Submitted photo

Alpacas at Heartland Criations Alpacas near Rio huddle together in a pasture and cast inquisitive looks at a photographer. The animals will be on public display Saturday and Sunday during National Alpaca Farm Day.

Farm to celebrate National Alpaca Day

Monday, September 24, 2007

On Saturday and Sunday, alpaca breeders from across the United States and Canada will invite the public to come to their farms and ranches to meet their alpacas and learn more about these inquisitive animals.

Heartland Criations Alpacas will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Not only will guests be able to learn more about investing in alpacas and the alpaca lifestyle, they will be able to visit the farm store which features products made from alpaca fiber. In addition, Heartland Criations Alpacas has a pumpkin patch with pumpkins ready for fall decorating.

Heartland Criations Alpacas is about 10 miles north of Galesburg, at 2512 Knox Road 500 East, Rio, IL 61472. From U.S. 150, turn east onto Knox Road 35 (Ontario Blacktop). After crossing the railroad tracks, turn north on Knox Road 500E. Turn into the first driveway on the left.

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On the Net:

Heartland Criations Alpacas: www.alpacanation.com/heartlandcriations.asp

National Alpaca Farm Day: www.NationalAlpacaFarmDay.com

What is an Alpaca?

Alpacas, cousins to the llama, are native to the Andean Mountain range of South America, particularly Peru, Bolivia and Chile.

Alpacas were first imported into the United States in 1984. Since then, the alpaca industry has grown steadily, according to the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association. There are more than 4,000 AOBA members in North America and an estimated more than 100,000 registered alpacas with the Alpaca Registry Inc. in the United States.

There are two types of alpacas in the United States. Although almost physically identical, they are distinguishes by their fiber. The Huacaya (wa-Ki'-ah) is the more common of the two and has a fluffy, extremely fine coat. The Suri is the rarer of the two and has fiber that is silky and resembles pencil-locks.

Adult alpacas stand about 36 inches at the withers and generally weigh 150 to 200 pounds. They do not have horns, hooves, claws or incisors. Alpacas are alert, intelligent, curious and predictable. Social animals that seek companionship, they communicate most commonly by softly humming.

Alpacas are shorn once a year and generally produce five to ten pounds of fiber per shearing. Alpaca fiber is naturally hypoallergenic, as it contains no lanolin. Most people who are sensitive to wool find that they can wear alpaca without the itching or irritation. Because of its soft texture, alpaca fiber is sometimes compared to cashmere.