Shearing Tips

Tips to share with your shearer on shearing suri alpacas

From our contact page:

I came across your section on shearing when doing a google search on shearing a suri alpaca. We are about to have a shearer come and shear all of our animals by the tie down method. In the past, with fewer animals we had someone shear in a chute, but this was very, very time consuming. At any rate, I plan to do a lot more planning and directing this year. In the past, the shearer didn’t do the lower legs, but I see that it is very common to do the legs. I plan to have these done this year. However, I am wondering about the face, chin and top of the neck. Our previous shearer sheared off the beard, and I was disappointed about this. What do you include in a shearing? Obviously, we cannot fly you across the country to shear for us, but I am hoping that you can offer some tips that I can use this time around.

Thanks so much. - H

Dear H,

I can appreciate your dilemma, and commend you for taking a more active role in your shearing. That fiber is, after all, our 'crop', and shearing it with intention is in our economic interest!

A few tips you can share with your shearer, hmm... Well, here are some ideas.

First, please slow down. Suri hangs differently than huacaya, and that difference should be understood.

I do recommend the tie-down method for several reasons. Complete restraint means few cuts to the skin and greater control over managing the fleece (also less damage to the shearer and handler!) When shearing, I start at the belly, work across usually from shoulder to hip, then work up toward the spine. I lift the fleece with my left hand and shear with the right, cutting each fiber only once (no second cuts!!) I leave about 1/2 inch of fiber on the skin to protect the suri from sunburn. This takes more time, but yields all the fiber in usable length, so it pays me to take that time with each alpaca. I need about 45-60 min to shear one suri, but I can shear a huacaya in about 25-30 min.

We shear most suri legs every other year, so we have enough length in leg fiber for it to be processed into rug yarn (min 3, max 6"). Tie-down ropes are the only way to shear legs safely in my view.

I take more time with the head, and so have been accused of being a "boutique" shearer. I care about how they look for the next year, so I "sculpt" or trim the fleece from the neck to head. At some point (depends on the suri) I switch from electric shearers to scissors, and trim fleece around ears, neck and face so it looks nice. It should look balanced.

I also trim every alpaca around the eyes so they can see. If you can't see their eyes, they can't see out, and they are prey animals who are visually dependent for their safety. They really settle down when they can see properly.

Sometimes the best way to shear the head, the delicate parts, is after the body is finished when the alpaca is standing again. It looks a bit fussy to the observer, but my! the difference with a well-shorn body and head can be seen from a long distance!

Hope this helps!. Good luck with your shearing day! I hope you have success in processing all your fiber into beautiful end products!