Shearing

First and foremost, shear your alpacas every spring! Allowing your alpacas to remain in full fleece during hot summer weather is neglect, pure and simple. Before you consider purchasing your first alpacas, find a shearer in your location and get your name on their list!

Prior to shearing, pick hay and debris from each fleece. We find that by using a blower (or shop vac in reverse) you can shoot much of the debris and sand out. This not only provides you with a nice, clean fleece but the shearers blades will last longer. If you keep your pastures clean throughout the year, your fleece prep should go quickly.

Designate a space where there is ample room to move around, and a dry area out of the wind. Most shearers prefer to have the alpaca lying on its side for shearing. Some will bring their own shearing table (much easier on the back!) but many shear on the ground. If this is the plan, make sure to provide a tarp to work on. Clean the area after each shearing so that your fleeces are not polluted by debris or multiple fiber colors.

Prepare for your shearing day prior to the shearer arriving. Have available enough bags (plastic, paper or cloth) for the prime fleece, the secondary fleece (neck & upper legs), and the scrap (lower legs & belly). Make tags for each animal which includes their name, registry number, date of shearing, the cut, and a place to write the clip weight. If you plan to run a histogram on the fiber, provide hair-bands to gather up a sample prior to the shearer starting. (The sample can be pulled from the bag while skirting.) Have several rags on hand to drape over the spitters in the crowd, or clean up after a very nervous animal.

Line up an ample staff for the day. Along with the shearer, there should be a person to hold the front legs, a person to hold the back legs, a person to hold the head, and one person to pick up and distribute fiber to the appropriate bags. It is a good idea to have a first aid kit on hand as well, both for the alpacas and the humans. The kit should include things such as blood stop, scissors and bandages, antibiotic ointment, and a suture kit. Last of all, a cooler of nice cold drinks is always appreciated.

Once the shearing is complete, you will want to move your fleeces to an area where they will not become infested by bugs or pawed through by your barn cats! If you used plastic bags, make sure to keep the tops open so that any moisture can dissipate. Paper or cloth is the preferred method if you plan to store the fleeces for any length of time. If you plan to store your fleeces, place the bag in another larger bag and insert several moth balls in between the bags. This works like a charm!