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Blue eyed white alpacas are another group of animals that have gotten a bad rap. They do have issues - many are deaf. But, as a whole, white animals have better fiber than darker animals, so there is a good chance that a BEW will have admirable fiber characteristics. And if bred to a solid (no white on it) non white male, they will not have deaf offspring.
Here are some articles that explain the genetics involved. Color inheritance in alpacas is a tricky thing, and there are several different theories on how is inherited in alpacas. Articles on color inheritance (other than BEW's) can be found here.
Blue Eyed Whites: This is an article written by respected alpaca breeder and geneticist Andy Merriwether. While you are visiting the web site - which is actually for Dr Wayne Jarvis' GAIN program - check out some of the other genetic articles written by both Dr Merriwether and Dr Jarvis - links included on relevant areas of my other web pages.
The Genetics of White Markings: This is the nuts and bolts of how a deaf animal is produced. But yet very understandable for the layperson.
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