Shearing is done

Waiting and watching.....

With the crazy weather we've had this spring it seemed really okay to have a late shearing date set.  Then all the sudden it seemed like the weather was changing and we had all these full fleeced, miserably hot alpacas with a week of warmer weather and high humidity.  Then the week before shearing the weather changed again and we were watching the forecast every day hoping to not be rained out!  Saturday morning was cloudy and overcast threatening of rain, in the end we may have gotten a little misting, but nothing to stop our plans and then Sunday was warm and beautiful to finish things up. 

First passes with the shears to take off the blanket



Blanket shorn off, our blanket fleeces typically weigh 3-5 pounds of prime fleece

 

The hand off to roll over and shear the other side



This is one of our rather pregnant females.  She is taken down gently in the ropes onto soft foam mats.  With a pillow for her head, most alpacas handle this method of shearing rather stress free.

This is a good shot to see one half of the blanket shorn off, you get a good idea of how long of a staple length they grow in a year.

By shearing time our white alpacas just don't look so clean after a long winter.  It never ceases to amaze me how bright white they are underneath.  You can also see in the unshorn fleece side the "dirt line" showing the dirt you see on the outside from getting in mud and sand really doesn't penetrate their dense blankets very deep.

Outside of the hard work and sense of accomplishment at harvest time, I love shearing!  It is the best time to really get your hands all over the animals for a thorough check up, get a good toenail trim done and see what beautiful fleece they have all produced.  Not that we don't do some of this throughout the year, there is just a big difference in holding an alpaca still on your own to do these things as opposed to having them secured down in shearing ropes.

Every year we shear I am still amazed how different the alpacas look after they get all that fleece shorn off, they look so much like they've shrunk.  As we bring in groups of alpacas for their turn getting a hair cut, the others watch with great curiousity and maybe a little anticipation.  Then as each one goes back in with the group they are greated as a total stranger who has to be thoroughly checked out and I believe, even teased a bit.  It is always entertaining and fascinating watching the alpacas interact as anything new or unusual happens within their routine.

The alpacas are definitely happy to have those big alpaca coats off.  We are happy to have shearing done.  Next it is deciding what to do with all that fiber!
 

Moonshadow's Symphony displaying her new haircut.

Moonshadow's Special T getting her final touches on her new haircut.