Any Alpaca gurus here??

[Bruce]

Not doing the faces? I have seen that is somewhat common but I figure it is nice if they can see I didn't really have a choice last year, they were both a mess with burrs all over their heads and the front of their necks.

I agree, fully done is a better "for sale" look than just the legs. Do you lay them out and stretch them? I think that would be rough on one's back though from my REALLY minimal experience shearing on the stand I made and watching the videos, stretched on the ground or a table keeps them from moving around nearly as much. I'm going to need to figure out a leg tie down for my stand this year. I tried last year and Teddy kicked so much I couldn't get a rope on his legs. Didn't even try with Laddie and he's much worse about kicking.

 

[secuono]

Derrick needs his topknot shorn because its matted.
They flinch badly when I mess with their heads, so not worth the risk if the hair is fine and not terribly long. Will do Arturo's topknot next year.

Was able to do a good amount while she was standing. Then I used those little rope halter for sheep and put it on the ground and pulled when a leg went in. Did one front and one back, then stretched some and caught the other legs and stretched until she went down. Then finished stretching.
They really don't like to kush....

Back killer on the ground, wish I had a table or they would stand nicely to do them fully.

Boys I will leave the back and ribs in wool, rest will come off.

Hoping the other three will be easy to cut into. Cream girl wasn't from knee to tail, but hopefully that changes on the neck and barrel... Arturo has crimp, like a sheep, so not sure if that will be heck to cut or not...

 

[Bruce]

Teddy got more and more nervous as the electric shears went up his neck. I had to give up on the shears (not cutting) and use scissors, he didn't mind that nearly so much. Of course when tied to the stand they can't move their heads much. Laddie was 99% "scissored".

REALLY hoping I can use the electric shears this year. At least now I know to not do "2nd cuts". All the little short fibers clog up the cutter something awful and apparently dull the cutter as well. Not sure how much dirt dulls them, a lot I assume. And Teddy really likes to roll in the dirt. He has black fiber but looks gray from all the dirt. MAYBE if I can get his feet still I can brush him out, even if only with my fingers. What he probably needs is a leaf blower!

 

[secuono]

I've heard that others use a blower to remove dirt.
Could probably rinse them out real well with warm water on a day with a warm night, too. Fill a 100g trough and let the sun heat it up, then use that. Idk. Did it with some lambs 2yrs ago. Squeegied them and put them in a shaded yard to dry. If it was longer wool, I would of used towels, too.

I heard that the dryness of alpaca wears blades faster, so maybe oiling them a lot will also help?

 

[Bruce]

I oiled a TON, probably too much, used about 1/3 the bottle that came with the shears. Had to take the comb and cutter off, clean and reinstall SO many times. All those second cuts.

Not sure I COULD wash them, they really don't want me to touch them at all. Don't know if I could get them with a hair dryer on low heat to get some dirt out, they would have to be on the stand. Might try that with Teddy before I start cutting. I'm going to make the stand narrower first though. They are pretty narrow for a good size animal.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Pretty alpacas! You won’t be keeping their girls until their crias are born? You said you wanted males vs. females. Why? I don’t know much about them and you’ve piqued my curiosity.

 

[secuono]

If Derrik was actually a gelding, I wouldn't be selling any. Expensive to geld them I've found. They do best in herds of 3+. I don't want 2 in one pasture and 2 more in another, since I'dneed to get 2 more for 3 in each herd a d 6 is too many!
Derrik is friendly, so I chose to keep him, get him a friend and sell the girls.
If they give birth and have male cria before anyone comes for them, they won't leave until after weaning the baby boy(s) so I could keep him/them to join my other boys.

 

[Bruce]

If it makes any difference, my boys seem to be doing OK as a "herd" of 2.

 

[secuono]

Got kicked in the face, slight injury right below my eye, but negligible.
2nd girl is shorn!

 

[Bruce]

OW!!!!!! Laddie tried to get me last year but luckily mostly got the upright on the stand, glanced my leg. I think those alpacas can shoot a foot out in 1/10 of a second!

How long did it take you to shear her and were you on your own?