Ama-Alpacas izifuyo azifuywa emakhaya aseNingizimu Melika. Aye asetshenziselwa ifayibha yawo ethambile njalo efudumele. Omiswe kanye ngonyaka ngenkathi entwasahlobo, ama-alpacas angaguqula kahle ukudla kube uboya futhi kubhekwa njengesilwane esisebenza kahle kunazo zonke esikhiqiza i-fibre.
Izakhiwo Zamafayibha we-Alpaca
I-Alpaca fibre ihamba kahle kakhulu futhi ngenxa yalokho i-Downy, ecishe ibe silky, ekuthinteni. Kuthiwa inamandla amahlandla ayisihlanu futhi ihlanzekile kunoboya futhi ibuye ibe yinde kunamanye imicu yemvelo. Izici ezahlukahlukene zinquma ukuthamba kwe-alpaca fibre. Imicu ye-alpaca yomuntu ngamunye iqukethe 'isikali' sangaphandle esilele emgodini wefayibha. Ukuphakama kwesikali kwe-alpaca fibre kumayelana nama-microns angama-0,04 uma kuqhathaniswa namayoni angama-0.08 woboya. Lokhu, ngokwezifiso, kusho ukuthi i-alpaca fibre izizwa ithambile kunoboya. Izikali zinde kunobabili noboya kanye no-mohair, ziphinde zithuthukise ubushelelezi be-alpaca fibre ngaphezu kwezinye izinhlobo ezimbili zefayibha.
I-Alpaca fibre ayihambisani namanzi, imelana nemisebe yelanga futhi iqukethe amaphakethe omoya omkhulukazi omnikeza amandla okufakelwa.
Ayiqukethe i-lanolin, into enamafutha evikelwe izilwane ezikhiqiza uboya. Izinsalela ezivela kumakhemikhali adingekayo ukuze kususwe i-lanolin eboyeni bezimvu kuvame ukubanga i-itchiness njengophawu lokuphendula kokubi. Kodwa-ke, i-alpaca fibre ayikubangeli lokhu kucasulwa futhi ilungele ukusetshenziswa ezingutsheni zezingane nakubantu abaphethe isikhumba esithambile.
Uboya be-Alpaca buza ngemibala ehlukene nemibala engama-22 futhi kuhlukaniswe ngezigaba eziningana zezinwele eziphakathi kuka-16 no-30. Thehlisa micron inhle futhi ithambile. Imibala isukela kokumhlophe, amathunzi ansundu, kanye no-grey kuye komnyama ngombala omhlophe ngokuba umbala odumile.
Izinhlobo ze-Alpaca Fleece
Kunezinhlobo ezimbili ze-alpacas, i-Huacaya ene-fibre spongy enjengezimvu ne-Suri alpaca enefayibha ende ende, ebushelelezi. I-Huacaya fibre inefreyimu ye-wavy egcina ukwakheka kwayo ngokuhamba kwesikhathi futhi ilungele kakhulu imikhiqizo enziwe ngawo. I-Suri fibre ine-luster ethile efana ne-silk futhi ithanda imikhiqizo ephezulu kakhulu efana namasudi e-alpaca.
Uboya be-Alpaca budinga ukufakwa kahle ukuze kuncishiswe ukwenzeka kwe-coarse fibre, ebizwa ngokuthi izinwele zokugada. Izici ezinjengezakhi zofuzo ezingezinhle, okuqukethwe okunamaprotheni amaningi kokuphakelayo kwe-alpaca, kanye nobudala besilwane kungadala ukuhlangana kwefayibha.
Ukuubungula I-Alpaca Fleece
Kunezici ezahlukahlukene ezithintekayo ekwenziweni kwemikhiqizo ye-alpaca fibre. Inqubo iqala ngokuvunwa koboya. Uboya be-Alpaca (noma i-fibre) bavunwa kanye ngonyaka ngoSepthemba noma ngo-Okthoba, kuye ngokuthi ubusika nobusika baseNingizimu Afrika. Bonke abantu abadala kanye nama-crias (ama-alpacas asezinsana) ezineminyaka engaba yizinyanga eziyisithupha bachecwa umgundi oqeqeshelwe ukuqeqeshwa kwe-alpaca besebenzisa imishini efana nale esetshenziselwa imvu. I-cria ikhiqiza cishe i-1 kg ye-fibre ngenkathi i-alpaca endala ikhiqiza cishe ama-2,5 kg noma kwesinye isikhathi ngaphezulu.
Le ntambo ihlanzwa ngesandla ukuze isuse izinto ezikhula njengameva notshani. Ngemuva kwalokho i-alpaca fibre yemibala efanayo ihlanganiswa. Abanye abakhiqizi boboya be-alpaca bangaqoqa izingcezwana zefayibha enombala ofanayo ku-'plags' enkulu. Isibonelo, imicu emsundu evela esilwaneni esimhlophe ephethe isikhumba esincane esinsundu.
I-skirting inqubo inqubo ngenkathi ugunda (noma ngemuva) lapho i-coarse ebonakalayo 'yeenwele' - engalinganisa ama-microns angaphezu kwama-30 isuswa engxenyeni enhle yesikhumba. Inqubo yangempela yokususa izinwele ku-mill isusa zonke ezinye izinwele eziqonde.
U-Fibri ube esethunyelwa ukuthi ayongeniswa emgungundwini okhethekile eButterworth e-Eastern Cape. Ukulungiswa kwemishini esetshenziselwa ukucubungula i-mohair ayikwazi ukucubungula i-alpaca fibre. Isikhunta kuqala igezwe ngenkathi kugcinwa imibala ihlukile, yomiswe komoya bese ikhishwa. Ukubala kuhlanganisa imicu ye-alpaca ngokufana. Ngemuva kokufaka amakhadibhodi imicu ilungele ukuphothwa ibe yimichilo yokugoqa noma yokuluka.
Izakhi Zofuzo ne-Alpaca
Ukuzalela uboya obuthile bemibala kuyindaba eyinkimbinkimbi yokulima kwe-alpaca, ikakhulukazi umbala ongwevu. Kwenziwa ucwaningo oluningi ngokuzalanisa lo mbala, kusho u-Alison Notley, umongameli weSouth African Alpaca Breeders Society futhi ongumnikazi weHelderstroom Alpacas.
I-Australia yenza okuningi ukuthuthukisa ikhwalithi yofuzo yoboya be-alpaca ikakhulukazi ngokuhlukahluka kogqinsi lwefayibha, ukunciphisa izingxenye zoboya obuphansi futhi yehlise isilinganiso samabanga aphansi kuya kwelezi-fibre (i-coarse Guard hair).
Translated by Nsika Khoza