About Prairie Wind Alpacas

We purchased our first alpacas in 2004, and now have a herd of about 30 animals. We enjoy working with the animals and learning about the beautiful products that can be made from their fibre. We take pleasure in working with, and introducing others to, the luxury of alpaca fibre products which we sell from our home and at craft sales.

Our two girls have become very involved with the alpacas as well. Our eldest daughter, Jennie (left) shears the animals every spring while Katie helps with the daily care.

About Alpacas

Alpacas are gentle, curious animals that originated in Peru, Chile and Bolivia. They were first imported to Canada in the 1990s. Since then, the Canadian Alpaca Industry has developed an international reputation for quality breeding stock.

Alpaca fibre is soft, warm and non-allergenic. The alpacas are sheared once a year, usually in May or June. There are two breeds of alpacas, the huacaya and the suri. The most common breed raised in Canada is the huacaya. The main difference between the two breeds is the length of the fibre that the animal produces. The huacaya produce fibre that is about 6 - 8 inches long, and the suri produce fiber that grows in long strands. The Canadian Alpaca Fibre Industry is now taking steps to have commercial production of the fibre.

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