Hidden Lake Alpacas - Breeding Strategy

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Breeding Strategy

Specialist breeding facility on the Mornington Peninsula breeding elite black Suri alpacas

Hidden Lake Merlin ET

Australian & Peruvian Genetics

Our breeding program utilises the best Australian developed genetics combined with fine breeding stock imported from Peru to increase the fineness and density of black alpacas.

Embryo Transfer

A key part of our breeding strategy is participation in embryo transfer programs (ET) to rapidly improve the quality of black genetics.

Significant Advances

Our investment in superior genetics together with our ET program to accelerate genetic improvement, is yielding significant advances. Along with a select few breeders, we are at the forefront in the genetic development of black Suri alpacas to meet the current demand for elite breeding stock and the future demand for fine black fleece.

What is an ET program

Crias from a single flush with surrogate mothers

In an Embryo Transfer (ET) program a female alpaca (Dam) is super ovulated prior to mating in order to produce multiple fertilised eggs. These are then flushed from the Dam and implanted into multiple surrogate mothers.

Multiple Breeding Cycles

The process can be repeated several times in a year with the same Dam. So, whereas alpacas normally only produce one baby (Cria) in a year, an ET program can produce many Crias from the one Dam in a year.

This enables superior Dams to be mated with various superior stud males (Sires) to test and produce genetic improvements at an accelerated rate.

Australia leads the world

A select few alpaca breeders in Australia are at the forefront of ET technology with alpacas. Dr Jane Vaughn is leading the development of this technology.

Our ET program is in conjunction with Canchones who also specialise in breeding black alpacas.