- The various show system offerings for alpaca breeders that exist in the US and suggestions as to how to select the various classes that best reflect a business model. more »
- We started in the alpaca business in 2005, just as the prices were beginning to surge and the excitement was building at the auctions. Alpacas sold like candy and we would feel sorry for the poor sole [sic] that sold their lot for a measly $12,000. We “drank the kool-aid” as did many and threw the same pitch to potential clients…”yes, we’re in it for the fiber, but first, we need more animals to create our US fiber herd, and that’s why we don’t cull any animals.” And then we learned of fiber stashes in basements and garages or worse yet, fiber being buried or thrown in the garbage…oh, and that merchants were not going to knock on our door to buy our fiber. more »
- An experienced, hands-on and practical alpaca breeder and product marketer explains how to create a market for fiber males, by identifying those lacking in herd-sire values but with desirable fleece traits of commercial and profitable values. more »
- This paper discusses the range of genetic breeding programs which are available to Australian livestock industries. It presents a short history of genetic evaluation schemes and discusses the Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Scheme, BREEDPLAN for Beef Cattle, PIGBLUP, KIDPLAN, and the newly created Sheep Genetics Australia which combines wool and meat into one database. The paper concludes with an update on the Alpaca Across-Herd Genetic Evaluation (AGE) program and presents data on the traits measured to date. more »
- A snapshot of the Australian alpaca industry of 2006 and an interesting comparison to the industry today, both in Australia and the US in terms of what we are and where we need to go. more »