Why Alpacas are not Emus
Alpaca
Emu
Tonight alpacas were featured on the CBS Evening News. That was fabulous! Katie Couric called them “cute”.
What more can we alpaca breeders ask for, right? Um, could you quit comparing alpacas to emus, please. People often think alpacas ARE emus. More than once people have looked at our alpacas and asked, “Is that an emu?”
Because there is so much confusion about this topic, I thought I would help clear things up.
- Alpacas are mammals.
- Emus are birds.
- Alpacas are gentle and passive.
- Emus are can be aggressive.
- Alpacas are cute and adorable.
- Emus are interesting looking.
- Alpacas are prized for their fleece which is a luxury fiber comparable to cashmere.
- Emus are used for their oil and meat.
- Alpacas gestate for 11-12 months, reproducing one cria every 12-18 months. This ensures a low supply of bloodstock.
- Emus lay eggs and can do this regularly. This enables the market to flood, creating more supply than demand for stock.
- Prices for breeding alpacas have remained steady since their importation in 1984 with only minor dips that are reflective of the economic climate.
- Prices for emus were very high once and now are very low.
- Alpacas are an insurable livestock with a high ROI (return on investment) and excellent tax advantages.
- Emus are not.
I welcome your comments.
December 1st, 2008 at 11:08 pm
That’s hysterical. I was expecting a punchline.
And that’s quite a blow wave on the emu…
Chriswaterguys last blog post..appropedia: @brainsturbator Certainly making good, engaging blog posts is more important than the technical stuff. (Or have I misunderstood?)
December 1st, 2008 at 11:42 pm
I would snuggle with an Alpaca. (Ya just wanna hugg’em, doncha?)
I would never snuggle with an Emu. Never.
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:26 am
Hi Katy,
Excellent comparison. I sure enjoyed seeing alpacas on the prime time news!!
December 2nd, 2008 at 7:25 am
I know, Chris. It seems unfair the advantage alpacas have. Never underestimate the power of cuteness. Puss in Boots from Shrek comes to mind.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:09 pm
That is so funny!
We used to have an emu. I don’t think there is any mistaking the one we had for a cuddly anything.lol…
Great photos.
Have a good day.
Pam
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:12 pm
That’s interesting! I didn’t know that much about Emu’s. I might of gone around calling Emu’s Alpacas. Hehehe!
December 7th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Great give away, I subcribed. I love your blog.
December 11th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
I don’t have alpacas but its obvious to me they are not emus. Great article,too. Maybe Katie Couric should read that on the air as a disclaimer. An aside, I grew up on a dairy and when the movie City Slickers had the part where one of Herefords had a Jersey calf I was thinking- “you idiots” Obviously Billy Crystal wasn’t the only city slicker
in the bunch.