From Fluff to Fabulous: The Annual Shearing Chaos!
Before
After
This year, we were thrilled to welcome back the incredible team from Sheer Bliss for the fourth year in a row. If you’re looking for a group that truly “gets” alpacas, it’s them.
Because they are alpaca owners themselves, they handle the animals with a level of calm and expertise that only comes from years of experience. They don’t just shear; they understand the quirks, the hums, and the occasional protest spit with total grace.
This year, we were thrilled to welcome back the incredible team from Sheer Bliss for the fourth year in a row. If you’re looking for a group that truly “gets” alpacas, it’s them.
Because they are alpaca owners themselves, they handle the animals with a level of calm and expertise that only comes from years of experience. They don’t just shear; they understand the quirks, the hums, and the occasional protest spit with total grace.
The Art of the "Alpaca Stretch"
For those who haven’t seen shearing before, the setup can look a bit unusual, but it is designed entirely with animal welfare in mind. The team uses a specific method where the alpacas are safely tied by the feet and then slowly, gently lowered to the floor.
Why We Shear: A Matter of Life and Death
To the untrained eye, shearing might look like we’re stripping them of their dignity or being cruel, but it is an absolute necessity.
The Reality: If we don’t shear them, alpacas can easily overheat and die. Imagine wearing a snow suit on a hot summer’s day? Originating from the cold heights of the Andes, they aren’t built for a humid UK summer in a heavy coat. Without shearing, the fibre becomes matted, trapping moisture and leading to skin infections or flystrike. It is a vital welfare practice.
The "Blissful" Chaos
People often ask, “Do you have time for a cup of tea when shearing?” The answer is a resounding no.
Shearing day is pure, unadulterated chaos. Even if you manage to pour a cuppa, the air is so thick with flying fibre that your tea becomes 50% beverage and 50% fluff within seconds, rendering your drink completely obsolete.
How much fleece do alpacas produce?
On average, a single alpaca yields between 2kg and 5kg (roughly 5 to 10 lbs) of fleece during its annual shearing. The weight can vary significantly based on the animal’s age, gender, and health; for instance, a yearling “teenager” might produce a lighter 2kg coat, while a large, healthy stud male can sometimes produce a whopping 8kg or more!
Because we carefully sort the harvest into firsts, seconds, and thirds, only about half of that total weight usually makes up the “prime” blanket fibre used for high-end clothing, while the rest provides plenty of material for everything from cozy socks to bird-nesting fluff.
Processing the Harvest
This year was extra special as we had the talented Katie De Silva a fantastic photographer (go and check out her work) join us to capture the day through her photography. While Katie snapped away, we were busy separating the fleece into three distinct sections:
1. The Firsts (The Blanket): The prime, softest fibre from the back and sides.
2. The Seconds: Fiber from the neck and upper legs.
3. The Thirds: The coarse fibre from the lower legs and tail—perfect for bird-nesting material.
The Full Spa Treatment
Shearing day is not just about shearing it is a full ‘Alpaca Spa Day’. Beyond the haircut, we did:
- Full health checks
- Toe-nail trimming (the mani-pedi).
The Relaxed Reveal
The transformation is always hilarious. You go from majestic, cloud-like creatures to what look like “shish-kebab” sticks with long necks. They look absolutely ridiculous in contrast to their former fluffiness, but the relief is instant.
In fact, they clearly do not mind the experience! You can see in the photos that even after they were untied, many alpacas stayed lying contentedly on the floor. They were so relaxed and comfortable after their spa treatment that they didn’t even want to get up—they just wanted to enjoy the feeling of being cool and light.
