Comparing Alpacas and Llamas

Gem State Alpacas owner Mark Niemeyer talked with me about alpacas versus llamas. "There are some llamas that are bred for their fiber. Last year I had the chance to be around Argentinian lamas and their fiber was gorgeous, much like in the alpaca industry we have two breeds, Suri and Huacaya . The best way to explain them is that Suri has a long, very silky dreadlock look and feel to it whereas Huacaya have a slightly shorter fiber and most folks say they look like teddy bears. The llama that I look at from Argentina was much like a Suri, very long dreadlock fiber that was very soft and typically that type of fiber is used more for drapery type garments. Outside of that the majority of US llamas are used for their packing properties. They can pack a lot of weight. I run the barn down at the Western Idaho Fairgrounds where we have both llamas and alpacas and that is one of the main talking points. Llamas do a tremendous job of packing for folks who want to go up into the hills, whether it's hunting or camping, they are really a pack animal. Contrast that to the alpacas which most folks asked us how much they pack because pac is in their name, they are strictly for their fiber. You don't do any packing with alpacas. Typically an adult male will weigh hundred and 170 pounds and be half the height of a llama.