|
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
MAMGB Wasake - A true black sire...
Awhile back I was researching black alpacas Sunday morning. When one caught my eye I would go to the Alpaca Registry and look at pedigree. This particular Sunday while doing research I broke out laughing which prompted Marge to ask why? I explained I saw a picture of a nice black cria and looked at parentage. Both parents are white. Then I looked at the grand parents and all four are white. This white pedigree stretched though out the pedigree where even all great great parents are white. I stated to Marge, "I sure bet these folks were shocked when this black cria showed up!"
Establishing a black huacaya breeding program that has seen 90% black cria born with the remainder medium to dark brown or fawn I was shocked, no astounded walking out to the alpaca pen early one morning in the predawn light to see a white animal in the pasture. My immediate reaction was to get the gun because a wolf, coyote, or neighbor dog had somehow gotten into the pasture with the alpacas but before I could act on that decision I watched the white animal get up and begin nursing. Perhaps it was a little early in the morning but my first thought - a dog was nursing from one of our alpacas! Recovering and perhaps just waking up I moved across the pasture to see our first light fawn alpaca - aaannnd from two black huacaya.
Researching Laurel Ridge Momilani's pedigree a bit closer we focused a bit more on her granddad - Snowmass Casanova's Drambuie - recognizing he had a heavier hand in the Gregore Mendel acrobatics and provided less blame on MAMGB Wasake.
Once the shock of a light fawn born on our farm was overcome and we took a closer look at this little guys phenotype we realized Wasake stamped his quality fleece again but here we were stumped. How do you evaluate a light fawn alpaca? Our eyes, hands, and being were designed and trained in black or dark colored fleece.
When Marge showed up to evaluate she was wearing dark sunglasses. When I asked why she thought it might help her see this one more like a black and it did. She came away and said he was as nice as the blacks Wasake produced.
So when you have a herd of black huacaya, when the basis of naming alpacas is based upon the Lakota Indian language what do you name him?
Wasicu (Wah-see'-choo) of course, meaning White Man! I think we should have named him What-The-Hell!
aaand you end up with a light fawn? Wasicu
Laurel Ridge Momilani - a true black dam
Out of a black herd of Huacaya!
|