Feb 12
19
Alpaca Shearing For The Beginner
If you have an alpaca farm and want to learn about alpaca shearing, it’s important to learn as much about it as you can before attempting it yourself. If you do not shear an alpaca properly, you risk damaging the fleece, which greatly lowers its overall quality, and stressing out your alpaca, which will make the shearing even more difficult the next time.
Before shearing your first alpaca, you should try to attend a shearing workshop. You can also ask other farmers to teach you, so you know that you are doing it correctly. You will also need to have the best equipment possible. Sharp blades that work well will ensure that the fleece comes off neatly and cleanly. Dull blades that are not positioned properly can damage the fleece, cutting back on your profits.
It is important to be prepared to collect your fleece. You should have thin but sturdy bags prepared for each alpaca. There are two types of fleece an alpaca gives, firsts and seconds. Firsts are on the saddle area and body of the alpaca, and are the high quality fleece that can be used for yarn. Seconds are on the neck, legs, and belly, and may be used for other types of crafts, or can be added to other types of fleece. Each bag should be labeled with the alpaca’s name, the date, and what type of fleece it is. This is important for tracking the quality of the fleece given by your alpacas, which will go into breeding choices.
When collecting the fleece, it is best done from light colors to darker colors, and from finer fleece to thicker fleece. This way, there is less of a chance of contamination. If shearing multiple alpacas, be sure to thoroughly clean the area in between alpacas. If shearing outside, lay a tarp down to keep the fleece from falling onto the ground.
There are basically two methods of restraint when shearing an alpaca. You can do them while they are simply tied to a post and standing, or you can have them on the ground with their legs and head restrained so that they cannot move at all. If you do them standing, be prepared for them to lay down at times, and move with them. You should also be prepared for them to fight you, as some will protest the alpaca shearing process even when they are normally very easy going.
