Welcome!

The West Virginia Alpaca Organization was established in 2007 by the Alpaca Breeders of West Virginia. We are dedicated to the development of a robust and sustainable alpaca industry in the United States. Our mission is to represent the West Virginia alpaca industry and be a resource for camelid enthusiasts.

WVAO’s function is to promote alpacas, educate the public and support our members. This organization is tackling the issues that face our alpaca community such as veterinary care, farm labor, supply resources, state taxes, predator control, youth education, fiber processing and much, much, more.

Come and join our wonderful community that is dedicated to West Virginia Alpacas

You can contact us at info@wvalpacas.org

What are alpacas?

Class – MAMMALIA
Order – ARTIODACTYLA
Suborder – TYLOPODA – Camelids
Family- CAMELIDAE – NEW WORLD - Lama pacos - alpaca

Alpacas are fleece animals from the South American Andes Mountains of Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. They have a soft pad on each foot with two nails that help them carefully maneuver in their rugged environment. Alpacas are ruminants with a three compartment stomach. Their digestive system enables them to process sparse vegetation very efficiently.

The lifespan of an alpaca is about 15-25 years. Adult alpacas average between 100-175 pounds. They have a gestation period of 335 days and are stimulated ovulators. Females produce one offspring at a time with twins being very rare. A baby alpaca is called a cria. A newborn cria on average weighs between 15-19 pounds.

Alpacas have provided beautiful warm fine fleece which has been made into garments for centuries. Alpaca fleece is a fine wool that has been categorized in 22 different and distinct natural colors. They are shorn each year like sheep without any trauma to their wellbeing.