The Chaccu (Vicuña Roundup)

The Paco-Vicuña is a special alpaca that is a cross between the wild vicuña of South America and the gentler alpaca. These exceptionally rare creatures are a delight to own and the next big thing in the llama/alpaca industry.

The Vicuña is a cousin to the llama, camel, guanaco and alpaca. Their natural habitat is the high Andes Mountains of South America. They were nearly extinguished by hunters killing them for their pelts until government intervention put them on the endangered species list.

With one of the finest fleeces in the world, garments made from their golden fiber are among the most expensive sold. A neck scarf sells in the US for $600 to $800 dollars. Fiber from the Paco-Vicuña is so soft that we expect to come close to these kinds of prices with articles made from Paco-Vicuña fleece.

The Paco-Vicuña is not a pure Vicuña but is as close as we can get in the United States. Since the Vicuñas are endangered, they are not allowed to be exported from South America. In order to preserve their genes in this country, we have selected alpacas, which demonstrate similar characteristics as the Vicuña. (A bib of guard hair, fine fiber and vicuña coloration.) These female alpacas have been selectively bred to males who also have Vicuña characteristics. So far, my females have had crias that are the spiting image of the Vicuña. This means that they have extremely fine fiber that can bring top dollar in the wool market. But better yet, they are demonstrating some of the genetics that date back to the ancient Vicuña, the wild ancestor of our present day domesticated alpaca.

Our goal in this country is to line breed for the purest Vicuña genetics available. We also want to instill the favored alpaca traits such as faster growing fleece and more tractable dispositions. Since they are alpacas selected and bred for Vicuña traits, we call them Paco-Vicuñas. Relatively new to this country, they now have their own registry, where information on DNA, Vicuña characteristics and micron count is carefully kept.

Garments made from the fleece of registered animals are also registered. A person buying a scarf or sweater will know which animal it came from. From a marketing standpoint, this will serve to enhance an already high-end product.

The alpaca industry has taken off like wildfire with prices for top males ranging into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Alpacas are currently in the "breeders market" phase. As the industry becomes fleece driven, the highest priced animals will be those with the finest fiber. This is where the Paco-Vicuña comes in. In order to get the finest micron fleece, such as found on alpaca mummies in Peru, the genetics of the Vicuñas will be needed. The only place it will be available is in the North American Paco-Vicuña. By raising them, you can not only receive the tax benefits of an agricultural entity but also play a major part in preserving their genetics.

Currently there are less than 200 of these rare animals in existence. By buying now, you will be getting in on the ground floor of what will latter become a breeders market. This should cause the price of the Paco-Vicuña to increase rapidly over the next few years. In fact, a male Paco-Vicuña recently sold for $125,000 at a sale in New Jersey. The time to invest is now. Not only do you have a chance to be instrumental in preserving these exceptional genetics, you also stand to profit from a rapidly raising market. Llama Linda Ranch has several for sale at competitive prices. Check our sales list and give us a call. 800.815.0488.