'Paca Shearing

Once a year, the alpaca's need to be sheared. When we got them last year, they had just been sheared so this year was the first year we needed to do it. There are several alpaca farms around here and through them we found a shearer local to us. It was an interesting process. I wondered how they were going to do it considering we don't spend time making them like people or anything. They're pretty well untamed.

Anyway, they had a very interesting system for shearing. Extremely efficient.

Here goes Larry.


Shave shave


Look at how dark he is underneath!


And look how much hair he has!


Everybody together now for the tail.


I'm free!


Here's how it works, they put the back feet in loops, then the front feet.


Then using a winch, stretch them out and pull them to the ground.


And we're down.


Shave shave.


And fliiiip


"This is so degrading."


And the tail.


All finished!

They look funny all naked again. But I'm betting they are so much cooler than they were. Better yet, I have a feeling that pond is going to feel a lot cooler too.

FFR