@conference {40312,
	title = {alpha-Lactabumin - The milk manipulator{\textquoteright}s dream},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {51},
	year = {1991},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {211-218},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	abstract = {The importation of 100 alpacas from Chile in 1989 has enabled  some preliminary observations to be made on the performance of these  animals under farming conditions in Otago. After one year the adult  female liveweights (70.8-72.8 kg) exceeded that of alpacas farmed in  South America. Cria showed high growth rates (176 gm/day) to weaning at  5 months of age. Sixty two cria were born and their survival to 7  months of age was high (92\%). Only 22\% of females had cria following  spring mating but a more successful autumn mating resulted in 61\%  pregnant. Adult females clipped 1.7 kg and males 2.8 kg of fibre. The  fibre diameter from females averaged 28.8 microns and from males 30.6  microns. Nine month old cria clipped 1.7 kg of fibre with a mean  diameter of 23.4 microns. These preliminary data indicate that alpacas  are adapting well to this new environment, but as in South America,  there are problems of low fertility.  },
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Wilkins RJ}
}
