[alpaca_fibre] Re: Sire Reference Program

  • From: "Sixth Day Farm" <home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <alpaca_fibre@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 20:26:53 -0500

Hi Ian,

I am getting ready to do biopsies at our shearing day in May. I have
everything I need to take the samples. I was going to send them to the
histology lab at OSU for slides to be made and then read them myself,
but would prefer to send them to a lab in the US that already
understands reading them for S/P ratio and density. Tell me about the
processing you have available: how and where to send the samples, cost,
and exactly how and what they will report.  Thanks!

Also, The G.A.I.N. will be up and running by June.  Any of your list
members who want to send in all of this phenotypic data that they are
collecting for the sire reference site can submit the data for their
sires, and or their hembras as well, and get computer generated reports
of EPDs for all of the important traits that they want to select for and
make genetic predictions about the offspring for.  Any who don't know
about what EPDs are and their value for accelerating genetic gain in
their herds can read the chapters on genetics in your upcoming
International Alpaca Handbook, or the articles I wrote for Alpacas
Magazine in 2002 and 2003, or the article on EPDs on Mike Safley's
website excerpted from his book, or they can come to my lectures at the
AOBA National Conference in Louisville.

Wayne

P.S. Don't tell me the handbook is really being printed ALREADY!

*****************************************************
Dr. and Mrs. Wayne C. Jarvis            "In the beginning, God
created.... " 
                                                              Genesis
1:1

home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx           www.sixthdayfarm.com

Everyone talks about genetic improvement, at Sixth Day Farm we're DOING
IT.
 


-----Original Message-----
From: alpaca_fibre-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:alpaca_fibre-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Ian Watt
Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 8:03 PM
To: alpaca_fibre@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [alpaca_fibre] Sire Reference Program

I am delighted to announce that I have found a laboratory to undertake 
the follicle and density counts for alpacas both here and in Australia.
I have also secured a website to be called alpacasiresUSA.com which 
will be the home of the new sire listing I wrote to you all about 
several months ago.
I have extended the original concept to now include some phenotype 
features that may help disclose the underlying genotype of sires of the 
future. I am awaiting a response from Elizabeth Paul and will, in all 
probability, include details of gum, toenail, point and eyelid colour 
in the sire disclosure list. I would be very interested if anyone has 
any comments about this aspect of the project.
I am pasting the new program guidelines into this email for you to 
peruse and consider. If you have any comments, I would greatly 
appreciate you airing them on this site so we can all share the 
thoughts.
Incidentally, another 20 odd breeders have joined the list as they 
attended a workshop in California several weeks ago. New workshops are 
planned for Maine, Colorado and Virginia later this year.
And the International Alpaca Handbook is finally off the presses and at 
the bindery awaiting binding!!
Cheers,
Ian Watt

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 examination must be done by a veterinarian so that potentrial 
customers can be assured that the certification has been done by an 
independent and qualified person.
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 under seal.
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.
The shorn fleece will be raised to a height of eighteen inches from a 
table top and dropped. This will be done three times and the weight of 
the fleece recorded. This procedure will remove a considerable part of 
any dust in the fleece.


Fourth requirement.
Breeders of coloured alpacas are becoming increasingly aware of the 
phenotype expression of the genetics underlying what they see in the 
flesh. There is an increasing sophistication being exhibited by 
coloured breeders especially since the publication of Elizabeth Paul's 
"The Alpaca Colour Key". In order to meet this demand and to foster 
itys growth, each male will have any identifying colour spots disclosed 
as well as eye colour, eyelid colour, points colour, toenail colour and 
gum colour. These potential genetic colour identifiers will be 
important to discerning colour breeders of the future.


Additional option.
This option will allow owners of sires to have their sire tested for 
primary:secondary follicle count as well as a density count. Owners 
will be provided with a kit comprising all the materials and equipment 
needed to undertake the test and a comprehensive set of instructions 
which will allow a competent person to do the collection without the 
need for a veterinarian. It is suggested however that the vet could do 
the biopsy at the time of the physical examination. This is a one-off 
procedure and is offered for those breeders who might want to identify 
their top females within the herd.

The information derived from the processing of the four 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.
The exercising of the additional option adds a far deeper dimension to 
the selection process and strikes a very new line of breeder disclosure 
to potential customers for sire services. This is very much leading 
edge genetics.


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 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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