After spending all my life with horses, a new fascinating creature is now the centre of attention on our small farm—besides JOYA our terrier that is!
Alpacas
In 2006 the first pregnant Hembras arrived in Gorteen with their crias at foot. With these curious and affectionate animals grasing our fields, the old mining town of Castlecomer has something new to discuss. In summer’07 the first crias will be born and we are all looking forward to that.
Alpacas are bred for their fleece. Originally from Peru and Chile, the close relative to the Lama is now kept all over the world and through carefully selecting only the best animals enthusiastic breeders like us are focusing on getting numbers up to one day be able to supply the fashion industry with that lovely material. Today all the animals in the UK and Ireland would hardly keep a woolen mill going for a few days with all the raw-material available.
We at Hillview spin our own yarn and knit and weave it into soft yet durable items, all of which are available from our shop or over the internet.
Fiber Facts:
Alpaca fiber:
- is stronger than mohair
- is finer than cashmere
- is smoother than silk
- is softer than cotton
- is warmer than goose down
- breathes better than thermal knits
- hypoallergenic
- lighter, warmer and stronger than wool
- doesn’t pill easily
What to know more or would you like some hands-on experience? Check out our newsletter for special courses and activities.
Hillview Alpacas - 1st registered Alpaca Herd in the Republic of Ireland
All our animals are registered with the British Alpaca Society, tagged and micro-chipped.
We are also registered with the Alpaca Association of Ireland.
For any breeder and/or enthusiast that would like to join us, fell free to call into our workshop every 1st Thursday of the month or send us an email end we will get in touch with you.
