ALPACA?? I've definately been living in a cave!!
By bonnie
@bunnybon7 (50970)
Holiday, Florida
August 5, 2009 4:20pm CST
This morn my friend was telling me that her son in laws parents own an Alpaca farm. im like, yuk, people dont eat those? they're so cute
well, did she laugh at me. shes like "no way! they have the most wonderful fur
and they sell the fur to make things and they are easy to keep and sweet animals." so i just had to go look it all up. and now im thinking, was i the only person on the planet didnt know this??
this is a quote from the website i found.
*Alpacas produce one of the world's finest and most luxurious natural fibers. It is clipped from the animal without causing it injury. Soft as cashmere and warmer, lighter and stronger than wool, it comes in more colors than any other fiber producing animal (approximately 22 basic colors with many variations and blends).This cashmere-like fleece, once reserved for Incan royalty, is now enjoyed by spinners and weavers around the world.*
im going to try and put the link here. sorry if this is a repeat of old discussion. just wanted to know how many already knew.
http://www.alpacainfo.com
THIS IS IN REFERANCE TO THE DISCUSSION,not a referal for anything else.
so, how many of you already knew? isnt this wonderful animal? i wish i could have a place to keep one:(
well, did she laugh at me. shes like "no way! they have the most wonderful fur and they sell the fur to make things and they are easy to keep and sweet animals." so i just had to go look it all up. and now im thinking, was i the only person on the planet didnt know this?? this is a quote from the website i found.
*Alpacas produce one of the world's finest and most luxurious natural fibers. It is clipped from the animal without causing it injury. Soft as cashmere and warmer, lighter and stronger than wool, it comes in more colors than any other fiber producing animal (approximately 22 basic colors with many variations and blends).This cashmere-like fleece, once reserved for Incan royalty, is now enjoyed by spinners and weavers around the world.*
im going to try and put the link here. sorry if this is a repeat of old discussion. just wanted to know how many already knew.
http://www.alpacainfo.com
THIS IS IN REFERANCE TO THE DISCUSSION,not a referal for anything else.
so, how many of you already knew? isnt this wonderful animal? i wish i could have a place to keep one:(5 people like this
14 responses
@AmbiePam (120692)
• United States
6 Aug 09
I would love to see an alpaca in person. On one of the episodes of Dirty Jobs (on the Discovery Channel), the host visited an alpaca farm and assisted in shaving them. It was quite funny to watch a pro, and then see the host do it. Then he helped a lady spin the alpaca fur into a blanket. The weird thing was she also showed the host a scarf made from her own hair. She thought, hey if alpaca fur works, let's see if I can spin my own hair! The woman wasn't senile, and maybe that's not really weird, it's just me who thinks it's odd? Uh, no thanks, I'll not try it myself. lol
@AmbiePam (120692)
• United States
7 Aug 09
Oh, about the alpaca episode. See they strap the alpacas on a table to shave them (they don't put up a fuss and it doesn't hurt them). Well, at the end of that episode, they strapped one of their cameramen on the table and shaved his head like an alpaca.
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
7 Aug 09
wow. i always forget to check out the dirty jobs show. im always afraid it will be something sickening.
1 person likes this
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
6 Aug 09
Thanks for the link..cause I had to use it to figure out what a alpaca was.
I didn't know it by it's name. I have seen the animal yes..but I didn't know the name of them. I am sure the link will be helpful to others like me who don't know what they look like or their names. I bet it is more costly then cashmere sweaters.
I didn't know it by it's name. I have seen the animal yes..but I didn't know the name of them. I am sure the link will be helpful to others like me who don't know what they look like or their names. I bet it is more costly then cashmere sweaters.@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
6 Aug 09
I love knitting and crocheting..I bet it would be a dream to use but a big pull on the pocket book
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
6 Aug 09
im not sure. i didnt look into any pricing now that you mentioned it but i've been told its very soft and silky.
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
6 Aug 09
yes,i'd seen them in tucson-a farm there had both alpaca and llama.
they are beautiful,but i wouldn't try to pet them myself.the one had an angry eye.
but then,i probably would too all that fur in arizona sun LOL
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
6 Aug 09
i must have just come across one that was having a bad day.
he seemed not happy about something.
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
6 Aug 09
they, my friends that have the farm of them say they are very gentle. they are in Texas so i imagine the alpaca's are used to heat.
1 person likes this
@quinnkl (1667)
• United States
9 Aug 09
I have read about these animals. I saw them on television once and thought wow, how cute, how neat! Sounds like they are great "pets" as well as being money makers for those who raise them. I'm with you! Wish I had somewhere so that I could have a couple at my home too!
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
5 Aug 09
HEY BON, u have taught me something new today, thanks. I didn't know one thing about them. Thanks for the info.
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
6 Aug 09
your welcome. thats what i love about mylot. so many times people have opened my eyes to new things. and here iam at 61 yrs and still learning as they say, you learn something new (almost)every day
as they say, you learn something new (almost)every day1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
6 Aug 09
u NEVER GET TOO OLD TO LEARN, THANK HEAVENS, i GOT U BEAT I'M 66 & u taught me something today.
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
6 Aug 09
I remember hearing of this a decade or so ago; some people had decided to start up alpaca farms because they thought it would be a very profitable business. For most people, it ended up not being all that profitable, or not profitable at all (dont know whether this is because they overestimated the demand for alpaca, or because they didn't do a good job or because it's a difficult business, etc.)
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
6 Aug 09
well according to my friend its a very good business. they are doing very well. in fact the son inlaws parents are quite wealthy because of the business.
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
6 Aug 09
OH!! I love alpaca fur!! It's SOOOOO soft!!! The first time I saw it was in one of the shops in Vegas. I wasn't able to buy any, but I sure do want it. I always look for it when I'm out and about at new places.
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
7 Aug 09
i wish i could feel it. i've never gotten to do that
1 person likes this
@sophie_dfuss (2365)
• Philippines
6 Aug 09
I also have seen an Alpaca two years ago when me and my younger sister went to an animal show. I think its a very cute creature as well but my sister was afraid of it, she doesn't like the smell of the animal and even took a photo of her and the Alpaca. I have attached that photo on my response. Its good that their fur can be use for making sweaters and cashmeres.
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
6 Aug 09
wow. arent they just so cute. your sis and the alpaca
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
6 Aug 09
A farm near my dad raises alpacas and they are so adorable! Friendly, too.
I remember at my last job my boss was talking about an alpaca sweater she just loved and another woman was horrified because she thought you had to kill and skin the poor creature. We all had a good laugh about that--I didn't laugh as hard as the others because till someone said something, I didn't know their coats were used like a sheep's!
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
7 Aug 09
yes thats what i thought at first. i was afraid they was killing them.
i was afraid they was killing them.
@glords (2614)
• United States
5 Aug 09
I believe that I knew this... or at least it was the first idea that popped in my head when you said alpaca farm. I don't know if I knew it for sure. Anyway, misunderstandings are usually the fault of the storyteller... not the listener. Don't be too hard on yourself.
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
5 Aug 09
i never thought about them one way or the other. i just looked at them as cute animals at the zoo. had no idea they were of other use
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
6 Aug 09
I wish I did too. We go to a drive-thru animal preserve called the Arbuckle Wilderness in Davis OK, where they have many of them running around. They're smaller than llamas, and seem to have less of a tendancy to spit...at least the ones I've interacted with. I'm attaching a picture of one (hopefully it will work) that we took in January when we were there.
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
6 Aug 09
oh yes they are so sweet i'll bet. i've only seen them at the zoo once. i used to own a goat and raised her from a little kid. she was just so sweet. these things remind me of her.
@anniefannie (1737)
• United States
6 Aug 09
ididn't know anything about alpacas until i watched it about them on PB station. they are real sweet and friendly animals
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
6 Aug 09
oh i wish i had seen it. i didnt know either till my friend was talking about the farm.
