By Shari Phiel
Berthoud Recorder

They may not be household names, but Mijo and Mija are definitely celebrities, well at least in the world of alpaca breeders, that is. The cute, fuzzy alpaca babies are twins, a rarity in alpaca births where less than one in 3,000 births results in twins.

Born on Sept. 6, 2008, the two-month-old twins are gaining weight and growing quickly. Slightly older sister Mija is now tipping the scales and 25 pounds, and little brother Mijo recently passed the 16-pound mark.

“He has become a feisty little boy,” said owner Barbara Byrd who owns and runs Luna Nueva Ranch with husband Jay.

“He is very curious about me, watching and following me. That isn’t all that unusual for the bloodline he comes from. They have been some of the friendliest and most curious alpacas I have ever come across,” Byrd added. 

Native to South Americas, alpacas are growing in popularity for farming and breeding in Colorado. There are now dozens of alpaca farms in the state, and many of those, like the Byrds, are along the Front Range.

One of the smaller camelids, alpacas are related to both camels and llamas. Unlike their larger cousins though, alpacas are not used as pack animals but are raised only for their wool. Alpaca wool is widely known for being soft, thick and fluffy.

And fluffy is certainly the best description for these cute little twins. It looks like it’s going to be double the fun for Mijo and Mija and Luna Nueva Ranch this holiday season.