The alpaca shearing season is in full swing so make that important day easier for animals and people

Joy Whitehead speaks from experience when she gives her top tips for a successful shearing day

- Joy Whitehead

There are very good reasons for shearing your alpacas, besides having some beautiful fleece to either use yourself or to sell. Their fleece grows continuously and so, if they aren't sheared, it just keeps getting longer and longer! Alpacas can suffer from heat stress, so it's sensible to have them sheared before it gets too warm. At Bozedown farm we normally shear our alpacas in late April. This fits in just before we start birthing, which means that our crias can find their mothers' teats more easily. The stud males are also much happier and more productive without their thick, heavy coats, as heat stress can make them infertile either in the short or long term.

If your alpacas are well handled it is possible to shear a standing alpaca yourself in about three-quarters of an hour, as I have done on occasion, using a pair of sharp sheep dagging shears. However, most people use an alpaca shearer, and the alpaca will be lying down and tethered between two uprights. We always have one person in charge of the alpaca's head and neck while the alpaca is in this position. Your shearer should be sourced and booked well ahead of time as alpaca shearers get very busy. When shearing day arrives, you need to be ready with a clean barn and an efficient plan of action.

CLEAN YOUR PADDOCKS, NOT YOUR ALPACAS