The alpacas certainly do their share. They spend 365 days grazing on pasture, nibbling at grass hay, and munching on a dinner of rolled corn, just to grow fiber and relax in our sunshine. They are able to grow about 5-8 pounds of fiber, lanolin free, during the year between shearings. Breeding stock as well as pet quality fiber producers, yield fleeces of comparable quality. Hand spinners appreciate the ideal 3.5 inches for the best spinning results. That length, coincidentally, is about the average annual growth of an alpaca fleece!

Shearing serves many purposes besides providing us with a beautiful fleece each year. Shearing makes breeding easier and safer for the male as well as the female. Our little crias (baby alpacas) appreciate our efforts at clearing the way in order for them to more easily find mom’s milk. Admittedly, their medulated (hollow core) fiber helps our alpacas keep warm in winter and cool in summer.

Just imagine, however, wearing a five pound alpaca coat in mid-summer. Heat stress can be an issue; and in order to avoid it, we make sure they spend the hottest part of the year with little else on but a mere one inch layer of fiber. Bikini time on the farm! We usually shear our alpacas in June, so that they can begin growing their winter coat as soon as possible, and so that they can be cool for the sweltering months ahead. We usually wait until after our judging competition, as alpacas are judged on their fiber as well as conformation and handling.

Our trusty shearer is Mark Loffhagen. Mark is a native of New Zealand. He and his family immigrated to the United States in order to shear. He chose the US county that had the most sheep. That selection brought him to Greeley, Colorado. His choice was lucky for us, as Greeley is only 25 miles away. Although Mark began his career as a sheep shearer, he is today, one of the foremost alpaca shearers in North America.

He travels throughout the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest, the East Coast, and the Rockies to shear alpacas. Each spring, Mark makes arrangements with us to come for a summer shearing day. We invite several other small alpaca farms in our area to join us. It takes an entire team and lots of cooperation to shear the 70 alpacas Mark can shear in a day.

Our shearing day begins quite early. Our family cleans the barn as much as possible, so that flying debris (in the form of vegetable matter from hay and straw) does not contaminate the fiber. The fun really begins, however, when we set up the “break” tent near the pond. We plug in the coffeepot, and set out breakfast goodies. We are able to steal only a brief quiet moment before the rush begins. We sit and watch the sun rise as it shines upon the Rocky Mountain foothills. A pink alpenglow welcomes the busiest day of our year.

Soon Mark arrives with his kit of shearing tools. He greets us with friendly smiles, and cheerfully announces that he is ready to work. Neighboring farmers soon begin arriving, as they pull their trailers of fluffy alpacas to a gentle stop near our barn. Warm welcomes fill the air. There is little time to waste, as the day’s work is on everyone’s mind.

The visiting alpacas are also treated to a special greeting. They have stalls waiting with lots of fresh hay, cool water, and comforting shade. Baby crias meet new friends and scamper off while mom and dad await their turn at the “blade”.

The process begins with a “blow out”. We originally utilized a traditional livestock “blower” to remove vegetable debris from the fleece. Today, however, we use a regular “shop vac” to suck out the trash. Vacuuming gives the groomer greater control over the debris, and prevents him from blowing, or forcing the debris deeper into the fiber coat. Soon the quiet of the morning is broken by the whirling sounds of shop vacs as the grooming team begins the tedious process of cleaning the fleece “on the hoof”.

We used to groom the alpacas “to the skin” by shampooing and blowing. We soon discovered that the process was stressful to the alpaca as well as to the handler. Besides, it is easier to clean a fleece on a skirting table than it is to clean one on the back of a wiggling, frightened alpaca. Our solution is to spend about five minutes with a shop vac to remove pesky dust and leaves, and leave the rest of the job to the skirters and processors.

In the barn busy helpers have set up a skirting table and a marking table. Close by Mark goes right to his rigging, making himself and his team ready for the first alpaca. Mark utilizes ropes and pulleys in order to hobble the alpaca. The team sweeps the cement floor spotlessly clean, and places a comfortable pillow nearby for the alpaca’s head.

The alpaca’s front and back legs are drawn, and he is gently lowered to the floor. One team member holds the head in place, while Mark begins shearing. Another team member then collects the wool as it comes off the alpaca. Mark is a talented and thorough shearer. He understands that “second cuts” are undesirable for the processor. He also takes into consideration the stress level of the alpaca.

He swiftly shears one side of the blanket, before his team turns the alpaca over to complete the cut. As quick as a whistle, the shearing team removes the blanket from the shearing station and hands it over to the skirting team. Meanwhile, Mark shears the neck and finally the legs and belly. The shearing team swiftly removes each fiber section separately. In less than 20 minutes, the job is complete. Mark’s experience has taught him that shearing in fiber grade sequence makes sorting easier. Teamwork is the key to a successful shearing day.

While the shearing team is releasing the freshly shorn alpaca, the skirting team is placing the final touches on the harvest. The skirting team marks the bags with the owner’s name, the alpaca’s name, the fiber bag’s weight and the appropriate fiber grade and color.

The team quickly examines the fleece portion as it rests on the skirting table. They promptly remove dung tags and large pieces of vegetable matter. They also sort the alpaca’s harvest as it arrives. They place the fiber in one of three appropriate bags: the prime fleece bag, the neck fiber (B grade) bag, and finally the belly and leg fiber (C grade) bag. They store the bags in a clean, cool location until the time comes for the owners to retrieve their harvest. There is not a moment to spare; as yet another fleece is on its way to the skirting station!