Alpaca wool

[eggplant]

Perhaps That Alpaca Guy can answer this... Are alpacas harmed when their fur is used for sweaters and such? I was in one of those stores where different vendors have little booths selling different things (mostly antiques) and one booth was devoted to alpaca wool products. There were these little stuffed alpacas and teddy bears that were so soft that I had trouble stopping myself from touching them all afternoon. (My cat suffers my obsessive touching when I'm home...) Then I felt guilty for enjoying them, thinking that the poor alpacas had probably not enjoyed having their fur taken from them. Does anyone have any knowledge of alpaca shearing practices? Is it any different from sheep shearing?

[That Alpaca Guy]

A good point, and one I’ve been mulling over for a while now. To my best knowledge, Alpaca’s are indeed harmed, but only in so much a way as sheep are. The shearing practices are more or less the same. They are a little more specialised because someone who can shear a sheep won’t really know how to shear an Alpaca. But if your question is ‘is it as bad as sheep wool’ then the answer is yes. They are still held down and the fleece cut off. I don’t know is this will make any difference, but Alpaca shearers will most likely take more care of the animal then sheep shearers, if only because of end market value. Alpaca wool is expensive and valuable, where sheep wool is more mass then value. But, like sheep, (and I haven’t really researched this bit overmuch) the alpaca is breed for fleece, so failure to remove it may start health problems.

Little stuffed Alpaca’s??? oooooooo I want one!!!

A quick google got me this, not great, but . . . .
http://www.gateway-alpacas.com/alpaca-shearing.php
http://www.walnutcreekalpacas.com/alpaca_shearing_tips.htm

[Lothar M Kirsch]

Apart from what TAG said: Alpacas are raised in a very harsh climate at 3000 m altitude, so they might suffer from the cold temperatures during the nights.

[kpickell]

There aren't any 3000 m high altitudes around here, so around here they're raised on normal farms. :D

[spud]

There are six alpacas in my village. They are treated like VIP's by the lady that looks after them. A special shearer is hired and it's an expensive event. She has been hoping that selling the alpaca wools will pay for the vet bills ( toenail clipping and so on) but hasn't found any way of getting more than a few quid for it. The alpacas don't suffer, I think they like to be rid of their thick coat for the summer.

But the whole concept of 'keeping' animals for wool or any other reason is weird and I shudder to think what happens in a business situation where money is the motivation. So I avoid wool of any origin because it just encourages a market for it.

[That Alpaca Guy]

Apart from what TAG said: Alpacas are raised in a very harsh climate at 3000 m altitude, so they might suffer from the cold temperatures during the nights.

Those ones, I think, would most likely be the Alpaca's in Peru, Bolivia ect. Who are used as herd animals for sth american shepherds. Again, I think they are mostly used for wool, but I do not think the source of the ones eggplant saw came from Sth America. Much more likely from a local breeder.

[That Alpaca Guy]

I agree completely spud but I don't think most Alpaca’s are treated so well.

[VeggieBiker]

I think it really varies from place to place as to the treatment of the alpacas.
Off topic: My mom bought llamas to keep her company after I moved out and you've never seen such spoiled llamas in your life. They go on walks in the country, enjoy daily brushings, and roam about a couple hundred acres. I wish all animals could have such a sweet life! (Like the poor beef cattle on the same ranch.)

[eggplant]

Yeah, I wasn't planning on buying any wool products or anything. I was just curious. Maybe one day if I have some land I'll adopt some llamas or alpacas to keep me company like veggiebiker's mom. And some goats too, to keep the llamas company...

[Lothar M Kirsch]

I´ve seen them in Peru and Bolivia. According to the paper El Razon 52 % of all camelidos (alpaca, llama, vicuna, guanaco) are in Peru, 36 % in Bolivia. So I was thinking more of the camelidos of my own experience.

[That Alpaca Guy]

Completely Understandable Lothar. I’m not really at all sure how much Alpaca wool is exported from Peru and Bolivia, But I don’t think it’s that much. However, to the best of my Knowledge, almost all Alpaca wool used in developed countries is local grown.

So happy to se so many people showing a interest in Alpaca’s and Llamas! :)

[Hari's Chick]

This is about wool in general, I found a site for kids which helps explain about wool and what happens to the sheep.
http://www.pleasebekind.com/clothes.html

Does anyone know if there is a site or shop where Waldorf-style wool (felt) products are made by people who do not treat their sheep poorly? I have recently met with Waldorf folks and they are teaching kindness priniciples to their children too, but attending Waldorf school means using wool felt, much of the time. I mean, I'm sure the children could decline on moral principles, but it would be nicer to ask the school to supply from responsible places.

:wayne: