Lots of the visitors here at Old Macdonald’s Farm in Brentwood are fascinated by our marvellous Alpacas. They always ask for information on these magnificent creatures, and are interested in our answers so we thought we would share some of this with you on our website.
Alpacas are part of the camelid family, as are Llamas and guanacos, and come originally from South America. Many were imported to Britain for two reasons. The first is for their wool which is comparable to cashmere and is both fine, lightweight and warm. There are cottage industries who make Alpaca sweaters in the UK and well worth you seeking them out. They are shorn just once a year, and an experienced shearer can get the fleece off in one piece (how poetical is that from me, without even trying) and keep your eyes peeled for our Sheep Shearing weekends next year when you can come and watch this on our farm.
The second reason was that they were placed amongst flocks of sheep to keep foxes away as they are very protective of their flocks and fitted in really well with herds of sheep. Once you have looked at their long necks and their giant hooves which whilst they are padded you can understand why a fox would think twice about disturbing them! Read on for some more information.
They are grazers, nibbling away all day long on the grass at the farm, and have wonderful and calm natures without any top teeth so you can get up close to them perfectly safely. They are 1 metre high on the shoulders and weigh between 50 and 80 kgs (which is over 13 and a half stone in old money) so they are not tiny little creatures!
They can be led around our farm by our experienced staff but as you will have seen if you have watched them they are really strong and can only be handled with care. Some people keep Alpaca farms and make a good living from the wool and other products, and they find this a calming lifestyle with these magnificent creatures.
So now you know, these are part of the Llama family, alongside Fire Allarmas and the Dalai Llama. (Really could not resist that, sorry, apologies, etc) Come down and view these lovely animals who deserved better than my awful puns. Probably, so do you.
Dear Alpacas
We drive past every day and are so used to seeing you every morning. Please where are you we havent seen you for a few weeks now and we miss you ? You cheer us up every morning.
Lots of Love two fans Wendy and Teresa xx
Dear Wendy and Teresa,
For the next couple of weeks we will be inside a nice warm stable to meet our visitors, but will be back out soon so look for us and wave when you drive by!
Love from the Alpacas.