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"Our Alpacas are not our whole life, they just make our life whole." say the owners of 4U2C, an alpaca farm in Union County near Blairsville, Georgia. Joanne and Lee Mansfield currently have 12 alpacas in their pasture.

These alpacas are not considered livestock. The Mansfield's treat them like big pets - almost members of the family. Abby, Nightingale, Sugar, Moorea, Mr. Nibs, Thunder, Sir Wilson, Dakota, Mo, Lizzy, Haylee, and Lightning are beautiful animals.

The alpacas are valuable but not considered rare. One alpaca recently sold for $600,000 but prices start at $15,000. The Mansfield's have a friendly guard dog named Maggie. She lives in the alpaca barn and runs off stray dogs, coyotes, and anything else that bothers the herd. There are alpaca farms all over the United States especially in Ohio, California, and Washington. (Alpacas are originally from South America and are related to llamas and camels.)

Alpacas are raised for their soft, luxuriant fiber. They are sheared like sheep and the 22 natural colors include white, beige, fawn, brown, black, gray, and silver. Joanne and Lee have many items made from alpaca fiber such as sweaters, scarves, and stuffed animals. The fiber (fleece) is felted, crocheted, and knitted. The finished products are softer than cashmere and wear beautifully. In ancient times, alpaca fiber was known as "Fiber of the Gods."

Alpacas are easy to raise. They are friendly and may reach over the fence to kiss visitors. The alpacas hum at night. Joanne says she loves to sit on the front porch and listen to the humming. They love carrots and apples, but actually eat a diet of hay and grass. Alpacas are alert, intelligent, and curious. They are social animals that seek companionship.

Members of the camelid family, alpacas have an average weight of between 150 and 200 pounds. They were first imported into the U.S. in 1984. Current figures state that there are about 50,000 registered alpacas in the U.S.

The Mansfield's welcome people to visit their farm. "Take an hour or two and spend some time with the alpacas."

4U2C Alpaca Farm joins local Chamber and holds ribbon cutting. Read more...