The Ideal Alpaca Community is a collective effort that is intended to create the maximum opportunity for profitable farms and herds for individual members.

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The ABCs of EPDs

Mike Safley | 07/02/08

At first blush, animal breeding seems relatively simple. If you believe ‘like
begets like’ all you need to do is mate similar animals. If you want a further
edge up - study pedigree. If that is not good enough, you can measure phenotype making sure only the best are included in your breeding plan. The problem is none of these strategies is particularly effective, and many of the beliefs that breeders rely on are black magic. Myth makes the animal improvement equation more complex than it need be. Before we can get on to steady measurable improvement, we must sweep a few myths out of the closet.

IAC Getting Started Guide

Bill McAlister | 01/07/09

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for joining the IAC and creating your own website content. It is "must read" material if you are going to become an IAC member.

Displaying Your Alpacas' EPDs on the IAC Website

Bill McAlister | 02/17/09

Each IAC farm owner may publicly display EPD information, or to keep it private. However, not all alpaca's may have their EPDs publicly displayed. This can be confusing. The policy is that Studmaster males, direct offspring of Studmaster males and dams bread to Studmaster males are entitled to have their EPDs publicly display EPDs on the farm's IAC site, provided the owner enables the displays. All other alpacas have their EPDs posted on the owners IAC website for private viewing, but not for public display.

How do you view your own alpacas' EPDs? Just follow these steps.

2010 Guidelines for Preparing IAC Fleece Samples

Bill McAlister | 06/08/10

Here is the information you need to properly and accurately prepare your alpaca's fleece samples and submit them to Yocom-McColl for the expanded IAC fiber analysis, and for inclusion in the Estimated Progeny Differences (EPD) program.

IAC Linking Instructions

Pat Teeraprapa | 10/13/06

As a benefit to every Ideal Alpaca member, we offer each member a space on www.ideal-alpaca.com to promote his/her alpaca business. In order to strengthen the online marketing efforts of the entire Ideal Alpaca Community and in turn helping your site gain more traffic and online exposure, we require that you add a link to www.ideal-alpaca.com from your farm's site. Instructions follow.

Help with IAC Enrollment - Getting Started Guide

Bill McAlister | 08/27/09

This guide assists prospective new IAC members with the enrollment process. It provides step-by-step joining instructions and address common questions and concerns.

It is convenient to print the guide and read it before actually joining.

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