Genetic test fi rst

GENETIC TEST FIRST

Laurence Varlet, from Alpagas Du Maquis in Belgium, shares her experience as the first alpaca owner to use a new genetic test to identify classic grey coat colour in a commercial herd breeding programme.

> The circle was not filled enough

About the author

Laurence is co-owner of Alpagas Du Maquis with her husband Eric. The couple started keeping Huacaya alpacas in 2011 and have built a herd including carefully selected US, Australian and Peruvian lineage. The first stud male arrived in 2012. Today one of the main stud males is Inca Grey Flyte, from UK breeder Inca Alpaca. The Belgian herd has produced multiple champions, including multiple titles of supreme champion Huacaya fleece in Benelux 2020, Italy 2019, France 2019, Germany 2018 and France 2018 Fleece Shows. In 2014 Laurence and Eric opened an alpaca mill and have since developed an “exceptional” line of 100% alpaca products designed and made in workshops on the farm. In 2019 at the BAS National Show Fibre zone competition, they won first and second prizes in each category mill spun yarns and handwoven neckwear. The latest innovation in 2020 is the creation of their own brand "Alpa'n'Age" with a unique concept of textile traceability.

In September 2019, we read an article on the internet that caught our

attention.

The Neogen lab in Australia was working on a DNA test seen as a breakthrough for alpaca breeders – a grey coat colour test. We were delighted; finally, a significant scientific advance in our profession!

As breeders of grey alpacas, we know how important it is to be able to identify a hidden grey gene as quickly as possible. No one wants to miss a hidden grey; first for the value and interest that the animal has within the herd and second to avoid producing blue eyed white alpacas (BEWs) that can happen when the grey gene is present in breeding animals.

We contacted the company immediately to find out about the availability of this valuable tool, but we still had to wait a few months for the trials to be completed.

After much discussion with Neogen's scientists and salespeople, we were finally able to receive our sample kits at the end of January 2020.

After trying different blood sampling techniques, we finally opted to use a small puncture in the upper lip with a conventional needle using a new one for each sample. To take the sample you must press the lip and allow time for the drop of blood to form and then you fix it to the support provided by the laboratory. We have seen how some alpacas coagulate very quickly which of course makes the process more difficult with some individuals.

The first time we just fixed a drop or two, but when I sent a photo to the lab of

Results inform breeding decisions

In March 2020, we received the results of our first 24 samples. This was extremely interesting – not only were we able to identify hidden greys, which are too light to be aware of, but we were also able to identify animals that were genetically black and displayed a lighter colour. By deduction, we can tell ourselves that the animal concerned probably carries a dilution gene, draw conclusions and make faster and more accurate breeding decisions.

We have since tested another 24 alpacas in our herd again and received the results in December. Again, they revealed some interesting findings. A beautiful little fawn male born in the summer that we already liked a lot suddenly becomes a grey – a great surprise! And several other grey confirmations including a very dark brown male with a white face and some light fibres in the fleece. In fact, he's grey too.

Of course, we don't learn something dazzling for every animal and we would like all the mysteries of colour genetics in alpacas to be lifted with this test, but that is not yet the case, research continues to identify other influential genes.

Research benefits breeders

This test costs less than £30 per alpaca and can be done yourself. But you can ask your vet to take blood samples if you are not comfortable with this.

If we want research to continue for the benefit of our industry, I think it is helpful to show your interest in this research and use this very interesting tool, at least for a part of your herd. I am sure you will make unexpected discoveries.

For our part, until now we have focused our attention on coloured animals but we intend to test our entire herd, including the whites. Colleagues recently made an amazing discovery of a grey hidden in a white, it's so exciting!

Breeding alpacas is definitely extremely bewitching!

> Three doubtful alpacas that have been DNA confirmed as Classic greys

TEST INFORMS BREEDING DECISIONS

Leading UK breeders are planning to use the Neogen

genetic test to identify classic grey coat colour following breakthrough genetic research by scientists led by Dr Kylie Munyard at Australia’s Curtin University.

Speaking after the research was published in 2019 Dr Munyard said the team’s discovery had important implications for the alpaca industry on a global scale. “By using this new testing tool, breeders and farmers have the opportunity to test white or light fawn alpacas, or those with uncertain patterns, for the mutation found in classic grey alpacas, which is also present in blue-eyed white alpacas. This will provide them with better information with which to make their breeding decisions.”

She said: “The classic grey colour pattern is highly sought after in the stud animal and fibre markets, but is known to be linked with the blue-eyed white colour pattern, which is less desirable for some alpaca breeders because of possible health defects.”

Dr Munyard’s research identified a genetic marker responsible for the classic grey colour pattern, and by using molecular techniques, the research team developed “a rapid and reliable method of identifying the mutation from a small DNA sample”.

Test identifies “cryptic greys”

“The most important aspect of this discovery is that we can now identify the so called cryptic grey alpacas that are too pale for the pattern to be seen. This will allow breeders to select for, or against, classic grey and blue-eyed white in their herds.”

The research project was funded by the Morris Animal Foundation in Denver, US; the commercial rights to develop the test were acquired by Neogen and a commercial test was made available to Australian breeders in July 2020.

In the UK some breeders are planning to use the test to help their breeding programmes. In our next issue (July) Paul Hetherington, from Beck Brow Alpacas, in Cumbria will share his experience and outline how the test can be applied to breeding programmes.

MATING – THE PRACTICALITIES

Alison Johnson, Bowbridge Alpacas, runs through the practicalities of mating. She finds good management and handling can help improve breeding systems and achieve better outcomes.

The information I have read about alpaca mating has all

been about choosing the alpacas you want to mate, the characteristics to choose when deciding which of the males you want to keep as studs, how to choose which stud to put with which female, timings, timing of spit-offs and issues like hormone levels.

What we found very difficult when we first started breeding was the practicalities; how to get which stud to the chosen female, how to run the spit-offs and subsequent matings and how to stop males fighting, so I thought I would write about our experiences and what we have learned and how we run our matings now. I’m not pretending to be a great expert, but we have certainly improved our breeding system – and our results.

Halter train your alpacas

If your alpacas, especially the studs, are halter trained, it makes breeding much easier. We use the Camelid Dynamic training method, developed by Marty Mcgee. We start with the babies when they are weaned (although they are very used to being around us before we start the formal training) and spend just a few minutes, probably five minutes a day, with each weanling, working in small groups, with an older alpaca in with them, to demonstrate how easy it all is. Before long they are walking along with us quite happily in a halter and lead. This method works well with older studs too, as long as you are patient and don’t rush things. The studs soon realise that it is breeding time, and they do get excited, but if you can lead them on a halter to their chosen mate, life is much easier.

Studs will fight and we remove their fighting teeth at shearing time, when they are three or four years old. Your vet (or shearer - but check carefully) will be able to do this for you. We have a huge pump action water gun to cool any fighting during mating, spraying it into our ardent studs faces; we have learnt to keep it always full!

Invest in pens

One of the best investments we made on the farm was buying lots of pen sides and gates that swing either way. We set up two or three pens and herd the girls through a series of gates, until we have the right girls in the pens we want. Sometimes we put pens next to each other, if we have a new potential stud who needs a little help in getting the idea of what he’s supposed to be doing, but usually spaced apart, because otherwise the stud may be more interested in warning off the next door stud than performing his own duties.

The anatomy of mating

Once the mating has started you need to make sure the right bit is in the right bit, which involves scrabbling on the floor, lifting the tale and usually, by feel, making sure the stud is “in”. There is a long antenna at the end of the stud’s penis and he wiggles that in the right direction. This may involve a lot of scrabbling on the girl’s back and it is a good idea if you can make your pens up on dry, even ground. Sometimes you have to physically move the girl over a little, to give the stud room to get in the right position, if she has sat down too close to the pen sides.

We make a note of the mating and how long it takes; ideally between twenty and thirty minutes. When the stud gets off the girl, he is usually quite biddable to be led back into his paddock, and the girl may be in a daze for a few minutes, so we let her recover and then usher her back to her friends.

Managing spit-offs

Two weeks later we want to do spit-offs. For this we bring all the girls into a small paddock which has a pen adjacent to it with three gates; one from the small paddock, one onto a runway, and one into another paddock. We have one of the stud boys in the runway and bring one of the girls into the pen. We introduce the stud (with a halter and lead-rope). The more experienced girls, if they are pregnant, take one look at him, and spit – try and keep out of the way and wear old clothes and have cloths handy.

The less experienced girls and maidens (girls who are in their first breeding season) may just run round and round. Sometimes you can see they’re trying to spit or preparing to spit, and we have to make a judgement call and call it a spit. It is very important that we keep accurate records, so the more people you have helping the better. When the girl spits we let her out into the runway and back to her paddock. When she sits – and wants to be mated again – we put her into the other small paddock. The stud boy may get a bit disheartened doing the spit-offs without being allowed to do a mating at this point, and may lose interest, so we may have to bring up another stud to take his place.

After completing the spit-offs we go on to mate the girls who have sat down. Our records mean that we know which of these girls we want to put with which stud; once, or if, we have reached the right number and balance of girls, any others who sit are in the runway with the other girls. Sometimes a sitting girl is reluctant to stand and move away and may need a little encouragement with some food or a gentle heave. We then proceed to do further matings if these are required. We continue to do spit-offs through the season, as pregnancies can be lost.

Our season, lasts until the end of August, and in fact, last year, our last baby was born, late, at the beginning of August. We don’t really want any late August/ September babies, as the late summer grass is not so good for producing the mothers’ milk as the spring grass. Ideally all the babies would be born in May and June, but life isn’t exactly like that.

When the babies are born we interfere as little as possible. Cria care is a topic for a whole different article, but briefly we rub the babies down when they are born, missing out the head and tail (as these are the areas the mother sniffs to get to know her baby) and spray the umbilical cord with iodine, two or three times in the first 24 hours. If the baby doesn’t seem full of energy we give it a shot of “Jump Start”, a paste which we squeeze onto their lips. It smells a little like Marmite and the little ones seem to like it. We keep the mums and babies inside at night for the first week or so of their lives, to keep them warm and so we can weigh them each morning to make sure they are gaining weight, and if the weather is cool or wet we use a crib coat for the first day or two. If the mum doesn’t seem to be bonding with her baby we put them in a small pen within the paddock with the other mums, so that she will soon realise the baby is hers!

We still have a lot to learn about successful breeding, but we feel we are at least on the right path.

MARSHWOOD alpacas Ltd.

Alpaca Equipment:

Basic Easy-Pen £289.67 + carr. & VAT Aluminium Hurdles 4ft, 6ft, 8ft and 10ft from £47.50 each

www.marshwood-alpacas.co.uk Tel: 01297 678181 Geoff Bugler

Mid-Cornwall’s premier alpaca herd

Our breeding aim is to maximise bre production and improve bre quality generation upon generation, with a view to providing the ultimate bre for yarn production.

Higher Carpalla Farm Foxhole St Austell 01726 338580 07974 796792 nigel@nigelretallack.co.uk www.carpallaalpacas.co.uk