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Shearing takes place from May to July for all adults and crias from about three months of age. It is important to register with the shearer early in the year (about March / April) so that you can be fitted into his programme. In this way the shearer should ensure that your shearing takes place on the same day as someone in close proximity to you in order to reduce his travel time and your travel costs. Alternatively you may find it easier to box your animals to another larger breeder and reduce the overall cost by bulking up the numbers to be shorn in one place. Shearer’s rates generally are cheaper if there is a large number to be shorn in one place.
Alpacas of Wessex can provide you with details of a recommended shearer but it is up to you to make the arrangements with the shearer. He should bring with him all the necessary equipment for the day, including teeth grinding equipment etc, but you will need to provide a covered area with electricity and sufficient space and light for him to work.
Preparation of the Shearing area
Select the shed you use for shearing with the following requirements in mind. It should have:
· Electricity source
· Plenty of light
· A floor surface which is easy to keep clean
· Room and facilities for fleece sorting and record keeping
· Two anchoring points at least five metres apart.
The shearing shed should be prepared beforehand to reduce stress (yours’ and the alpacas’) and to complete shearing efficiently.
The shearer’s time is valuable, and the alpacas should be penned, clean and dry prior to the arrival of the shearer. Keep them under cover at night if necessary. The alpacas should be penned in an area where they are handy for the shed and can be easily collected and presented to the shearer, under cover if possible. To minimise contamination from faeces and urine while in the holding pen, place some of their dung in a corner where the fall of the floor will ensure that urine passes out of the pen.
Clean the shearing floor and if necessary lay a wooden platform or tarpaulin on which to do the shearing. The floor must be easy to keep clean in order to prevent contamination with other fleece.
- Sorting Table (Ideally a frame with ½” mesh through which contamination can drop when you shake the fleece)
- Scales for weighing the fleece
- Record book or sheets
- Colour chart
- Writing material (including marker pen)
- Brooms and/or a garden or industrial vacuum cleaner
- Small freezer bags for taking fleece samples
- Fleece bags
- Rubbish bags
- Husbandry equipment if you are going to vaccinate, worm, tooth trim or toe trim while the animal is restrained
Shearing Day
Helping hands
To ensure that the shearing day goes smoothly and that the shearer’s time is used to the full (i.e. shearing), it is important to have sufficient help and to ensure that each person knows what they are supposed to be doing. The ideal number in the shed is usually about four people including the shearer. The following jobs should be allocated:
· Shearing. This is all that should be expected of the shearer as between animals he will be sorting his shearing equipment and changing the combs etc
· Collecting the alpaca and presenting it to the shearer
· Keeping the records
· Marking the bags
· Sweeping up the fleece from the floor
· Skirting the fleece, removing major contamination and bagging it up
· Husbandry jobs if they are to be done at this time
Note: If toenails are clipped during the shearing process, ensure that they are not picked up in the fibre that will be processed.
With all these jobs being carried out simultaneously you will find that you can average about 15-20 minutes per alpaca. If you are short of helpers consider sharing the day with another nearby alpaca owner. This has the added advantage that the shearer may reduce his charges for more alpacas in one place.
Sorting the Fleece
The aim of sorting is to present to the graders, who will value your fleeces, clean fibre which is uniform in quality and colour.
Therefore it is important to ensure that the various grades are kept apart when shearing. Each fleece should be sorted into three grades and may be bagged up with other fleeces of that colour and grade:
| Blanket |
Prime Fleece |
| Neck |
Seconds |
| Apron/Bib |
Thirds |
| Belly |
Thirds |
| Middle |
Seconds/Thirds |
| Lower legs |
Thirds |
| Tail |
Thirds |
The above grades are arbitrary. You may find, for example, that in some alpacas the areas designated ‘thirds’ are of good quality and could be included with ‘seconds’. As the fibre quality of the national herd improves through selective breeding, the quantity of fibre designated ‘prime’ and ‘seconds’ will increase.
Further notes
The Blanket – this is the best fibre on the animal and should make up about 60% of the overall fleece.
The Neck – this can be similar in quality to the blanket but may be shorter in length. Consider whether to put it with blanket (thus risking reducing the overall quality) or designate it ‘seconds’.
Middle Legs – this will vary from animal to animal quite considerably. In outstanding quality animals it could be of the same quality as the blanket; in most it might just make seconds.
Belly – this may be placed with the middle legs or thrown away according to its quality.
Apron (Brisket)– this almost certainly will be highly medulated.
Lower Legs – this should only be put in the bag if it is clean and of a length to be useful; otherwise throw it away rather than contaminate other qualities.
Unwanted fleece
Please do not include fleece that is:
· contaminated with faeces or excessive vegetable matter
· damp
· over short – particularly second cuts
· over long (5”+)
· obviously extremely coarse
The Sorter’s job is as important as the shearer’s. You are reliant on that person to present your annual crop in a manner that will get top price. Other producers may be reliant on you not to waste their money on having to employ extra labour in the processing. If in doubt about grading seek advice or go on a course. |