What is the difference between huacaya and suri alpacas

NubianNerd Chillin' with the herd. Joined May 18, Messages 30 Reaction score 0 Points Huacaya tends to have more dense fiber they're the poofy looking ones and are generally more solidly built robust critters. Alpacas in general are pretty hardy little guys, so don't let this make your decision for you.

I've never noticed a personality difference. Suri can be more difficult to find, and they have those lovely silky shiny curly locks. Most alpacas are white, but you can find more color variety in Huacaya generally speaking. As further illustration, here's a couple of Suris in full show coat, probably a year or two of growth.

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HFS Jeremiah. Breeding for the Future ourheritagefarm. In order to make informed decisions on selecting quality foundation herd animals with desirable fiber characteristics, the new alpaca breeder must understand basic fiber anatomy and physiology. This section provides information that will help you understand the differences between suri and huacaya fiber what makes a good fiber producing alpaca.

Alpaca fiber is composed of three distinct elements; the cuticle or scale, the cortical cells and an intracellular binder to hold it all together.

A complex protein called keratin forms the composition of the fiber. The fiber itself is a complex assembly made up of a vast number of cells. The inside of the fiber consists entirely of rounded elongated and spindle shaped cells called cortical cells. Cortical cells are thick in the middle and taper away to a point at each end. The outer cells cuticle are hard flattened scale-like cells which do not fit evenly together. The edges, of these cells protrude from the fiber shaft giving the fiber a serrated edge.

Cortical cells are the load-bearing elements of the fiber, whereas the cuticle imparts the inherent aesthetic qualities of the fiber such as softness of handle and luster. Other functions of the cuticle include water repellence, felting during washing, and resistance to chemical and physical attack. Research has shown that the cuticle cells on sheep wool fiber protrude approximately 0. It would therefore be simple to conclude that the softness of alpaca over that of sheep wool of the same fiber diameter is due to the scale height protrusion.

Differences between Suri and Huacaya Fiber The first difference between huacaya and suri fiber is that cuticle cells of the Huacaya protrude slightly more than the Suri, Having less scale frequency and a lower cuticle height, the Suri fiber feels more slippery and is more lustrous than huacaya fiber. The second difference between Huacaya and Suri fiber is in the internal composition of the fiber.

The Huacaya has a bilateral structure similar to sheep and the Suri does not. Their woolly exterior grows outwards from the skin resulting in a rounded body shape.

Huacaya fibre is soft to handle and has a wide range of uses, from luxury suiting fabric, through knitwear to quilts and blankets. Suri is the rarer alpaca and has a fleece that hangs in long, twisted locks from a centre parting down the backline, giving this type of alpaca a much more flat-sided appearance. Its long independent lock structure distinguishes the Suri, and with its silky touch, the coat drapes exquisitely.

Suri fibre is becoming increasingly popular and is mostly used to produce luxurious brushed fabric and lustrous yarn. According to Cameron Holt: Suri fiber is basically a straight fiber and is used like mohair for specialized fiber production. Suri fiber, like Huacaya, can be very fine and silky, but has no crimp or rather, should not and thus Suri is best suited for woven goods. Its tight scale structure makes Suri difficult to dye and Suri fiber is more difficult to work with, as it is relatively heavy when compared to similar animal fibers..

Huacaya fiber shares more similarities with sheep wool than Suri, as Huacaya fleece is soft, fluffy, and crimpy. This natural crimp provides greater elasticity in Huacay yarn, making it a good choice for knits.

The average annual staple length of Suri fiber is 4 to 6 inches, whereas the average annual staple length of Huacaya fiber is 3 to 5 inches. Suri fiber often feels cool to the touch, which may be due to the fact that more of its straight fibers make direct contact with our skin, thereby absorbing more heat from our hands.

It is thought that the denser the Suri, the cooler its fiber lock will feel. Whereas the Suri has coiled locks of fiber that hang downward, the Huacaya has crimpy fiber, which act like small springs, and grow perpendicularly to the body giving Huacayas their rounded, fluffy appearance.