Our mission is to honor and
serve God in all that we do.

What IS an Alpaca?

One of the most mystical, incredible and loving creatures God ever created.  Alpacas are members of the Camelid family.  They are close cousins to the Llama, Vicugna and Guanaco.  Alpacas are native to South America, Peru, Chili and Bolivia.  Rare and precious animals, they were domesticated about 5,000 years ago.  The Alpaca's fine wool was reserved for Incan royalty and have been proven to be the easiest to care for of all livestock. Life span can be 15 to 25 years.  Gentle, basically odor free, economically sound and tax deferred opportunities make owning  a herd a great investment for any family or individual  interested in livestock farming.

Two variations of Alpacas exist. The Huacaya  and the Suri.  Alpaca's produce an extremely broad spectrum of colored fleece.  There are some 22 original colors of Alpacas, fleece can be color-died once shorn and processed to any color you wish. Huacaya Alpacas produce wool that is dense and soft with a fine crimp. Long, silky pencil like  locks are characteristics of the  Suri. The variety of Alpaca wool makes investment worth while. Shorn annually, the highest quality fleece is derived from the back, side (blanket)  shoulder and rump areas (the barrel of the body).  The very first shearing collected from a young Alpaca is priced at a premium because of its extra quality of fineness.  This luxurious, soft yet durable fiber is outlined in our Fiber & Services section.

To hear the sounds of an Alpaca visit our Opportunities section.

Tommy & Mendy Royster
6956 Charles City Rd.
Richmond, Va.  23231
(804) 795-5055
Fax: 795-5578
sales@cwfalpacas.com

A delicate fiber from a delicate animal...
When grazing, alpacas essentially "mow" the grass.  They do not uproot or destroy the pastures.  Their soft padded feet protect vs. destroying pastures.  Interestingly enough, they share a communal dung pile preferring to keep their waste in one area instead of fowling the pastures. Average height is 4-5 feet to their tuffs of their ears. Average weight is 130-175 lbs. Alpacas have no upper teeth in the front, only lower.  Gestation is 11 months or 335-350 days. Wool is shorn annually, the average sheering is 5-10 lbs.

Virginia provides basically a healthy and disease free environment  for us to raise our Alpacas.  Temperatures are suitable and we can maintain the nurseries for a good part of the year.  We are fortunate to have help from time to time from Richard & Sandra Carter, local neighboring Alpaca farmers in Charles City, Va.  We are truly blessed with the many people that have contributed to our endeavor to raise these precious, unusual, domesticated animals. We invite you to visit our farm in person, tour the facilities, mingle with our Alpacas and realize the potential and investment opportunities that can be achieved by beginning your own Alpaca Farm.