Английская Википедия:Huacaya alpaca

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Файл:Alpaca.jpg

A Huacaya alpaca near Arequipa in Peru

Huacaya is one of the two breeds that make up the species Lama pacos, commonly known as the alpaca (the other breed is the Suri). It lives on the Altiplano in the Andes, up to Шаблон:Convert above sea level. Its natural range encompasses four South American countries.

Phenotype characteristics

Both breeds are easily identifiable by their phenotypic characteristics. There are no differences in weight, or pup at birth (Шаблон:Convert) or the adult specimens, weighing about Шаблон:Convert in males and Шаблон:Convert in females.

Файл:Alpaca skeleton.jpg

Alpaca skeleton (Museum of Osteology)

Animals of the Huacaya breed of alpacas have a rounded and bulky bodies. Huacaya fiber grows perpendicular to the body of the alpaca, and is bulky, smooth and dense. Its curls in its sponge-like fibre are shorter and duller compared with Suri, with an absence of wool grease that is characteristic of Corriedale sheep. Both alpaca breeds possess a vast array of coat colors, totalling 22 different varieties.

Population

Huacayas far outnumber the Suri population. In Chile, all alpacas are of the Huacaya type, and there is a negligible amount of Suri specimens in Bolivia at the northern border. Peru, which contains the majority of the world's alpaca, has 93% Huacaya as estimated by the Food and Agriculture Organization. Thus of the 3.7 million animals worldwide, more than 90% are thought to be of the Huacaya breed.

Products

Fibre

Шаблон:Main Huayaca fiber is made up of between 150–170 threads per Шаблон:Mm2. At Шаблон:Convert thick, their fiber is Шаблон:Convert thinner than that of the Suri, and considerably whiter, on average. Suri fiber is marginally stronger Some of the products that can be made with fine Huacaya fiber include:

• Ponchos
• Scarves
• Vests
• Sweaters
• Bedspreads

Meat

While huayacas were never bred for meat, their meat is a useful perfectly edible by-product and very high in protein. The carcass weight varies at around 50% of live weight and 23 kilogrammes. Huacaya are thought to produce more meat than the Suri. Alpaca meat has a high protein to fat ratio, with the most common breed containing on average 23% protein.