Welcome to Parkgate Alpacas

 Specialist Breeders of Rare Coloured Suri Alpacas.

Parkgate Alpacas are based at Parkgate Farm in Cuckfield in West Sussex were we breed the rare Suri Alpaca, Castlemilk Moorit Sheep and Angora Goats.

We aim to harvest fine fleece for processing into wool and to improve our bloodlines further through careful selective breeding.

We are registered breeders with The British Alpaca Society who provide much help and support themselves along with several very helpful breeders all striving to improve the breed.

  We have found the Suri alpacas to be graceful and beautiful animals and surprisingly tame with the correct care and handling.  They have been excellent paddock grazers, helping to bring the previously neglected grazing land under control, along with the help of our herd of angora goats and castlemilk moorit sheep.

 The Suri Alpacas remain very small in numbers, research suggests that coloured Suri Alpacas represent only 5% of the world's population of alpacas.This would suggest that there are approximately 6000 coloured suris world wide. Even fewer suri alpacas exist in dark brown, grey and black. We are proud of our fancy coloured suri which will keep the gene pool varied.

There are two different alpacas types, the suri and the huacaya. The suri has fibre that grows quite long and forms silky, pencil-like locks. The huacaya has a shorter, dense, crimpy fleece, giving it a very woolly appearance. 

Alpacas fleece is highly sought after for its soft, durable, luxurious and silky natural fibre.  It is warmer then sheep's wool and not prickly. It does not contain lanolin and so is hypoallergenic. The fleece is naturally water-repellent.

Alpacas have a life span of 15-20 years and over that time they will produce a huge yield of fleece.  Shearing takes place once every two to three years for the Suri alpaca, depending on rate of fleece growth.

Alpacas prove to be gentle field pets, paddock grazers and great herd guards, protecting sheep and chickens from predators such as foxes.