The slides below are from our 2019 EPD testing results. They provide a glimpse of how EPD’s can be used for mating selection and tracking the overall herd improvement.
![Charting Herd Improvement 1st](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?w=600)
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These graphs chart our progress for our entire herd of about 50 Huacaya alpacas. Our herd is about 50% male & 50% female and range in age from 1 year to over 20 years old.
![Charting Herd Improvement 1st](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?w=600)
![](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?resize=600%2C400)
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![Charting Herd Improvement AFD](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?w=600)
![](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?resize=600%2C400)
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Each of the red squares represents an animal in our herd and also corresponds with the year it was born along with the EPD trait value.
![Charting Herd Improvement AFD](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?w=600)
![](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?resize=600%2C400)
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![](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?resize=200%2C199)
It wasn't until we started using EPD's that we were able to properly identify pairings that would reduce fiber diameter and increase fleece weight.
![Charting Herd Improvement FW](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?w=600)
![](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?resize=600%2C400)
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When breeding for finer fleece, fleece weight predictions should always be taken into account.
![Charting Herd Improvement FW](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?w=600)
![](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?resize=600%2C400)
![](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?resize=115%2C65)
![Charting Herd Improvement SD](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?w=600)
![](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?resize=600%2C400)
Improving SD in alpacas has proven to more highly heritable than originally thought. (52%... same as AFD)
![Charting Herd Improvement SF](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?w=600)
Improving SD provides the user with a stronger fiber that acts and feels much finer.
![](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?resize=600%2C400)
![Charting Herd Improvement %>30](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?w=600)
![](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?resize=600%2C400)
These are fibers that are generally referred to as guard hair. The purpose of tracking this trait is to track progress on how fine the coarsest fibers are.
![Charting Herd Improvement med](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?w=600)
Medulation can be reduced by proper breeding and also by reducing fiber diameter.
![](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?resize=600%2C400)
![Charting Herd Improvement Curve](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?w=600)
![](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?resize=600%2C400)
![Charting Herd Improvement staple](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?w=600)
High curvature will negatively or adversly affect staple measurement as compared to low curve.
![](https://i0.wp.com/alpaca.net/wp-content/plugins/revslider/sr6/assets/assets/dummy.png?resize=600%2C400)
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. Holding your mouse over the slides should pause the sequence. Use arrows to navigate forward or back.
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