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Agistment
An arrangement where an alpaca owner boards his or her alpaca(s) at a
location other than their own property, usually for a fee. A short period
of free agistment is often offered with the purchase of alpacas if the new
owner needs time to ready his pastures and facilities.
Agouti
A locus on the chromosome where colour occurs. Sometimes also called
the wild or natural colour gene (this would be vicuna color in alpacas).
Alpaca
A sheeplike animal of the Andes. It is a South American member of the
camel family, Camelidae (order Artiodactyla), of mammals; it’s Latin
name is Lama pacos. It is closely related to the llama, guanaco, and
vicuña, which are referred to collectively as lamoids.
Apron
The chest area of an alpaca that may exhibit longer, coarser fibre
than that found on the neck or shoulder.
Blanket
Prime quality fleece usually found from the shoulder through the
midsection to the base of the tail, extending down past the halfway point
on the sides of an animal. Edges of the blanket are characterised by a
change in the grade of the fibre. This area of prime fleece may vary
greatly in size, depending on the uniformity of the fleece on an animal.
Clip
The total amount of fibre harvested by an alpaca in one growing period
(which is usually one year). Older animals or animals with slow rates of
growth may be shorn after a growing period of two years. Fleece that is
left on an animal for more than one year may deteriorate in quality due to
more extensive contamination, tenderness, sun bleaching, tip and fibre
damage and felting.
Clostridial
Diseases
Diseases caused by the Clostridia family of bacteria. These can be
fatal and can live for years in the soil. Alpacas should have a regular
vaccination programme as advised by a vet.
Coefficient
of variation
A statistical term that expresses the standard deviation (SD) of of a
group of fibre diameters as a percentage or average. It is computed by
dividing the SD by the mean diameter (of all fibres in the sample) and
then multiplying by 100. A CV of 20 percent is accepted as normal in many
kinds of fibre-producing animals. A low SD and CV are usually indicative
of a low “prickle factor”, which is desirable in any fibre product,
especially a garment.
Conformation
The shape or contour of the alpaca, resulting from the appropriate
arrangement, or balance, of all its body parts.
Cria
(Cre-a) A baby alpaca, usually younger than five months. The word
derives from the Spanish terms for creation and nursing.
Crimp
The degree of corrugation or regular wave found in locks of fibre.
This can vary from an extremely tight crimp with many closely spaced
corrugations to a lock that is completely straight with no wave or crimp
whatsoever. The presence of crimp may give more elasticity to the fibre
once it is processed into yarn and result in better performance of the
yarn.
Crinkle
Crinkle is related to crimp and is used to describe the wavy
characteristics of each fibre as opposed those characteristics of crimp
found in all fibres uniformly in each lock.
CV
See “coefficient of variation”
Dam
An alpaca’s mother.
Density
The number of fibres in a specific area of an alpaca’s body.
Dystocia
Difficulty in giving birth or being born.
Fineness
The diameter of an individual fibre, often measured in microns with
extremely precise laboratory instruments. Genetics, nutrition, health,
stress and age may affect this measure, and it can change dramatically
from year to year.
Genotype
The entire genetic constitution of an individual alpaca.
Handle
The way an alpaca fibre feels when touched; sometimes used
interchangeably with “softness.”
Hembra
A female alpaca (South American origin - seldom used in New Zealand).
Herdsire
A male alpaca with genetic characteristics desirable for breeding.
Histogram
The most common method of graphically presenting quantitative data
relating to fleece characteristics. The variable of interest, such as
fiber diameter measured in microns, is placed on the horizontal axis and
the frequency values, such as the percentage of fibers per micron, are
placed on the vertical axis. Typically depicts the measurement of 2000
fibres in scale.
Huacaya
A type of alpaca with fine fibre and a woolly appearance.
Huarizo
Offspring of an alpaca female and a llama male. Lacks the size and
weight-bearing ability of the llama, and the fibre quality of the alpaca
is compromised.
Linebreeding
The mating of individuals within a particular line. A mating system
designed to maintain a substantial degree of relationship to a highly
regarded ancestor or group of ancestors without causing high levels of
inbreeding. Mike Safely (Northwest Alpacas, USA) and other knowledgeable
breeders contend that major genetic improvement in the future is unlikely
without using some form of linebreeding. Linebreeding, with all of its
faults, is the best way to insure that an alpaca is likely to be prepotent
when it comes to passing on its characteristics.
Lock
An organized cluster of fibres, in size anywhere from a noodle to a
man’s thumb. In a suri, the fibers may twist together to form a ringlet.
Lustre
The texture of the fleece and how much it reflects light and looks
attractively glossy. Sometimes described as brightness.
Macho
A male alpaca (South American origin).
Maiden
Mature female ready to breed for the first time - usually between 12
and 18 months old in New Zealand. Generally older (18 to 24 months) in the
United States.
Medulation
Hair-like fibres with a hollow core. Ideally these should occur very
infrequently in an alpaca fleece, as they are difficult to dye and are
uncomfortable to encounter in a garment. Often referred to as “guard
hair” or “kemp.” Medullation is more prominent in the apron and
belly area.
Micron
A measurement of fibre diameter, equal to 1/25,000 of an inch, or
1/1000th of a millimeter. Used to refer to the fineness of a fibre. A
smaller micron number equals a finer fibre.
Midside
A point approximately midway between the front and rear legs and just
lower than halfway down the side of an animal. This is the typical spot
for obtaining a fleece sample that can be sent for testing (histogram).
Orgle
Characteristic rapid grunting sound made by breeding males during
copulation.
Parturition
The process of giving birth; also called birthing or unpacking.
Phenotype
The entire physical, biochemical, and physiological makeup of an
individual alpaca, as determined both genetically and environmentally.
Roan
Alpaca fleece colour determined by a fairly uniform mix of coloured
fibres. For example, the fleece of a silver alpaca is actually made up of
intermittent black and white fibres.
SD
See “standard deviation”
Shear
Remove an animal’s fleece with electric shears (similar to dog
clippers) or scissor-like hand shears. Alpacas are generally shorn yearly
to preserve fleece quality and allow them to be comfortable in summer
weather.
Sire
An alpaca’s father or a male alpaca with the genetic characteristics
desirable for breeding.
Skirt
Remove vegetation and other contaminants from a shorn fleece.
Spit-off
When female alpacas become pregnant, they quickly become unwilling to
be approached by a male. A pregnant alpaca will usually run and spit at a
male that approaches her, and repeated ’spit-offs’ are a good sign
that a pregnancy is progressing normally. An ultrasound scan is used to
confirm pregnancy after 35 to 40 days.
Standard
Deviation
Standard deviation (SD) is a statistical term that indicates the
amount of variation occurring in a group of fibres using the average as
the starting point. For example, if an alpaca’s fleece averages 22
microns and the SD is 5 microns, 68 percent of the fibre is expected to be
between 17 and 27 microns. The lower the SD, the more uniform the fibre
distribution and the more desirable the fibre is for processing purposes.
Staple
A lock of fibre containing a number of individual fibres. Staple/lock
structure can vary significantly within a type of animal such as huacaya
alpacas as well as between types such as huacaya alpacas and suri alpacas.
Suri
A type of alpaca known for its high-lustre fleece with fibre that has
no crimp or crinkle, that tends to hang parallel to the body of the animal
and that twists into pencil or rope-like locks/staples, giving the animal
a slender, fluid silhouette.
Tui
A weanling (see weanling in glossary) alpaca.
Vicuña
A small (40 kilograms) South American camelid with an extremely fine
cinnamon and white coat. Some consider the Vicuña to be the direct
ancestor of the alpaca. The fleece of the Vicuña is even finer than
alpaca fleece, albeit considerably less dense.
Weanling
A young alpaca, usually between six and 12 months of age, that is no
longer nursing.
Wether
A neutered male alpaca.
Wool cap
Wool on the alpaca’s head and between its ears which is considered a
desirable aesthetic quality; also known as the topknot. Considered to be
an indicator as to the overall fleece characteristics of an alpaca.
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