Fleece is the primary end product of alpacas. They produce some of the softest and warmest fleece in the world, and the fleece is the main reason for raising alpacas in the first place. As we all know, alpacas must be shorn in the springtime each year and we gather several pounds of this luxurious fiber from each animal. However, now that you have gotten the fleece off the animal, just what do you do with it all, other than let it sit in a spare bedroom, a closet, or your farm office and take up space? By the way, when you place the fleece into (clear) plastic bags for storage, make sure when you tie the tops of the bags that you leave an opening into the bag for ventilation. With no way for moisture to escape, the fleece will smell like urine and you will end up with a soggy, smelly, ruined mess. You can buy clear plastic bags from any Wal-Mart store. The 33 gallon trash recycling bags work great.

The traditional way to deal with fleece is to divide the fleece into Firsts, Seconds and Thirds at shearing time and then later skirt the blanket (Firsts) removing any fleece that doesn't make the grade as Firsts. This leaves the blanket that is your best or Firsts fleece, the Seconds that is comprised of neck, belly and upper leg fleece, and the Thirds which is made up of everything else. Many alpaca farmers then send their Firsts and maybe their Seconds to a regional or local fiber processing mill to have it spun into yarn. The unprocessed Seconds and Thirds usually sit in the storage area and take up room until the farmer gets tired of it being in the way and they either throw it away or maybe even burn it.  Why?  What a waste!  You should be processing ALL of your fleece and increasing your fiber revenue as a result. Some of the pitfalls of processing unsorted fiber are: Promotes fiber migration in finished products Shedding Pilling Thick and thin areas in the yarn and, thus, in the finished product End product is itchy, lacking handle, resulting in no repeat buyers 15 Micron fiber + 30 micron fiber = 30 micron fiber Not the average of the two fibers - 22.5 microns Finer fibers become the core of the yarn Wasted fiber (Thirds)

What can you do to correct these problems? How about processing your fleece in a manner that results in less than 8 oz. of true waste per animal? Wouldn't you, as an alpaca fleece producer, be interested in such results? The most productive way to deal with your fleece is to have it sorted by a Certified Grader into one of 6 different grades. So, just what is fleece sorting and what does it provide over the traditional method of fiber processing? Separating the fleece as it comes off the alpaca by body area (as in the traditional method) Plus, separating the fiber by diameter, length and color Provides data for each alpaca shorn to help make breeding decisions The value of an alpaca is more than the micron - uniformity and density are also very important Sort herdsire record slips by strengths Sort dam record slips by weaknesses Pick one or two areas of improvement You can't fix everything in one breeding Record your "wish list" on the back File for future reference Add micron data to the equation More than one year of data Juvenile microns are important Provides a summary of the amounts and grades of the entire clip      As stated above, the fiber is sorted into one of 6 different grades (3 micron ranges): Grade 1, Ultra fine - <20 microns - Next to the skin items, gently used Grade 2, Superfine - 20-22.9 microns - Gently used items such as shawls and baby items Grade 3, Fine - 23-25.9 microns - Most versatile Grade Grade 4, Medium - 26-28.9 microns - Socks, throws, outerwear and felt Grade 5, Intermediate - 29-32 microns - Batts, duvets, outerwear and felt Grade 6, Robust - 32.1-35 microns - Batts, insulation and rugs      We all strive to breed our animals to produce the finest fiber possible, but according to Yocum-McColl Testing Laboratory, the average micron count in all U.S. animals is 28. And, not surprisingly, the majority of products made from alpaca fleece are produced from fiber Grades 3 & 4 (23-28.9 microns). By using the certified grading system, you can use your sorting records for the same purpose as sending off samples of fleece for evaluation by a testing laboratory. (This will save you about $7.50 per sample, which will pay for grading an entire fleece by an Apprentice Grader). But, the sorting records provide data from each year's clip to produce fiber trends for each animal, which are much more useful when evaluating an alpaca’s ability to maintain fleece fineness and uniformity throughout it’s life span.

Once you've had your fleece graded and sorted, then what? You combine your clip with other harvest savvy fiber producers to minimize production costs. To do this, you join a cooperative that processes only pre-graded fiber. The North American Alpaca Fiber Producers (NAAFP) is such a coop. The NAAFP membership provides the following benefits: Utilize all parts of the alpaca fiber for the maximum profit return Maintain ownership of your fleece throughout the entire processing run Products developed for all grades of fiber, matching the specific qualities of that grade to the proper product use New product development and opportunities to work with other fiber producer cooperatives Developing retail outlets and marketing opportunities for members Regional representation on the Board of Directors as well as regional collection facilities for a twice a year processing run Member only perks!!! Shared advertising opportunities, monthly newsletters, continuing education, additional web presence and more...      Membership in NAAFP is a one-time fee of $250.00. Having the fleece graded by a certified grader costs about $15.00 per animal. But, having the fleece graded by an apprentice grader usually costs only about $7.50 per animal. The apprentice grader must send graded samples of each fleece to their certified mentor for approval prior to returning the graded fleeces to the owner, thereby guaranteeing a “certified” grading process. The cost of mill runs is substantially less per ounce using the certified graded system than it is by using non-graded processing mills. Please visit the NAAFP web site at www.naafp.us and become a member.      So, to recap - Why should you pay to have your fiber sorted using the NAAFP Certified Sorted™ System? For $15.00 per Alpaca ($7.50 per Alpaca for many Apprentice Sorters) you receive: A complete assessment of the Alpaca's entire fleece, much more than a histogram (which costs you $7.50 per Alpaca). A clear view of each Alpaca's fleece strengths and weaknesses. A plan to improve your herd through knowledgeable breedings. Increased marketing information for sale of Alpacas and breedings. An inventory of the grades and amounts of fiber harvested. Increased amount of usable fiber for processing. Increased profits (more usable fiber). Suggested uses for your fiber by grade. Herd management analysis (nits, tender fleece, chalky fleece, stress times, etc.) You never have to touch the fiber again - it's ready for processing.      Shelia recently completed a NAAFP Grading Certification Class in New Hampshire and is now an Apprentice Sorter/Grader, certified to use the NAAFP Certified Sorted™ System. Please give us a call to discuss having her grade your alpaca fleece to maximize your fleece harvest profit.