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| The Ideal Alpaca-Suri
& Huacaya |
| An ideal alpaca's look begins with the head, a dense top knot,
and well-covered cheeks converging with the wool cap to form a close V at the
eyes, which are brown. The ears are erect and shaped like an arrowhead. The
muzzle is soft and wedge shaped. The jaw should fit together correctly, with
the lower incisors meeting the upper dental pad. The head and neck make up
about one-third of an alpaca's height, the body makes up one-third, as do the
legs. The neck connects to the shoulder at approximately a 45° angle to the
back, which is straight, dropping off a bit at the tail. When the alpaca is
alert, the neck and back form almost a 90° angle with the head slightly
forward. The perfect alpaca has a squared off appearance, with four strong legs
setting squarely under it, giving it a graceful stance which translates into a
fluid gait. The ideal alpaca has a soft, dense fleece, which is completed with
abundant coverage down the legs. |
Read complete article >
HTML or 
PDF (49 KB) |
| A Comparative Analysis of
Alpaca Breed Type and Standards |
| Breed standards for American alpacas were formerly
controversial. Over time, the leadership of the industry has uniformly opposed
adopting breed standards. With this article, we endeavor to look at breed
standards analytically. (Note: This article is also posted under the Genetics
section.) |
| Read complete article >
PDF (167 KB) |
| How to Select and Show
Winners |
| After many years in the show ring both as an exhibitor and
more recently as a judge, I have some observations on what it takes to win.
These are merely my opinions and you may or may not agree, but if they are
helpful and you win a few more ribbons then my purpose is served. |
| Read complete article >
PDF (47 KB) |
| Being the Best - Alpaca
Registry - That We Can Be |
| The U.S. Army wants to be the best that they can be. The
Marines are looking for a few good men. As the Alpaca Registry marches into the
future, it needs to answer to these same ideals. How do we assure that our
registry contains the world’s finest bloodstock and how many recruits, or
imports, do we allow to join our ranks? |
| Read complete article >
PDF (72 KB) |
| AOBA Show Rules - 50/50
Rule |
| As most breeders know, in Peru, judges base their decisions on
70 percent fleece and 30 percent conformation; Australian judges base their
alpaca placing on a 60/40 basis. Why is it "sacred" that in the United States
we judge our alpacas 50/50? |
| Read complete article >
PDF (263 KB) |
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