Sample preparation

Good sample preparation means a reliable OFDA2000 measurement. This is Fibre Lab and Co.’s official how-to for animal and plant fibres - short, clear, and aligned with our lab rules.

1. Where to sample

For alpaca, the preferred site is the mid-side (flank, halfway between fore and hind, mid-height - AAA-style). Use the same site year after year so results stay comparable.

To assess fleece uniformity, choose the fleece uniformity analysis (3 points): one order = one animal and its 3 samples (shoulder, mid-side, hip), one bag per area.

2. How much

Per animal (or per site) : a small handful about two fingers wide, i.e. about 5 cm. That is enough for OFDA2000 without overfilling the parcel.

3. How to cut

Cut close to the skin with clean scissors or a clipper, for a straight, clean cut. Staples cut too high do not represent recent growth well.

4. Identify and pack

• Put each sample in an unsealed, unstapled envelope.
• Clearly mark the animal’s name or number (and the sampling site if you send several sites).
• Pack all envelopes together in one parcel.

Why these packing instructions?

• Paper envelope or bag: paper lets the sample adjust to the temperature and humidity of the testing room. The OFDA 2000 corrects for temperature and humidity, provided the fibres are at the same temperature and humidity as the room at the time of testing: this is what makes the results accurate.
• No staples: so nobody gets hurt when opening it.
• No tape: fibres would stick to the tape when opened.
• One labelled envelope per sample: animal's name or number, to avoid mix-ups.

5. Order and ship

Order the service on the website (quantity = number of analyses: one animal or one yarn per analysis; for the fleece uniformity analysis, one unit = one animal and its 3 samples), then ship your parcel to the laboratory in Saulzoir. The full postal address is on the product sheet and is also given via the Contact form.

Contact : fibrelabandco@gmail.com.

6. What you get

Your analysis report is a PDF, sent by email and available under My documents in your customer account.

Useful notes

• Washing: send the fibre as it is, without washing it. The laboratory does the washing: for the washed fibre analysis, each sample is washed individually before measurement; for the other fleece analyses, one sample from your herd is washed to calculate the correction factor.
• Sample ownership: by default, samples become Filature property (T&Cs §5) and are not sent back. To get them back after the analysis, tick the box “Return my samples after analysis (+€12 per order)” on the product page, just before the Add to cart button: €12 incl. VAT, once per order.
• Scope : animal and plant fibres, OFDA2000 measurements.