Alpaca i swiharhi leswi mamisaka swingana mkhwiri ra tikamara ta mune lexikotaka ku kondzelela swiyimo swotika swale tintshaveni. E Afrika Dzonga, ti alpaca ti fuyiwa eka maxelo lawa ya hisaka naswona tivekiwa eka madyelo lawa leswi tiswidyaka swinga engeteleriwaka kutani ti tolovela kutiyisisa leswaku ku kumeka fleece ya khwalithi xikan’we na vuhumelerisi. Ti alpaca ti tsemetiwa kan’we hi lembe.
Swiharhi swingaya emasangwini nkarhi wihi na wihi wa lembe - laha ta xisati tipfunetiwaka ku ovulator. Swatsakeriwa swinene, hambiswiritano, leswaku crias (vana va alpaca) vatswariwa emakumu ka ximumu (March - April) kumbe hi ximun’wani (October - November) kungari hi xixika.
Kuxava Alpacas
Xava ti alpaca takahle swinene leti ungati fikelelaka, Leswi i switsundzuxo kusuka eka vafuwi vati alpaca e Afrika Dzonga. Vafuwi vantshwa va alpaca vanga tlhela va hlawula kuxava swifuwo leswinga tsarisiwa kusuka eka SA Studbook kusuka eka vakurisi vati alpaca va Afrika Dzonga naswona vanga xava hintsengo wa kwalomu ka R 20 000 - R 25 000 (2019) eka khwalithi yakahle ya taxisati letinga biha emirini. Herdsire alpacas (ta xinuna leti tirhisiwaka eka nongonoko wo kurisa) tinga durha kwalomu ka R 15 000 - R 18 000 kumbe kutlula, ku ehleketelela Dr Gavin Lindhorst, mukurisi tlhelo muxavisi wati alpaca. Alpaca leyi tirhisiwaka kuva murisi kumbe murindzi wa swifuwo ntsengo watona wungava wuri ehansi kutlula leti kurisaka.
Vhakela vakurisi vati alpaca ku dyondza swotala hi swiyimo swa makuriselo yati alpaca, matimu yo kurisa, ku langutisisa fibre ya swifuwo xikan’we naku languta ta xinuna leti tirhisiwaka loko u lava ku hatlisa u aka ntlhambi, sungula hiletinga biha emirini ta xisati, kutsundzuxa Dr Lindhorst.
Ehandle ka kuva swifuwo switisiwa kusuka e Chile nale Peru, Afrika Dzonga narona ri xavile ti alpaca kusuka e Australia. Australia yikume vuxaka bya ngati bya Peruvian, yitlhela yiva na ntsariso lowu kombetaka kuhlawuleka kati alpaca, kuvula Dr Lindhorst.
Tlhandla kambirhi, swiharhi swale Australia swivile ekusuhi swinene na switsotswana na mavabyi ya swifuwo laha ndzhawu ya ntumbuluko ya vutshamo byati alpaca hile tintshaveni tale henhla ta Andes mountains (+3 000 m) eka ndzhawu leyingariki na mavabyi.
Kufuwa Alpacas
Alpaca yinga fuyiwa hi xikongomelo xokurisa kumbe tani hi yo risa kumbe kurindza swifuwo, kambe hi xitalo xikongomelo nkulu iku kuma fibre yotala ya khwalithi. Leswi aswi kombisiwi ntsena hi ti genes ta xiharhi, kambe swakudya swa kahle xikan’we na vulawuri swina xiave eka ndlela leyi ti genetics ti tirhisiwaka xiswona. Xikombiso, kulawula madyelo ku hunguta kuthyakisiwa ka fibre (byasi na mimitwa eka fleece) hinkarhi waku tsemetiwa.
Ti alpaca ti vekiwa eka madyelo yofana na kikuyu kumbe Eragrostis kutani tin’wani ti dya fynbos e Karoo. Ku phameriwa ka madyelo swinga engeteleriwa hi swakudya swofana na (grains, pellets, mineral mix, etc.) kumbe horse meal yikatsiwe na game pellet leyinga ehansi hiti protein na lupin seeds. Vukona bya ti protein eka swakudya swingava na nhlohletelo eka khwalithi ya alpaca fleece; ti protein tale henhla tivanga leswaku fibre yitsindziyela naswona ayi vuyerisi nchumu leswaku alpaca yina vuswikoti byaku susa swakudya eka madyelo yoka yangari kahle, kambe van’wamapurasi vahlohleteriwa ku engetelela madyelo ya ntumbuluko hi swakudya swo engetelela.
Ku hlohleteriwa leswaku ku endliwa purasi riva na tinkamba to ringanela leswaku kuta cinca cinciwa madyelo. Tiyisisa leswaku kunga tali ngopfu swifuwo endzhawini yin’we. Tinkamba tohambana hambana natona ta laveka leswaku tita kota kuva na mintlawa yohambama hambana kufana na ta xisati letinga biha emirini, letaha kulaka ta xisati, xa xinuna naletintsongo taxinuna xikan’we na nhlayiso wa xiyimo xale henhla wati alpaca- swiharhi leswinga lavaka murhi kumbe swakudya swo hlawuleka.
Ti alpaca ta xisati (hembras) tiva ti lulamele masangu exikarhi ka 18 na 22 wa tinhweti naswona yita tswala nwana un’we cria endzhaku ka kwalomu ka 340 wa masiku. Endzhaku ka kutlula mavhiki mambirhi endzhaku ko tswala, ya xisati yinga tlhelela emasangwini nakambe. Kukuma mahahlwa yati alpaca swakala swinene.
Min’wala ya swikun’wani na matinu yale hansi swifanele ku kamberiwa lembe na lembe kutani swihungutiwa loko swilaveka xikan’we na nsawutiso leswi fanaka na leswi tirhisiwaka eka vufuwi bya tinyimpfu. Leswi katsaka nsirhelelo eka xitsongwa tsongwani xa bluetongue virus, Rift Valley fever na mavabyi ya Clostridia.
Ku Keriwa ka Alpacas
Ti alpaca ti keriwa voya kan’we hi lembe, hi xitalo hinkarhi wa ximun’wana - September kumbe October kuya hi mahiselo - naswona tinga keriwa tahari tintsongo kusukela eka ntsevu wa tinhweti. Switirhisiwa leswi fanaka na leswi tirhisiwaka ku kera tinyimpfu hi leswi tirhisiwaka, kambe xirhezani xohlawuleka xatirhisiwa leswaku xita siya 4 mm ya fibre emirini. Ti alpaca tina nhlonge leyinga manyana loko yi pimanyisiwa na nyimpfu naswona tifanele ku keriwa hi vukheta kusivela kuva ti vaviseka.
Fleece kusuka eka nhamu yakona kuya e ncileni xikan’we na laha matlhelo hiyona ya khwalithi yakahle. Leswi swivuriwa 'prime' kumbe 'firsts'. Kasi ‘seconds’ hiyona fibre leyikumekaka e milengeni nale nhan’wini. Fibre leyinga enhlokweni xikan’we na ‘bonnet’ yikeriwa loko yisungula kuleha ngopfu kumbe yisungula ku sivela alpaca kuvona kambe fibre leyi ayi tali kutirhisiwa tani hi leswi yinga tsindziyela swinene.
Translated by Ike Ngobeni