Alpacas have a life expectancy of about 20 years. Females reach breeding age at about 18-24 months old. Males are not potent (ready to breed) until they're at least 24 months old. When in good health, females will breed their entire lives (with a break every few years for recovery). When born, alpacas weight about 15-18 pounds. They are nursed from their mothers until they are about 6 months old. Twins are extremely rare in alpacas.
Alpacas are herbivores, which eat plants. They graze on grass, weeds, trees, and shrubbery. They have 3 stomachs, which allows them to absorb 50% more nutrition from their food than sheep do. Because they are able to absorb so much nutrition from their food, they do not need a high nutrition diet like other grazing, domesticated animals do.
