Alpaca Journal

This article is another chapter from Thomas Shaw’s 1902, animal breeding book. Shaw looks at selection from many points of view beginning with a definition of the importance of selection decisions. Selection is the cornerstone of any breeding program. Progress cannot be made without making wise selection decisions. Selection is the essence of animal breeding.

There are many ways that selection occurs, 1) environmental adaptation, 2) selection according to a standard of excellence, 3) selection by pedigree, 4) individual merit, 5) special care in the selection of sires, 6) selection to avoid the transmission of negative characteristics and 7) culling to eliminate undesirable animals.

Again I will warn you that the language employed by Shaw may be a bit old fashioned but there are definitely gems of wisdom spread among the passages.

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RELATED LINKS:

• Pure Blood Part II
• Creating an Alpaca Breeding Program
• Alpaca Herdsire Selection: The Art and the Science

Prepotency is a concept that alpaca breeders love to talk about. I have noticed that alpaca herdsires are generally less prepotent than their owners claim. There are certainly fewer prepotent males in the pasture than there are ads for prepotent males in Alpacas Magazine.

I recently came upon an old, old essay about prepotency that I found interesting because it examined the concept in a number of different ways. Thomas Shaw, (1913) talks about the prepotency of a breed and an individual. He looks at both major and minor influences on prepotency. He also examines the rules governing prepotency which he concedes are ambiguous.

I would caution you that the author’s comments about sex linked prepotency are most likely not accurate and his prose is a little thick.

Click here to read more.

RELATED LINKS:

• Pure Blood Part II
• Creating an Alpaca Breeding Program
• Alpaca Herdsire Selection: The Art and the Science

Pure blood animal breeders around the world crave the ability to produce the best of their breed. They want their animals to reach the pinnacle of their potential. That is what animal breeding is all about: A self dynamic dream. When an alpaca breeder sets his goals they generally include excellence. No one says, “I want to mate my female to a stud who will produce an average alpaca, not a great one.” The difference between producing ideal animals and mediocre ones is basically a little knowledge and a sound plan or breeding program.

My dad used to tell me that “an alpaca herd was like a baseball team” and if we wanted to field a winning team we would need “someone to hit some home runs.” Your herdsire has to be the big hitter. The males you choose as sires will contribute 50% of all the genes in your cria. If you have ten females in your herd any one of them will contribute only 10% of the genes to your annual crop of cria.

Click here to read more.

RELATED LINKS:

• Pure Blood Part II
• Animal Breeding- Prepotency