Alpaca Fiber
and Histograms

Alpaca Fiber | Preparing Alpaca for Spinning | Fiber & the Spinning Wheel

Alpacas are shorn once per year and each animal produces about five to ten pounds of fleece per year.

Alpaca fiber is:

• softer, yet stronger than wool
• comes in 22 natural colors
• lighter and warmer than wool
• contains no lanolin, yet feels silky
• easier to process than cashmere
• blends easily with other natural fibers
• hypo-allergenic and odorless
• demand is greater than the supply

Histograms

Laserscan Micron Testing (Histograms) are done by Yocom-McColl Testing Laboratories.  A fleece sample, usually from the alpaca's side, is sent in for testing.

Average Fiber Diameter (AFD):

Indicates fineness.  The lower the AFD the finer the fleece.  Anything under 25 is considered very good, especially for an adult.  Fineness is influenced by age, sex,  hormones, diet and other factors.

Standard Deviation (SD):

Indicates how much the diameter of each fiber varied from the other fibers in the sample.  The smaller the standard deviation, the more uniform the fleece and the better the handle or softer feel to the fleece.

Coefficient of Variation (CV):

Also indicates the uniformity of a fleece using the AFD and SD.  A fleece with a CV under 20 is very uniform.  A CV over 30 is not very uniform.

Fibers Greater Than 30 Microns:

Coarser fibers also called medullated fibers or guard hair.

Ideal fleece qualities:

• finer fleece with a lower AFD
• crimp uniform throughout the fleece and along the length of the fiber
• uniform in micron, length, and color
• increased weight by increased staple length and density

We will strive, continually, to improve our herd with each breeding.
Our goal is to produce finer, denser, and more uniform fleeces on our alpacas.
Dave & Karen G.