Alpacas connect well with children and adults. Because of their gentle disposition and small stature, children often train and s how them. Alpacas are shorn every 12 to 24 months, producing 5 to 9 pounds of fiber. Huacayas and Suris can both produce 22 natural colors. Female alpacas mature at 15-20 months, males at about 3 years.
Twins are very rare.
Their life span is 15 to 20 years. Adults weigh 85 to 180 pounds and newborns weigh 15 to 20 pounds. Adult height is 30 to 40 inches at the rump and 4 to 5 feet at the top of the head. In the United States the primary uses of the alpaca are for breeding, as well as their exceptional fleece. Factors that determine quality are conformation, soundness, fineness of fiber, and density of fiber.