White alpacas get shorn first
Shearing alpacas kept us busy on St. Patrick’s Day at Fairhope Alpacas with 92 alpacas to shear. Shearing day is about working hard and working together towards a common goal.
Me and Jim - our first year shearing together
Alpacas must be shorn once a year to keep them healthy. Shearing prevents heat stress in warmer temperatures.
Jim Carries Suzie Q Over to be Shorn
First the alpacas are led to the shearing area where they are tied with ropes. This may look mean, but it keeps them still while the shearer takes off the fleece. If they wiggle they may get cut by the shears so keeping them from moving is essential.
Helping keep the cria calm
While we have them “captive” we trim their toenails…
Jim gives an alpaca a pedicure
…and their teeth. (if they need it)
Dental work for alpacas who need a touch up
Did you know that alpacas’ teeth continually grow? For years alpacas lived in the Andes mountains and the rocky terrain wore their teeth down as they grazed. In the U.S. our pastures are so soft that sometimes their teeth need to be trimmed. Fortunately we have a tool called the Toothamatic that makes it easy to do.
Shorn Alpacas
This is what the fleece looks like right as it comes off the alpaca:
Fawn Alpaca Fleece
The whole family helps on shearing day. It’s definitely a team effort.
The girls help put the fleece in bags
"Hey Girl...I got this. Why don't you just go get a drink?"
Jim was amazing! And when our sire Magnum kicked a hole in his pants (crotch area naturally), he just laughed.
Only a portion of what we sheared
By the time we were finished, we had harvested over 400 lbs. of luxurious alpaca fleece!
Ready for Summer
And the alpacas are cool and happy!
This year my pictures didn’t come out as well as I would have liked. To see more pictures of alpaca shearing check out:
Nothing sweeter than looking out over a pasture full of nekkid pacas, is there? My neighbor has two and will be shearing next month and I am presented with the fleeces. With last year’s haul, I might have enough that the mill might consider spinning it for me. If not, I will have to wait for next year, I guess.
Yes, Bonnie. I love the way the naked alpacas look! For years I wasn’t crazy about it. I thought they looked like aliens. But I’ve grown to appreciate their cute little bodies. That’s awesome that you get fleeces from you neighbor. Score!
We are shearing in a few weeks too – 70+ animals is no easy task either. Jim looks like an alpaca GI Joe shearer!
How sweet they look! Thanks for teaching me more about these amazing creatures! Love their yarn.
Haha Nora! He does. Good luck with your shearing.