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 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.
The fleece of the Vicuna is not only popular because it is so fine but because it is very warm. Each fiber is air-filled and tiny, interlocking scales on the fibers create air pockets too. This super-fine soft fiber grows slowly and shearing can only take place after about three years. A Paco-Vicuna has longer, denser fibers but they are still very fine. These fibers are faster growing than those of the Vicuna.
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.
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.
If you are wanting to find Vicunas for sale, there are a number of these breeding farms with online websites. It is a simple matter of seeing what stock is available, from herd sires to breeding females. Photographs of all the animals for sale are usually provided. Purchasing animals provides an excellent chance of getting in on the ground floor of a good opportunity as the prices are likely to increase as the demand increases.
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.
The fleece of the Vicuna is not only popular because it is so fine but because it is very warm. Each fiber is air-filled and tiny, interlocking scales on the fibers create air pockets too. This super-fine soft fiber grows slowly and shearing can only take place after about three years. A Paco-Vicuna has longer, denser fibers but they are still very fine. These fibers are faster growing than those of the Vicuna.
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.
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.
If you are wanting to find Vicunas for sale, there are a number of these breeding farms with online websites. It is a simple matter of seeing what stock is available, from herd sires to breeding females. Photographs of all the animals for sale are usually provided. Purchasing animals provides an excellent chance of getting in on the ground floor of a good opportunity as the prices are likely to increase as the demand increases.
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