Sunday, 6 October 2013

Looking For Vicunas For Sale

By Rhea Solomon


If you are wanting to find Vicunas for sale, this could be a problem. A Vicuna is a wild animal with behavior that makes it difficult to domesticate. The Alpaca on the other hand, has a gentle nature suited to domestication. It is no wonder that farmers are choosing to breed Paco-Vicunas, combining the best traits of both.

The Vicuna is believed to be the wild ancestor of the Alpaca. They are both part of the Camelidae family but the Alpaca is domesticated. The unusual mating habits and bullish behavior of a Vicuna make it unsuitable for domestication. Its body is uniquely adapted to survive the high altitudes and the cold. It is smaller than other camels but otherwise looks much like them with a long neck, padded, cloven feet, thin legs and huge, round eyes.

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.

At one point these animals almost became extinct because they were being slaughtered for their sought after fleeces. This was averted by serious conservation efforts. The governments of Bolivia, Chile, Peru and Argentina also instituted capture and shave roundups called Chacus. Locals are allowed to capture the animals, shave them and set them free again. The fibers are sold and the local communities benefit from the profits.

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.

Farmers are breeding for the coat traits of a Vicuna while attempting to keep the advantageous traits of an Alpaca, like its gentle nature and faster growing fleece. The most valuable animals are those with the finest and densest fibers. The micron count refers to the fineness of fibers.

There are not that many Paco-Vicunas yet on these farms in North America. However, numbers are beginning to grow as interest increases and people begin to recognize the benefits. A registry of information is kept and the animals are required to be DNA tested. They are given one of six classifications and are also micro chipped.

Breeding these animals offers an excellent money making opportunity. If you are wanting to find Vicunas for sale, there are a number of breeding farms with online websites. An online search shows stock available for purchase with photographs for viewing.




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