Inbreeding in alpacas linked to lower fleece weight, impacting productivity.
The study aimed to investigate how inbreeding affects alpacas' birth weight and fleece weight. Data from over 12,000 alpacas born between 1999 and 2012 were analyzed. The average inbreeding coefficient in the population was 0.1654%. Only 1% of alpacas had inbreeding coefficients above 0, with a range from 1.56% to 25%. The study found that inbreeding had a small negative effect on birth weight, but a more significant negative effect on fleece weight. The increase in inbreeding was less than 1%, indicating a low impact. More genealogical information is needed to better understand how inbreeding affects alpacas' productivity.