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THE ALPACA IS A CAMELID

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For many of us, when we say wool, we think ovid (family of sheep). A misconception that one twists his arm with the following information: the alpaca is a mammal from the camelid family. At its side we find species such as the lama, the dromedary, the camel or the vicuña. To be even more precise, the alpaca is a small camelid and comes from South America, while the large camelids (camels and dromedaries) live mainly in Africa and Asia.

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THE SPIT ALPACA

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Like its cousin the llama, the alpaca can show its annoyance by spitting. An after all effective and unusual way to ward off the enemy but which, contrary to legend, rarely manifests against humans. If this is the case however, the individual may not have been able to identify the signs of annoyance beforehand. It is above all a means of defense used between alpacas, in conflict situations but also when the female wants to indicate to the male that she is pregnant and that he must distance himself.

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THERE ARE TWO CATEGORIES OF ALPACAS

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Among alpacas, there are two different types of fibers. The Huacayas have dense, shiny and curly fleece. It grows vertically to the animal's skin. The Suris, on the other hand, have a silky fleece, droopy and stiff but recognizable by their shape that resembles dreadlocks.

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22 IS THE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT DRESSES IN THE ALPACAS

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Pretty panoply. Indeed, while there are two categories of alpacas, it has been noted that 22 natural shades exist in total for their fleece. A rich panel that ranges from black, to white, through more nuanced colors such as beige, brown, red or gray. Enough to vary the pleasures and offer a wide variety of weavings.

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THE ALPACA IS CLEAN

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Believe it or not, the alpaca chooses the places it goes to defecate and goes there systematically when needed. A reflex that allows us to preserve maintained grounds and which also attests of the great intelligence of the species. In addition, their manure is composted in just a month and can be easily reused in gardens.

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ALPACA FARMING IS GREENER THAN OTHERS

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Among all the qualities of the alpaca, its breeding is not considered harmful to the environment. Known to have a very small appetite (one bale of hay is enough to feed two alpacas per week), it is also known not to deteriorate pastures by pulling up grasses as it simply cuts them with its teeth. Also, as mentioned above, alpaca manure is recognized as being an extremely effective fertilizer.

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THE ALPACA IS SOCIABLE

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The alpaca does not like solitude. Its development and well-being are essentially based on its place in the herd and on community habits. They cannot be bred alone, it is imperative that a minimum of three alpacas constitute breeding. The whole life of alpacas is punctuated by their hierarchical links and recognition within the group. When a baby is born, for example, all the alpacas in the herd will smell it to recognize it. With humans, the agreement is more cautious but still possible. It is important to take the time to approach them, gently, without shouting, in order to reduce their stress and be able to establish contact with the animal. Be careful, however, it is strongly recommended to avoid contact between young alpacas and humans because this sociability has its drawbacks and the alpaca can then consider humans as one of their own. This is a syndrome recognized in alpacas and llamas which can, when the male grows and becomes dominant, generate complex or even serious situations with his congeners and those he considers as such. This syndrome even has a name: Bersek LLama Syndrome.

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ALPACA FARMING IS GREENER THAN OTHERS

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Thanks to their common liking for quality and traceability, a nice story was born between the designer and La Maison de la Maille. Partners on several events, it was natural for the two brands to unite their universes and to communicate together on the possibility to make luxury products, without ever losing sight of today's issues; linked to the environment, but also linked to quality. With the same fervour, La Maison de la Maille joins Gaëlle in its desire to favour noble materials, to not neglect working conditions and to make every effort to respect the environment and animals as much as possible. A philosophy shared by the two brands and which should soon give birth to new and pretty projects ...

 

THE M IN THE ALPACA IS FOR MACHO

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You wonder what we're talking about. While he may be a macho, which we frankly don't dare claim, the male alpaca is called macho because he is from South America and macho simply means "male." The female is called Hembra (female) and the young one, Cria (reproduction).

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THE GESTATION OF A FEMALE ALPACA LASTS LONGER THAN THAT OF A HUMAN

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Do you think nine months is a long time? Tell yourself it could be worse. In fact, the gestation period of a female alpaca is 335 days, or 11 months. Two more than a typical pregnancy in humans. And two months count.