Shearing Day: time to lose the fur coat!

The time has come once again: shearing day. The boys have been growing a fluffy coat for the past 12 months and not will get their fleeces sheared off so they can cool down in the warming weather. Alpaca fiber is more insulating and softer than sheep’s wool.

We need to have a specialized person trained in shearing alpacas come to remove their year’s worth of hair growth. Dot, the white alpaca had fiber about 3 inches long, so he’s going to look very different after shearing!

Sketching the alpacas in the field before shearing day.

The first thing they like to do after shearing is a good scratch. They rub onto the fence and on the ground, and scratch themselves with their teeth. Imagine having an itchy spot on your skin, but with a 3-inch thick fur coat, its tough to satisfy that itch!

Rody enjoying a roll in the grass.
Alpaca nature journal pages were completed in the field, final background color added when I came inside.



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