Fiber

A study of liveweight changes of alpaca adult males, females, and their progeny, was conducted through 3 seasons under continuous grazing on natural grasslands on the Mediterranean range of the Chilean Central Zone. Liveweight changes were positive and highest in spring (100 to 200 g day-1), moderate during winter (50 to 100 g day-1), and negative only at the end of summer and in fall (-110 to -150 g day-1). Weight gains of new born alpacas were greatest (110 to 150 g day-1) in the first 90 days after birth and then decreased slightly, reaching values of 75 g day-1 at 8.5 months old. Weight gains stabilized at 10 to 20 g day-1 at 3-years of age. The average annual fibre production was 1.57 and 2.36 kg in females and males, respectively; staple length varied between 8 and 10 cm. more »

Part Two: A look at estimated fiber production of the US suri herd based on registration data supplied by the Alpaca Register Inc. (now called the Alpaca Owners of America) and extended to include non-registered alpacas in the American herd. more »

Part One: A look at estimated fiber production of the US huacaya herd based on registration data supplied by the Alpaca Register Inc. (now called the Alpaca Owners of America) and extended to include non-registered alpacas in the American herd. more »