SRS® (Soft Rolling Skin)* is a biologically based breeding system successfully developed by Dr Jim Watts, a former CSIRO scientist. For the past 20 years Dr Watts has been a breeding consultant to the merino industry and in recent years has applied the same breeding principles to Alpaca and Angora goats.
This breeding system is based on increasing fleece weights and reducing fibre diameter. This is achieved by selectively joining animals that express the SRS® fibre traits which reflect positive changes in the skin biology of their offspring. The biological changes in skin can be verified by the use of objective testing in the form of skin biopsies; these biopsies measure the density of fibre follicles, rate of fibre growth and fineness of both secondary (fleece) and primary (hair) fibres. Both these fibre types will ultimately have almost the same diameter and fibre properties.
Alpacas are selected for fleeces with low primary fibre diameter, high density and length. This approach reduces and eventually eliminated guard hair, whilst producing fleeces of high weight and fineness. The term “soft rolling skin” indicates that the skin is fine and mobile, which occurs when the density and length of the fleece is high.
The biological changes in the skin and the rate of growth of the fibres can be measured. We are focussed on breeding alpacas with:
- Very fine primary fibres of uniform diameters (eventually finder than the secondary fibres); and
- High follicle density associated with high levels of secondary follicle branching (the latter equates to high secondary follicle to primary follicle (S/P) ratio). Hence the secondary fibres are also fine, uniform in diameter and highly aligned; and
- Very long fibres of uniform length.
Scroll down to review our achievable breeding goals.
Achievable breeding goals
SRS® is a Breeding System that indentifies and produces the fleece qualities that the discerning marketplace requires: a luxurious fibre that is exquisitely soft, has gentle handle lustre and style.
We are working alongside many alpaca breeders in Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, UK and Peru to accelerate the genetic improvement of the alpaca and alpaca fleece.
Our aim is to develop an identifiably unique alpaca that has been specifically bred to meet the highest standards in fleece conformational traits.
This is an alpaca that will ultimately be the benchmark for international standards and will be sought after as seed stock by other breeders around the world.
*SRS® is a registered trademark of the SRS® Company Pty Ltd