Alcken

The first animal hybrid made just for the livestream. There will be more coming and I will try to draw the rest of them on the Livestream The Alcken is a Chicken Alpaca hybrid.

Request from the 2nd of June 2015
Requested by: onecat and plons0

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Basic Information

Behaviour:
The Alcken are known to be calm but somewhat timid animals. Even though they are considered timid, roosters will protect their flock if need be. An Alcken can be kept as an individual but are usually in flocks with up to 60 members. A flock mainly exists out of hens and up to 12 roosters. The roosters compete once a year for dominance and the rest of the year they live in relative harmony. The roosters can harm each other during this period but are not known for mortally wounding one another. Because of their somewhat heavy build Alcken are not able to fly but they are very adept in mountain climbing. Depending on how much food is provided the hens can lay eggs all year round.

Origin and culture:
The Alcken is a genetically modified animal that was 'invented' to fight world hunger and providing nature friendly clothing. This has been such a big success that once a year people now celebrate the 'Alcken Festival' to honor this animal. During this festival some young Alcken also get 'donated' to poor families so they can feed and cloth themselves with the natural products that the Alcken provides. The Alcken festival is celebrated every 2nd Saturday of August. This is also the period in which the Alcken lose their feathers and get replaced by new ones. Because of the huge positive impact the Alcken had on a lot of peoples lives in some cultures it's believed that the Alcken feathers bring good fortune. Because of this a lot of people sell the feathers that the Alcken lose during this period. The feathers are often used to decorate houses. Because of their unusual appearance the Alcken liveshows in which they get rated by appearance are also very popular.

Habitat:
Because it is genetically modified the Alcken are only known to live with people. The Alcken is capable of living in a lot of different environments but they prefer mountain areas. They can survive temperatures from -20°C to 40°C provided that they get their wool shaved or not and have enough access to water. At temperatures below -20°C or above 40°C the Alcken will need shelter and protection from the cold and direct sunlight.

Diet:
Because of their small heads Alcken can have trouble feeding in the wild and need special food bowls to feed. Alcken are omnivore and can eat a great variety of foods. Alcken eat different types of grasses, carrots, flowers, leafs, fruits, seeds, frogs, small lizards and insects. Hens need to eat more often than the roosters in order for it to keep laying eggs.

Appearance and maintenance:
Alcken can have a great variety of colors. They can vary from white, greyish, black and different tones of brown. The rooster usually has multiple colors and can also have green, blue , orange,  yellow and red colors. Besides this their appearance can vary because of the way people shave the Alcken. During live shows Alcken can be seen with all kinds of shaving patterns. The tail of the roosters are often a little bigger than that of the hen. When moulting the Alcken the feathers can look a little disorderly. This usually happens during the month August. The Alcken has an average withers height of 85 - 96cm. Roosters are often slightly larger than the hens. The hair growth of the Alcken depends on how many times people shave it. This can be done up to 3 times a year but 1 time a year is enough to prevent it from becoming to long. It is recommended to keep the wool around the feet extra short to prevent it from becoming dirty.

Reproduction and lifespan:
Alcken usually hatch around spring and early summer. A hen can have up to 10 fertilized eggs every year. Fertilized eggs can be recognized as they have little black dots on the shell. An Alcken egg measures about 10 x 6 cm. A rooster can mate with multiple hens. The hen uses her wings to protect and keep the eggs warm. The eggs hatch after about 21 days. Alcken have a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years. Alcken are considered mature at the age of 3. Most Alcken are not used for meat consumption until the age of 20 because their eggs and wool are capable of providing food and/or clothing for up to 5 people all year round.