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| The Small Farm with a Big Heart |
| Fiber Testing |
| prime area (blanket area) of the Alpaca. The mean diameter of the sample fiber is reported in microns, as well as the standard deviation (sd) in the sample, the coefficient of variation (cv) and the percentage fiber. The mean/average diameter tells us the average diameter of all of the fibers in the sample is "x" microns. The standard deviation tells us the individual fiber deviation as a percent of the average diameter and is measure of uniformity. The superfine and fine classifications are the only fiber suitable for the best fabrics sought by the fashion industry: Since the first shearing of the Alpaca produces the finest fleece it will ever produce, it is a good idea to know at what age the sample was taken, when evaluating an Alpaca. If the only sample taken is of the baby fleece, then it probably doesn't mean much, because they are almost always low. It is the samples taken after one year, and subsequent years that tell the real story to the Alpacas fiber. If an Alpaca keeps a low micron count through the years, the Alpacas fiber genes are considered to be very good. All Alpaca micron counts will increase with age. Nutrition and hormones also play a strong role in the the micron count. The sudden change may "blow out" the fiber, until the animal becomes acclimated to the diet. Some have said that a skinny Alpaca has better, finer fiber. Having a fine fiber with a low micron count is not everything. The weight of the fleece is also important. The more fiber you have, the better. A heavy consistent fleece is more important than a fleece with a low micron count that you may not have a lot of. The ideal situation of course is to have BOTH! Classifications of Microns: Royal: <18 Superfine/Baby: 18 -20 Fine: 20 - 24.9 Medium: 25 - 29.9 Strong: 30> (human hair is between 40-80 and sometimes greater than 100 microns) |
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