A Vicuna is a wild animal found in the Andes. It has an extremely fine coat as it needs plenty of insulation in the freezing conditions. Its body is well adapted for survival in these high altitudes. This is not a domesticated animal, so if you are wanting to find Vicunas for sale, you will probably need to look for Paco-Vicunas which are being bred for the combined traits of an Alpaca and a Vicuna.
The Vicuna lives in the high altitudes of the Andes. It has one of the finest coats in the world due to its need for insulation in the freezing conditions. A Vicuna and an Alpaca both come from the Camelidae family which means they have long necks, spindly legs, padded feet and large eyes. However, the Vicuna is the smallest of all camels.
One of the reasons its fleece is so popular is because it is so warm. Each fiber has a hollow filled with air. Tiny scales on the hollow, air-filled fibers interlock, forming pockets that trap more air for insulation. The fiber is soft, dense and super-fine. It is slow growing, often only long enough to shear about every three years. The fibers of Paco-Vicunas is somewhat longer and denser but they are still fine and luxurious. An advantage is they are faster growing.
These animals were being slaughtered for their fine fleece and they almost became extinct. Fortunately, this situation has been reversed by conservation efforts. Capture and shave programs have also been instituted by the governments of Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina whereby local communities profit from keeping these animals alive. Roundups called Chacus are held to capture the animals. They are then shaved and set free. The fibers are sold to foreigners who turn the raw materials into usable items.
Foreigners pay for the raw materials which they then have made into items that fetch excellent prices. The demand for this fleece is larger than the supply as the yield is not very high. Farmers in the United States, seeing a demand, began to look for solutions.
Paco-vicuna have existed for some time in small quantities in South America. Now they can be found on over a dozen farms in the United States. Breeders select animals that exhibit stronger Vicuna traits. The resulting offspring vary, often having the longer fleece length of an Alpaca but finer fleece than an Alpaca. These farmers have the aim of achieving the finest coats they can. The Alpaca traits they are looking for are the gentleness of disposition and a faster growing fleece. The unit measuring the fineness is a micron.
Breeding females and herd sires are available for purchase from breeding farms. At present there are not that many of these animals available but the interest in breeding them is growing all the time. As this industry is in its beginning stages, it is likely to grow speedily over the next few years. There is even a registry where information on them is kept. Six classifications are defined and all animals are DNA tested and micro chipped.
On online search is one of the ways to find out about Vicunas for sale. Most farms offering stock have websites and photographs of breeding females and males may be viewed. This is a chance to get in early on an excellent opportunity.
The Vicuna lives in the high altitudes of the Andes. It has one of the finest coats in the world due to its need for insulation in the freezing conditions. A Vicuna and an Alpaca both come from the Camelidae family which means they have long necks, spindly legs, padded feet and large eyes. However, the Vicuna is the smallest of all camels.
One of the reasons its fleece is so popular is because it is so warm. Each fiber has a hollow filled with air. Tiny scales on the hollow, air-filled fibers interlock, forming pockets that trap more air for insulation. The fiber is soft, dense and super-fine. It is slow growing, often only long enough to shear about every three years. The fibers of Paco-Vicunas is somewhat longer and denser but they are still fine and luxurious. An advantage is they are faster growing.
These animals were being slaughtered for their fine fleece and they almost became extinct. Fortunately, this situation has been reversed by conservation efforts. Capture and shave programs have also been instituted by the governments of Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina whereby local communities profit from keeping these animals alive. Roundups called Chacus are held to capture the animals. They are then shaved and set free. The fibers are sold to foreigners who turn the raw materials into usable items.
Foreigners pay for the raw materials which they then have made into items that fetch excellent prices. The demand for this fleece is larger than the supply as the yield is not very high. Farmers in the United States, seeing a demand, began to look for solutions.
Paco-vicuna have existed for some time in small quantities in South America. Now they can be found on over a dozen farms in the United States. Breeders select animals that exhibit stronger Vicuna traits. The resulting offspring vary, often having the longer fleece length of an Alpaca but finer fleece than an Alpaca. These farmers have the aim of achieving the finest coats they can. The Alpaca traits they are looking for are the gentleness of disposition and a faster growing fleece. The unit measuring the fineness is a micron.
Breeding females and herd sires are available for purchase from breeding farms. At present there are not that many of these animals available but the interest in breeding them is growing all the time. As this industry is in its beginning stages, it is likely to grow speedily over the next few years. There is even a registry where information on them is kept. Six classifications are defined and all animals are DNA tested and micro chipped.
On online search is one of the ways to find out about Vicunas for sale. Most farms offering stock have websites and photographs of breeding females and males may be viewed. This is a chance to get in early on an excellent opportunity.
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