When I first became involved with fibre testing alpacas over 15 years ago, about the only figure on alpaca fibre test reports that received any interest was the average fibre diameter (microns). Thankfully, SD is now co-starring alongside micron, as breeders appreciate the need to reduce fibre variability when breeding towards quality fleeces.
Most alpaca fibre testing these days is carried out using OFDA2000 fibre testing equipment. OFDA2000 equipment measures the full length of the fibre sample. It can measure fibre samples after the samples are ‘scoured’ or cleaned of lanolin, seeds, grass etc, or it can be used to test raw fibre samples using capabilities to offset the presence of impurities on the fibres.
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