Click here to watch the video

Ben Rosche lay on his stomach in the pasture of his family’s farm Friday afternoon. Nine alpacas stood together a few yards away, eyeing him cautiously.

Then four more of the animals slowly gathered around Ben and did the same.

‘‘They’re really gentle,” Ben said after he had finished playing with some of his family’s 28 alpacas.

The Rosches, who live in Upper Marlboro, are among a handful of families in Prince George’s County who have taken to raising the South American animals, which are related to llamas.

They bought their first alpacas in 2001, said Sue Rosche, Ben’s mother.

‘‘Our children were much younger at the time, and we wanted a farm animal for them that was not only fun and gentle, but profitable also,” Rosche said.

Alpacas are grazing animals from the mountains of Chile, Bolivia and Peru that primarily eat grass or hay. They stand about three to five feet tall and weigh between 100 and 200 pounds.

Alpacas come in two types – Suri and Huayaca. Suri alpacas have long hair resembling dreadlocks, while Huayaca alpacas have puffy hair like sheep.

The Rosches, like many alpaca owners, breed the exotic animals and sell them to other breeders or people who want to start a herd. They participate in regional shows, where the alpacas are judged on their fleece.

‘‘A lot of people breed for high-quality animals,” said Rosche, who takes her alpacas to shows in Lexington, Va., Louisville, Ky., Harrisburg, Pa., and other places.

Rosche said she and her husband, Don, have sold about 15 alpacas since 2004 to people around the country. The animals they currently have for sale range in price from $7,000 to $69,500 for Lima, a female that has won top awards for its fleece quality, according to the Web site of their farm, Pax River Alpacas.

Alpacas grow dense hair that is spun into a soft, lightweight yarn resembling cashmere. The Rosches sell alpaca yarn – which comes naturally in shades of white, gray, black and brown – on their Web site, at farmers’ markets and through local shops.

Rosche said alpaca yarn is softer than wool and a good alternative for people who are allergic to wool or find it itchy.

While the alpaca industry in Prince George’s County and across the nation is small – alpacas were first brought to the United States in 1984 – owners said they expect demand for the animals and their fleece to grow.

There are four alpaca farms in Prince George’s County registered with the Maryland Alpaca Breeders Association – two in Upper Marlboro, one in Brandywine and one in Aquasco. There are 3,797 alpacas in Maryland and 155,381 in the nation, according to Alpaca Registry Inc.

‘‘Alpacas are kind of a niche agricultural venture,” said David Myers, an agricultural agent with the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension.

While Myers said he does not think alpacas will become a major industry in the area, he said there is probably room for them on a small scale.

‘‘I think people like the animal,” said Myers, who has advised a couple of alpaca farmers in Maryland. ‘‘They’re interesting and seem to be easy keepers as far as health.”

But local alpaca owners are more optimistic about their animals’ business prospects.

‘‘We are hoping that it is a young industry,” said Nicole Tait, who is raising 20 alpacas with her husband and nine children in Upper Marlboro. ‘‘It is growing very rapidly.”

The Taits bought their first alpacas in 2005 and hope to begin selling some of their herd soon.

The Taits, like the Rosches, did not know anything about alpacas when they decided to start raising them.

When Tait told a friend that she and her husband wanted to raise animals that people do not eat and would be good around their children, the friend suggested alpacas.

‘‘I was like, what is an alpaca?” said Tait, whose family also owns horses.

Tait said she and her husband, Brian, read on the Internet about the business of alpacas, as well as how to care for them and keep them healthy. They also consulted with veterinarians and other breeders, including the Rosches.

Care consists of daily feeding, dealing with births in the spring and fall, and health checkups every four to six weeks, Tait said.

Tait said one of the biggest challenges of raising alpacas has been dealing with health issues, because there are not many veterinarians in the area who know much about the animals.

Rosche said taking care of alpacas is easy enough that Ben and her 11-year-old daughter, Katy, can help with the work.

‘‘We have thoroughly enjoyed raising alpacas, more than I thought we would,” Rosche said. ‘‘They’re almost part of the family.”

E-mail Andy Zieminski at azieminski@gazette.net.