SEAG hosted a fascinating webinar with Paul Vallely on a new approach to understanding fleece quality – Genetic Focused Fibre Testing.
Most alpaca breeders are familiar with regular fibre testing, which measures traits such as mean fibre diameter and standard deviation (SD). But as Paul explained, those results are influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, making it difficult to tell which improvements are truly heritable.
This is where Genetic Focused Testing comes in. The method, developed through years of research and validation, isolates the genetic component of fibre traits by adjusting for environmental effects such as nutrition, age, and climate. The result is a clearer, more accurate picture of each alpaca’s underlying genetic potential – giving breeders better data to guide future breeding decisions.
Paul shared insights from large-scale trials involving over 2,000 genetic focused tests, showing how the results can improve breeding accuracy and consistency across herds.
Key Takeaways for Alpaca Owners
- Traditional fibre testing tells only part of the story
Standard fibre testing (measuring traits like mean fibre diameter and SD) gives useful information but reflects both genetic and environmental influences – such as nutrition, weather, stress, or parasites. This means two alpacas with similar test results might have very different breeding potential. - Genetic Focused Testing filters out environmental noise
This new method analyses fibre samples in a way that separates out non-genetic variation. By doing so, it highlights the true heritable qualities of an alpaca’s fleece – helping breeders identify animals with the strongest genetic potential for improvement. - Data-driven breeding decisions
By understanding the genetic contribution to fibre traits, breeders can make more accurate pairing choices and track the progress of their breeding programme over time. This builds a more reliable link between fleece performance and breeding outcomes. - Consistency matters more than single measurements.
Paul emphasised that genetic progress comes from using data consistently – year after year – to build up reliable herd information, rather than relying on one-off results or show feedback. - Environmental management plays a vital role.
While Genetic Focused Testing helps isolate heritable factors, good feeding, health, and farm management remain essential. The technology doesn’t replace husbandry – it complements it by clarifying which changes come from breeding and which from management. - Long-term benefit for the whole alpaca community.
By contributing their test data, breeders are helping to build a growing genetic database. Over time, this collective effort will improve the accuracy and usefulness of results for everyone in the industry.
Catch the Replay
SEAG members can now access the full webinar video in the Education section of the SEAG website. Not yet a member? Join SEAG today to unlock this session, and a library of others packed with alpaca-specific knowledge and insights.