This is why you may hear of alpaca ranchers having a 'Guard llama' to protect their alpaca herd. The llama will live peacefully with the alpacas and protect them if threatened by a predator.
Some alpaca ranches will have 1 guard llama that will protect the herd of alpacas. If a predator is nearby, the llama will distance itself from the herd of alpacas and draw the predator away from the herd of alpacas. Fiber - Alpaca has fine, soft fiber, normally microns. This fiber is excellent for alpaca garments like shawls, hats and socks. Llama fiber is more coarse, normally microns and not as suitable for garments. One exception is baby llama fiber which can be very soft and below 30 microns so it has a similar feel to alpaca.
You can learn more about how we grade alpaca fiber in this article. Purpose - Alpaca have been bred for 's of years for their fine fleece. Llamas are work animals bred as pack animals and to help guard other livestock. Both alpacas and llamas have a place on the ranch and on the prairies and both fulfil their roles well. Trekking - If you love hiking in the wilderness and are looking for an animal to carry your equipment, then a Llama could be a good choice.
They are sure footed and strong enough to carry up to one third of their body weight. Their ears are very different, too. As mentioned, alpaca fibers are more delicate. They are softer and finer compared to the heavier, warmer wool that llamas produce. On average, in a year, an alpaca can produce 50 to 90 ounces of high-quality fiber and between 50 and ounces of low to mid-quality fiber.
Finally, in terms of llama vs alpaca fibers, alpacas offer more colors, so you might need to treat llama wool to get the color that you want. While both are domesticated animals and generally more at ease with humans than other creatures, there is a difference between llamas vs alpacas when it comes to their disposition.
Llamas and alpacas have always been seen and treated by humans as creatures of different purposes. For instance, alpacas were never regarded as pack animals the same way that llamas were. They were simply raised for their fiber, although they are sometimes harvested for their meat in Peru. Llamas, on the other hand, were seen mainly as service animals. They can carry burdens, pull carts, and more. Also, since llamas have a higher amount of stiff guard hair intertwined to their coats than the alpacas, people can use it to produce ropes, rugs, and weaved and knitted products.
They can carry around 99 to pounds or 45 to 60 kilograms of weight, and travel up to Their hair: The alpaca produces a much finer fiber than the llama. The alpaca also produces more fleece than its larger cousin and in a much greater variety of colors.
Llamas also generally do not have as much hair on their head and face as alpacas do. Their dispositions: Alpacas are very much herd animals, while llamas are more independent minded. Alpacas also tend to be a bit more skittish than llamas, which are often used as guard animals for alpacas, sheep, and other small livestock.
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Their hair: The alpaca produces a much finer fiber than the llama. The alpaca also produces more fleece than its larger cousin and in a much greater variety of colors. Llamas also generally do not have as much hair on their head and face as alpacas do.
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