# Alpaca Shearing



## MamaRed (Dec 18, 2013)

I'm so excited! A local alpaca rescue is doing their shearing tomorrow, and my husband and I are going to help out. We don't have our own yet, so I'm looking forward to learning a lot. Who knows? Maybe we'll even find a friend or two to bring home.:happy:


----------



## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

Take notes, so you can tell us how they did it. As far as I've heard, there are several different ways to shear alpaca. The ones closest to us get sheared on a table. Other folks, I've heard, have them attached to a post. Sheep are much faster for shearing, but maybe the folks near you have a faster way?


----------



## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

Take pictures, too! What a great opportunity to learn! I hope you come home with some alpacas.


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

You know, if you are wanting to learn more about Alpacas before you get some you may want to volunteer at the rescue to learn about them before you actually purchase a few? I'm sure you will learn far more there volunteering than you could possibly learn from any of us or from a book.

Have a great day! Well look forward to your report and to the photos you take.


----------



## MamaRed (Dec 18, 2013)

What a day! There wasn't a lot of time for pictures because we were all working. If you heard of the large alpaca rescue out of Oregon, this is the group that coordinated those efforts. They had 38 alpaca and a llama, and they were all sheared by noon, after starting around 7. They had just one shearer, but 2 shearing pads. 

When I first saw the alpacas being sheared it made me sad, but the way this shearer did it makes a lot of sense. Once they get the alpaca down on their side, they tie their front and back legs to posts, so they aren't flailing around. Once they were all set, it only took the shearer and a person at the head to complete each animal. Most of the alpaca calmed right down, and didn't seem to mind at all. There were a few who were 2-3 years old and had never been sheared. They weren't happy at all. The few that wouldn't stop spitting got an athletic sock over their mouths to collect the spit. The could breathe, it didn't hurt, and nobody got slimed.

I learned that you shear your animals from lightest to darkest. It doesn't matter so much if you get a little leftover white fiber in with your dark, but you don't want dark in with your white.

The owners had a list of the animals in the order they needed to be sheared, and pieces of paper with "Name 1" "Name 2" for each alpaca. They had 2 clothes hampers that they put plastic bags in to collect the fleece. Bag 1 got "Name 1" put in it, and the blanket went in that bag. Bag 2 got "Name 2" and the legs and neck went in their. The thirds all went in one big bag. As one shearing was finishing up, volunteers were prepping the next one, so the shearer could just move over and continue working. We always had one in line waiting their turn. It was very well run and we learned a lot. I came home with 2 bags of thirds so I can play with making some felt. I also got one full blanket from a beautiful brown/red boy. I'll get to process and spin that one all by myself.

I would love to volunteer regularly for this rescue, but they are two hours away - makes it a little hard to be there regularly. They will be rescuing 50, starting next week, from a farm just a little north of us, and I will be helping them with tracking and processing those animals. 

They will be stopping by our place for a home visit when they're up this way next week. If we pass, we'll be getting a couple of their boys. Here's a picture of Spike, he was my favorite. Before we left, we found out he is available for adoption, so he may be coming home with us soon.


----------



## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

Oh, MamaRed - what a day! Spike looks like a dear heart. I hope he gets to come home to your place! He would think he landed in heaven. Sounds like you learned a lot, too!


----------



## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

Sounds like an amazing time !! I read about that rescue ...glad you could help !! 
Smart was to set up 2 stations for shearing !


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Wow that sounds like a great day! I'm happy to hear you will continue working with this rescue. I'm sure they can use all the help they can get. Keeping my fingers crossed that Spike can come to live with you.


----------



## MamaRed (Dec 18, 2013)

It was very interesting, talking to the owners. Most of their rescues are with breeding farms, with good genetics and beautiful fleeces, that have gone under as the alpaca market has struggled. They have bags and bags of beautiful fiber!

Because of their non-profit status, they're not allowed to do any sort of processing or they become "manufacturers" instead of a rescue. Once the fiber is processed/carded/spun/whatever, they can sell it and the proceeds can go toward the rescue.

I've sent an email to the president of our spinners guild, and I'll be speaking at our next meeting. I'm new to the group, so I don't know what their thoughts will be, but it seems to me that it would be a wonderful project for our group to get this fiber into various stages of usability and return it to the rescue to sell. I hope they go for it!


----------

