Here at Long Plains Alpacas we are striving to develop a breeding program in the truest sense of those words. We are using tried and true livestock breeding practices  (yes, including linebreeding!) to ensure that our herd will improve and most importantly improve in the way we desire it to. We are applying heavy selection intensity to our core group of alpacas and their progeny.

We are focusing our program on breeding for white alpacas as they are the future of any commercial industry developed in the United States.  High quality white alpacas will always be desirable and will continue to command a high price. We are excited for the future!

Our breeding goal is  to produce a herd of consistent alpacas– uniform in color and uniform in micron. Yes, alpacas do coarsen as they age but we would like our herd to have consistent microns. Thus we are  working to produce alpacas that will hold their fineness as they age. We are currently selecting for density,  staple length, and  the genetic potential for holding fineness.  For a male to be considered he must have those traits as well as be sound, strong, and beautiful. 

We have identified females that also carry these traits and have incorporated them in to our program. Females also need to prove that they can breed, birth, and mother without any issues.

 As we continue to develop our program, we will reevaluate our progress and make changes as deemed necessary. This is not something that happens over night. Working to create a herd of quality and consistency takes a lot of time and patience. We are not basing any of our decisions on show ribbons but on perpetuating the traits we are selecting for.  Ribbons are fine and shows are fun, but they can be a distraction. There is no guarantee that a ribbon winning alpaca will ever produce a cria of the same quality., and spending 1,000’s of dollars on a breeding to an unproven male is not something we would ever consider. For us, an understanding of genetics, progeny testing, a plan, and focus is what will get us where we want to go.

 

         We are happy to discuss our breeding plans or answer any questions, so feel free to inquire.