The Price of Crossbreeding When international demand for alpaca fiber increased, some farmers sought ways to boost their production. Their solution seemed simple: crossbreed alpacas with llamas to get more fiber per animal. While this strategy did increase fiber volume, it came with a hidden cost that’s still affecting the industry today. The impact of…

Ancient Record Keepers Before spreadsheets or written records existed, Andean herders developed an ingenious system for keeping track of their alpaca herds – the quipu, a series of knotted cords. These weren’t simple counting tools. Through different knot patterns and cord colors, herders could record detailed information about their herd sizes, colors, and even breeding…

Sacred Guardians of the Andes Building on the meaning of the name “Allpaka,” this spiritual connection between camelids and the land goes even deeper in Andean culture, particularly in how these animals are classified. In the Andean worldview, camelids aren’t simply divided into wild and domestic species like we might do in Western science. Instead,…

The unique fleece we have discussed yesterday is perfectly adapted to survive in the harsh conditions of the Atacama desert. However, this insulating fleece can also be a challenge in hot weather. Alpacas have a specific “thermal window” – their belly, armpits, and groin areas – where they can shed excess heat. When it gets…