

So what is alpaca? Alpaca fleece is the natural fiber coat grown continuously by each alpaca. Alpaca feels softer than cashmere wool due to a combination of having a fiber shaft with a smaller diameter size (measured as a lower micron count), plus a smaller scale structure along the shaft.

Is alpaca fleece itchy like sheep’s wool? Alpaca fleece has a greatly reduced “itch factor” when worn next to the skin. Additionally, Alpaca fiber is naturally free from lanolin oil. So if you are allergic to wool, or don’t like to wear wool because of the itch, try some alpaca instead!

How often do you shear your alpacas? Each spring, here at Alpacas Pure & Simple, we shear our herd to harvest the fleece and to optimize the animals’ comfort and health during the hot, humid summer months. We shear at least once per year, but more often if the weather or a particular individual requires it.

How do you sort your fleece? Our shorn fleece is sorted by NAAFC “Sertified Sorters” for proper grading prior to processing. Sorting ensures that the end product will be of the highest quality. Even the leg and belly fiber can be used. Nothing is left to waste!

What do you do with the alpaca fleeces? Once sorted, the fleeces are used in a variety of ways: some is processed into yarn or other products, some goes for rug making, and some is sold to local fiber artists for spinning, knitting and weaving.

Do you keep fleece records? Comprehensive fleece records are kept for each animal’s fleece that is sorted. Our breeding philosophy includes the use of our Comprehensive Fleece records for all of our alpacas to assist in our breeding decisions from year to year. After all, it’s all about the fleece!

Simply Rewarding Lifestyle

How does raising alpacas result in a “Simply Rewarding Lifestyle”? You can discover the wonder of a more relaxed and nurturing family lifestyle by bringing alpacas into your lives. Medical studies have even shown that you can lower your blood-pressure by spending time observing and/or hanging out with your animals.

Are alpacas Earth-friendly? Alpacas are very ecologically sound, Earth-friendly livestock: Their soft padded feet tread lightly on Mother Earth. They are selective browsers of pasture grass; cropping it off neatly with their lower incisors against their soft and toothless upper pallets. This eating habit permits them to eat without destroying the plants or pulling them up by the roots, thus avoiding soil erosion.

Can alpaca feces be used as fertilizer? Yes. Alpaca poop “beans”, when used in the garden, enrich the soil with humus and low-dose nutrients. The beans act like time-release fertilizer, which does not burn the root systems.