[alpaca_fibre] Re: An idea
- From: "Tollers, Kimberly" <kim.tollers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "'alpaca_fibre@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'" <alpaca_fibre@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2004 07:49:45 -0600
Finally, a program proposal with real data! I would be very interested in
participating (if our sires are worthy that is :-).
Kim Tollers
Dougherty Creek Alpacas
Argyle, WI
http://alpacaplanet.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Ian Watt [mailto:alpacaconsult@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2004 7:56 PM
To: alpaca_fibre@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [alpaca_fibre] An idea
Site members,
This is an idea I am floating for your input.
Please feel free to comment about any aspect you feel needing
discussion.
Cheers.
Ian
ALPACA SIRE REFERENCE PROGRAM
Preamble
Selection of sires is possibly the single most important breeding
decision any owner makes in striving for excellence in their alpaca
business.
The impact of a sire across a herd is more significant than any other
single breeding decision.
The American alpaca industry uses more sires across its national herd
than is probably necessary. Supporters of a wide gene pool for the
industry would dispute this, but, from a production perspective, it is
hard to argue an alternative point of view.
The lack of a breed standard (for the industry) allows the broadest
possible interpretation on what comprises an acceptable conformation. A
show standard goes beyond what is, or could reasonably be expected of,
an animal primarily devoted to fibre production ie the show standard
aims at a much higher level of conformation correctness than is usually
reflected in a fibre production breeding emphasis.
Breeders who aim for fibre excellence in their alpacas often lack the
tools with which to make informed and productive genetic selections.
Too often males are offered for service that have little or no
supportive objective data that provide objectively obtained information
for the female owner and breeder. This information may not be important
to many breeders (at the moment) but will become increasingly important
as the rate of genetic improvement becomes harder and harder to
achieve. This is reflected most dramatically when the phenotype
differences between animals being considered for joining are not
immediately or apparently obvious.
Breeders seeking superior fibre characteristics and production will be
looking for more than show results and perceived quality than is
currently the industry standard in the United States.
Breeders aiming to sit inside the top 20% or better of the national
herd (any national herd) will seek more and more objectively measured
information to aid their individual selection processes.
Professionally oriented breeders will adopt a much more challenging
approach to the selection of sires and this will also apply to the
introduction of new female genetics into the individual herd as well.
This program is designed to not only apply objective assessment data to
both male and female selection criteria but to also show a way for
progressive breeders to position themselves for the future in terms of
breeding and selling advanced fibre genetics.
The following criteria suggestions are aimed at sire selections but can
apply equally to female selection protocols as well.
This program is about placing fibre as a higher priority than
conformation by objective measurement and the underpinning of
conformation correctness through strict adherence to a standard.
The Program
Because the influence of any sire is far greater across the national
herd than any individual female, it is important that sires be
rigorously examined for possible genetic conformational weaknesses. It
is important that these traits be identified as health and welfare
issues rather than cosmetic or environmental differences or effects.
There is currently no industry conformation standard in place to
measure sires (or females for that matter) against, nor is there any
prospect of being one in the foreseeable future.
The use of objectively collected and measured fleece data is not widely
used in the promotion of sires.
It is doubtful whether many breeders physically examine sires unless
they see them at a show or live close by. Many breeders send females
for mating to sight unseen sires and presumably rely upon a show result
as a tick of conformational approval. This is not necessarily a sound
breeding practice.
First requirement.
Each sire will be required to pass a physical conformational
examination as described on a pro-forma established for such a purpose.
This examination is identical to that adopted by the Australian Alpaca
Association (AAA) for registration of males as sires approved for
progeny registration into the International Alpaca Register, owned and
operated by the AAA. Under the AAA scheme, any male used to sire cria
able to be registered must pass this test before the sire is used to
get a female pregnant.
Each component of the standard must be passed for the male to be
considered satisfactory - there are no trade-offs, an animal must pass
every requirement.
There is no fleece component.
The proposal is that a suitable qualified person must do the
examination. In Australia that person is a veterinarian but it could
equally be someone with objective and analytic animal conformation
skills.
Second requirement.
Each sire will be required to be fleece tested using the OFDA2000
testing technology. A fleece sample from each mid-side will be required
and the average of the two tests used as the final figure.
The sample will be collected by an independent person, divided in half
with one sample forwarded by the sampler to the program coordinator and
the other half retained by the owner.
The information required by the program will include micron, standard
deviation, coefficient of variation, comfort factor, staple length,
colour and average fibre profile.
Third requirement.
The fleece will be weighed at shearing by an independent person who
will record total fleece weight and saddle. The male will be required
to be shorn from the ears down the neck, the body and legs down to the
knee, excluding the tail.
The weight will be recorded and affirmed by the owner.
A protocol will be established to remove soil contamination variability
between animals.
An additional option is to encourage breeders to have the sire tested
for follicle structure by taking a half inch square skin sample and
counting the secondary to primary follicles. This would involve an
additional cost and would provide a real stimulus to the buyer interest
in any sire.
The information derived from the processing of the three requirements
will paint a composite picture of any sire using objectively collected
data. This data can then be used to make some initial assessments of
the sire, allow comparisons between sires and lets sires be assessed on
performance rather than subjective assessment reinforced by emotive
promotion.
Access to data
The data and documentation of each sire would then be collated and
processed into a website listing within a listing of "accredited sires"
(or some such identifier). This website would be managed and maintained
by Alpaca Consulting Services of Australia and would be open for public
access.
There would be a fee structure for animals entering the program and an
annual fee to cover the testing, collating and data processing of the
annual shearing results.
Once entered into the site, the animal will remain until either it
dies, the owner decides to withdraw or no new data has been collected
for two seasons.
There will be a photograph of the sire on the site.
There will be no mention of show results.
There will be an option to link any particular sire to the owners
website or email address.
There will be no service fee or other advertising on the site.
Benefits
The industry-wide benefit is access to sires demonstrating objectively
measured fleece and conformation information collected by an
independent person. This feature alone will place these sires at the
forefront of breeders minds as the collection, testing and distribution
of the information is not managed by the owner of the sire - a truly
vested interest - but by someone with absolutely no interest in any
animal.
By making the data public both breeders and sire owners have a
benchmark against which they can measure any potential sire but also a
wider range of sires as this program allows any sire, or potential
sire, in.
Over time, the fleece history of the sire will become clear with those
sires not blowing out in any measurable traits becoming more recognized
and thus, potentially, more attractive as future herd sires.
Owners of listed sires will no doubt be recognized as leading edge
breeders as demonstrated through their strength of conviction in
submitting their animals to scrutiny over the internet.
Breeders looking for sires will, for the first time perhaps, have a
broader range of sires from which to select as small breeders unable or
unwilling to exhibit at shows will have a vehicle through which they
can market and promote their animals at minimal cost and at maximum
credibility.
Finally, the conformation examination by a veterinarian (if that is the
final decision) will, for the first time, underpin an expanded
guarantee of correctness of conformation by a sire owner.
These are benefits that will not only enhance the reputation of the
animal but also the owner in an industry which will place more and more
emphasis on fleece production than is currently the case.
In essence, breeders offering sires entered into the program will be
attesting that their animals have met a documented conformation
standard, have undergone independently collected, tested and recorded
fleece measurements and, if selected, are prepared to disclose
secondary to primary follicle ratios to buyers of both animals and
service options.
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