The Paco-Vicuña Registry™

The Paco-Vicuña Registry® registers paco-vicuña and camelids that show phenotypic attributes of the vicuña. Primarily this includes alpacas that have phenotypic attributes or traits of the vicuña and these special alpacas are called paco-vicuña. The registry utilizes the DNA from hair samples to verify the parentage of all its registered Paco-Vicuña through the U.C. Davis Genetics Labs. We also register the products (such as garments) made from the shorn fleece of these registered animals. In order to register an animal in this registry the animal must pass the requirements of the registry. Some of the requirements are: the origin of the animal, minimum phenotypic features (as determined by the phenotypic screener), fiber quality, soundness, DNA testing (to identify future offspring), status in zoological stud books or other camelid registries, and payment of the fees of the registry. The registry encourages and promotes breeding for sound animals that produce high quality fiber, shearing of the animals, processing of the fiber, and the production of high quality products. The registry will register the products so that the source of the fiber can be identified.

What is a Paco-Vicuña?  A paco-vicuña is a special alpaca that exhibits the phenotype traits of its ancient Andean ancestor the vicuña.  Alpacas were domesticated from vicuña over the last 6000 years, today many of them exhibit vicuña traits.  Father Don Julio Cabrera had a breeding program in the 1840's  where he attempted to breed the alpaca to the vicuña but in the long term the resultant animals were assimilated into the alpaca herds. However, many of these vicuña traits can be observed in the alpaca herds that exist on the altiplano today.

Why breed for paco-vicuña?  Vicuña fiber is renowned for its softness, fineness, rarity, and color. The vicuña is a wild animal and is difficult to maintain in captivity. Breeding, birthing, shearing, and medical care would be quite a challenge. The vicuña is also a threatened species which makes the animal and its fiber difficult to obtain as the animal is protected by international laws. The solution is the paco-vicuña breeding for most of the same fiber attributes of the vicuña and the attitude of an alpaca.

How to breed for a superior paco-vicuña? By identifying the various traits of vicuña in alpaca and selecting the alpacas with the traits, these alpaca (paco-vicuña) can be bred together to amplify the vicuña traits (such as low micron count, bib, and color) and produce a superior paco-vicuña. The same can be done for the desired traits we want for the paco-vicuña from the alpaca (such as fast growing fiber and calm demeanor). The key is to recognize the alpacas that have these special traits and breed them together to magnify the qualities we are looking for in a paco-vicuña.

Contact:

The Paco-Vicuña Registry™, Phil Switzer, Registrar

P.O. Box 3800, Estes Park, Colorado  80517-3800

Phone: (970)586-4624  FAX (970)577-0775

e-mail:  philalpaca@aol.com   

A female paco-vicuña with many phenotypic vicuña features.

Two baby Paco-Vicuñas

Last Updated 01/08/2008

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