I'm wondering how often an alpaca 'grows into' being grey rather than being born grey.
I've got a brand new cria who's father is MSG tuxedo and Mom is TB (no white on extremities, but has a single white spot on her neck -- could be from a blood draw). The cria is currently light to medium fawn with a large white patch on her forehead and neck and front legs that are definitely lighter (but not white) than the rest of her body.
Now a couple of generations back on the paternal side there is DB, MB,and white, while we don't know much about the dam (her MSG father was an import and her DB mom was the daughter of an LF import), so I guess it's possble that she's stay fawn (if that was the recessive color under her Dad's MSG), but I'm curious to find out what are the chances of her developing into a MRG?
Thoughts?
thanks, Dani
Dani McKenzie & Hovey Moore Longbottom Meadows Roy, WA 360-400-0348 http://www.longbottommeadows.com/
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mpcpneilp Member # 6
Posted 09/20/2009 11:24 AM (Edited 09/20/2009 11:25 AM)
There are two answers for your question. The first deals with phenotype and, I guess "show rules". The second, genotype.
Dealing with the second question. Your cria is either gray genotypically or she isn't. Since "outcrossing" my own tuxedo grays to fawn and beige last generation I have a number ot alpaca that fit your description in my own herd. My outcrossed cria are indefinate by show rules (or almost indefinate).
The question I have for my own breeding program is what the phenotypic indefinate pattern represents genotypically. Unfortunately, I'm unlikely to find out as my plan was to backcross these indefinates to tuxedo gray. If I get tuxedo gray offspring I'll never know whether that pattern came from the phenotypic tuxedo gray or the phenotypic indefinate, or both.
I suspect my indefinate cria may be poorly expressed tuxedo grays (or partially expressed tuxedo grays). I further suspect that this type of phenotypic presentation (tuxedo gray genotypically but not phenotypically) is the reason we've not seen a tuxedo gray alpaca produce 100% tuxedo gray cria..........but no doubt Andy Merriwether would disagree with me
Taking the first question, there are several things I've observed over the years in "grays". I have two solid blacks on my farm now that have grayed out (much like I am doing I have also seen poorly expressed tuxedo grays become more fully expressed over time (to the extent that they would change from solid or indefinate to easily recognized tuxedo gray). In this case each of these "blooming" tuxedo grays had at least one phenotypically fully expressed tuxedo gray parent.
I have also seen solid animals with a roan neck (or other areas of roaning) become a bit more roan.....but that's all.
Time will tell what's going to happen with your female. Sorry I can't be more definite (no pun intended in answering your question.
I've got 2 girls that have grayed with age (one's a 13 yr import, the other is 7). Now of course I'm wondering if anyone notices their fawns or browns graying with age -- an indication that it's age related decrease in color production (similar to us humans ) rather than a slowly expressed gray.
I'm still confused by my cria. In the last couple of months, she's grown an agouti stripe, then back to medium fawn with a few brown and black fibers. I'll have to see if I can get pictures of her fleece to post.
Dani McKenzie & Hovey Moore Longbottom Meadows Roy, WA 360-400-0348 http://www.longbottommeadows.com/
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Posted 06/14/2009 02:49 PM
Posted 09/20/2009 11:24 AM 
I have also seen poorly expressed tuxedo grays become more fully expressed over time (to the extent that they would change from solid or indefinate to easily recognized tuxedo gray). In this case each of these "blooming" tuxedo grays had at least one phenotypically fully expressed tuxedo gray parent.
Posted 09/20/2009 12:45 PM
) rather than a slowly expressed gray.