Huacaya and Suri Alpacas for sale, along with fine Alpaca items available from our store.
The home of fine Huacaya and Suri Alpacas for sale
 

"READY-SET-GO" Alpaca Shearing Tips

Here are a few tips on things we have learned over the years that help the alpaca shearing process go smoothly. For more tips, click on the photo to link to another helpful article from a previous issue of the Digest.

 

1. Get your alpaca’s fiber as clean as possible while it is still on the animal.  This would entail using a slicker, blower, or hand-picking out pieces of vegetable which would diminish the quality of the shorn product.
   
2. Make sure the alpaca is dry when it is shorn.
   
3. Determine which fleeces will be used as show fleeces and be sure to minimize any second cuts there.  Take your time.
   
4. Use a reputable shearer.  (We discussed this in an earlier Digest issue.)
   
5. Try to send your fibers to the mill as soon as feasibly possible.  The longer those bags sit around the barn, the more likely something could happen to them – or, even worse, you forget about them altogether.
   
6. Remember that there is a  30% loss factor from the amount you SEND to the mill to the amount RETURNED to you.  Of course, the better job you do with #1, the more end product you will end with.
   
7. Good things take time.  Depending on how busy the mill is, you might not get your fiber back in a month.  Or two.  Or three.  Check on their schedule before sending the fiber.
   
8. Postage is expensive.  Just mailing your fiber can cost a lot.  Have you thought of setting up a UPS account?   That can help to reduce some of the outgoing mail costs – and could even help on the return if the mill will use your account.