| Giorgio Castellaro G., Jorge Garcia-Huidobro P. De A., and Pedro Salinas |
| Authors are researchers of the Agroecology Program, Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA), La Platina Experimental Station, Casilla 439-3, Santiago, Chile. |
Abstract |
| A study of liveweight changes of alpaca adult males, females, and their progeny, was conducted through 3 seasons under continuous grazing on natural grasslands on the Mediterranean range of the Chilean Central Zone. Liveweight changes were positive and highest in spring (100 to 200 g day-1), moderate during winter (50 to 100 g day-1), and negative only at the end of summer and in fall (–110 to –150 g day-1). Weight gains of new born alpacas were greatest (110 to 150 g day-1) in the first 90 days after birth and then decreased slightly, reaching values of 75 g day-1 at 8.5 months old. Weight gains stabilized at 10 to 20 g day-1 at 3-years of age. The average annual fibre production was 1.57 and 2.36 kg in females and males, respectively; staple length varied between 8 and 10 cm. |
| Key Words: South American Camelids, fiber production |