Sheep & Goats

Estimation of variance components for fiber traits in alpacas from smallholder herds in Peru

---

Abstract

Genetic parameters are essential for defining breeding objectives and predicting the expected response to selection in genetic improvement programs. In Peru, limited information is available on genetic parameter estimates derived from smallholder production systems, mainly due to the challenges associated with collecting reliable phenotypic and pedigree data under extensive management conditions. This study aimed to estimate genetic parameters for fiber diameter (FD), fiber diameter standard deviation (SD), annual fiber growth (FG), and fleece weight at first shearing (FW) in alpacas raised by smallholder farmers in the Puno region of southern Peru. Pedigree and phenotypic records collected between 2013 and 2025 were analyzed. The pedigree file comprised 4,204 animals distributed across seven herds, with an average equivalent complete generation of 0.50. Phenotypic data included 1,519 records for FD, 1,517 for SD, 1,361 for FG, and 1,425 for FW. A multi-trait mixed animal model without repeated measurements was fitted, including sex, herd, color, year of birth, and age at shearing as fixed effects, and the additive genetic effect of the animal as a random effect. Variance components were estimated using Bayesian inference implemented via Gibbs sampling with the GIBBSF90+ program. Posterior mean heritability estimates (95% HPD interval) were 0.37 (0.25-0.50) for FD, 0.45 (0.34-0.57) for SD, 0.51 (0.42-0.60) for FG, and 0.20 (0.08-0.33) for FW. These estimates are comparable to those reported for well-managed breeding centers with larger datasets, indicating that smallholder production systems can generate sufficiently reliable data for genetic parameter estimation and subsequent genetic evaluation within their own herds.

Keywords: 2026

How to Cite:

Aguilar, M., Quispe, D. & Mamani, M., (2026) “Estimation of variance components for fiber traits in alpacas from smallholder herds in Peru”, World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production Digital Archive 2026(1): 2296014. doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/wcgalp.24387

Rights: 1