Abstract
Currently, available information about alpaca inbreeding to analyze genetic progress, depression or variability is limited. The aim of this study was to determine the inbreeding coefficient and the inbreeding effect over the birth weight and fleece weight in an alpaca population. 12 493 animals’ data who were born in Puno between 1999 and 2012 from Mallkini farm of MICHELL business group were analyzed using the Pedigree Viewer software, ENDOG 4.8 and SAS statistical program. The average population inbreeding coefficient was 0.1654%. Only one percent of the alpaca population (1.0970%) presented an inbreeding coefficient more than 0 with a mínimum value of 1.56% and a máximum one of 25%. The one percent inbreeding effect was -0.00418 kg and -0.01107 kg for birth weight (p=0.530) and fleece weight (p=0.002), respectively. In conclusión, inbreeding increase is lower than 1%. Nevertheless, the inbreeding depression on birth weight is not statistically significant as opposite to fleece weight. In order to obtain a better inbreeding coefficient estimation and its effect on productive parameters in alpacas more genealogical information are needed.
Keywords: alpaca, inbreeding, weight