Simple Life Farm Alpacas participates in National Alpaca Farm Days

You have seen them at the Elmore County Fair and in the Air Force Appreciation Day parade. Now you have the opportunity to come see them in person.

On September 25 and 26, alpaca breeders from across the United States and Canada will invite the public to come to their farm or ranch to meet their alpacas and learn more about these inquisitive, unique animals. From 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Simple Life Farm Alpacas will welcome guests to join them for many activities including spinning, felting, coloring books, story telling, petting area, door prizes, all FREE! Try your hand in leading an alpaca through an obstacle course!

Simple Life Farm Alpacas is located at 4985 N 18th E.

Alpacas, cousins to the llama, are beautiful, intelligent animals native to the Andean Mountain Range of South America, particularly Peru, Bolivia and Chile. The United States first commercially imported alpacas in 1984. There are now over 150,000 ARI (Alpaca Registry, Inc.) registered alpacas in North America.

There are two types of alpacas in the United States today. Although almost physically identical, what distinguishes the two types of alpacas is 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 at approximately 36 inches at the withers and generally weigh between 150 and 200 pounds. The 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, with harm, every twelve to eighteen months. They produce five to ten pounds of luxurious fiber. Long ago, alpaca fiber was reserved for royalty. Today it is purchased in its raw fleece form by hand-spinners and fiber artists. Knitters buy it as yarn.

Because of its soft texture, alpaca fiber is sometimes compared to cashmere. Making the fiber even more coveted, it has the luster of silk. Alpaca is just as warm as, yet 1/3 the weight of wool. It comes in 22 natural colors, yet can be dyed any desired shade.

Containing no lanolin, alpaca fiber is also naturally hypoallergenic. Most people who are sensitive to wool find that they can wear alpaca without the itching or irritation they feel from wool because alpaca fiber is smooth. Additional performance characteristics include: stretch, water repellency, and odor reduction. For travelers, clothing made from alpaca is desirable because it is wrinkle resistant.

To find out more about National Alpaca Farm Days visit www.NationalAlpacaFarmDays.com. To learn more about Simple Life Farm Alpacas, call 587-7283.