Denver, Colorado alpaca adventures package with meetalpacas.com: Nowhere else but here will you have the same opportunity to experience Alpacas in the open beauty of nature. Get nose-to-nose with Pablo Picasso just one of our resident furry friends. Come explore the scenic mountain views where you can hand-feed a healthy snack to our friendly Alpacas. Live entertainment is part of the fun. Learn fascinating facts about these majestic creatures, and go behind the scenes into a fiber producing Alpaca farm. Chances are, you’ll make a new friend on your visit. For all ages, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Find extra details on alpacas farm in Denver, Colorado.

For many years, zoologists assumed alpacas and llamas had descended from guanacos, and they were classified in the genus Lama. However, in a 2001 paper titled “Genetic analysis reveals the wild ancestors of the llama and the alpaca” in the journal Proceeding of the Royal Society B, researchers showed there is “high genetic similarity” between the alpaca and the vicuña, and between the llama and the guanaco. They recommended that the alpaca be reclassified as Vicugna pacos.

Additionally, if you have any accessibility concerns that make hiking impossible, then there are also places to sit down next to the alpacas, which makes this activity available to everyone regardless of their ability or needs. The Smooth Alpaca Experience just so happens to have scenic mountain views of Red Rock Park. Yes, that’s right, the iconic Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre where hundreds of concerts are held each year. Combine a visit to the venue with an alpaca experience. Are you looking for an educational opportunity for your kids? Come enjoy an alpaca experience that’s not only fun but also informative. This alpaca experience takes place on a fiber farm. This type of farm raises animals like alpacas, sheep, goats, llamas, angora rabbits, and more for their fleece and wool.

The alpaca comes in two breed types: huacaya (pronounced wuh-KAI-ya) and suri (SUR-ee). Huacayas, the more common type, account for about 85-90% of all alpacas. The two breed types vary primarily in terms of their fiber. How long do alpacas live? Generally, around 15 to 20 years. The longest documented lifespan of an alpaca is 28 years. How are alpacas different from llamas? People often confuse alpacas with llamas. While closely related, llamas and alpacas are very different animals. Llamas are much larger, about twice the size of an alpaca, with a weight range of 250 to 450 pounds. Alpacas weigh between 120 to 200 pounds. Llamas are primarily used for packing or for guarding herds of sheep or alpacas, whereas alpacas are primarily raised for their soft and luxurious fleece. Read more details on meetalpacas.com.

Are alpacas easy to care for? Alpacas are a small and relatively easy livestock to maintain. They stand about 36′ high at the withers (where the neck and spine come together) and weigh between 120 to 200 pounds. Like other types of livestock, alpacas need basic shelter and protection from heat and foul weather. Good nutrition is essential for healthy animals. Hay, minerals, and fresh clean water should be available at all times. Many alpaca owners also provide a nutritional supplement. Under a veterinarian’s direction, alpacas need vaccinations, preventive medication, and deworming. Alpacas also require yearly shearing to keep them cool in the summer. Alpacas do not have hooves; instead they have two toes, with hard toenails on top and a soft pad on the bottom of their feet. Their padded feet minimize the impact on the pasture. To ensure proper foot alignment and comfort, their toenails must be trimmed as needed.

So what do you DO with these animals? Alpacas are raised for their soft and luxurious fleece (fiber). Each shearing produces roughly five to ten pounds of fleece per animal, per year. This fleece, often compared to cashmere, can be turned into a wide array of products from yarn and apparel to tapestries and blankets. The fleece itself is recognized globally for its fineness, softness, light weight, durability, excellent thermal qualities, and luster.

Alpacas are very social creatures. They are gentle and curious and with training can become great pets, according to Switzer. Herds often include animals of different species or taxonomic families, such as llamas, goats and sheep, according to the FAO. Alpacas spit when they are distressed or feel threatened. They will sometimes spit at each other when they are competing for food or trying to establish dominance, according to Switzer. They won’t spit at people or bite unless they have been abused.