[AlpacaTalk] RE: shearing
<<<<I start shearing in Ohio at the
> end of March so I am wondering why you wait so long into the spring to
> shear? I have the majority of my shearing done by Memorial day.
> When hosing off alpacas do not hose above the belly, legs, neck, under
> belly , between hind legs are all spots that regulate heat, if you
> hose
> off the blanket area, soaking it, you can actually cause a alpaca to
> overheat more because you stop the flow of air thru the fleece.
> Glad to help you out.
> Mary Jane Fox>>>>
Wow, March in Ohio! I have always waited until May because we still
have chilly nights into May. I don't know of a crew, but the most
highly sought after alpaca shearing around this parts is a wheat farmer
who started shearing his wives sheep years ago. I learned of him at a
Renassanice Festival....
ladies spinning with a batch of dye boiling in cauldron. Stopped in the
chat with them about all things alpaca and fiber and asked about a
shearer. The person I had been using cared not at all about the fleece
and I had many years worth of fiber cut off in short little pieces
(guess I'll just stuff a quilt with it or learn felting). So I started
using this guy. I love him, he is a gentle giant. Sweet and easy as
can be. The problem is everybody else loves him as well. AND he is
harvesting wheat during shearing time. So it is hard to get him
scheduled. He travels all over the state for large jobs, luckily he
lives relatively close to me. But I started calling him last year in
April and mid June was the soonest he could get to me. I was really
stressing about it as it was quite hot by then. I have already called
him this year to get on his schedule. He shears so close that I am
reluctant to have them sheared any earlier than May.....but March! in
Ohio! I know you have much chillier nights than I do! Maybe you don't
shear yours so close.
What I am wondering is if he *can* shear not so close. I don't know how
those shearers work, and if they have to be right next to the skin.
I know that equipment is expensive. I had looked into learning to do it
myself (just like I looked into trimming the horses feet myself)....and
then I saw the cost of the equipment. He goes thru so many blades, he
is always changing them out to get a sharper blade, and oiling them up.
Hopefully he will get to me earlier this year. But honestly they have
such a short coat right now.....the horses are woolier. It really seems
they shouldn't need to be sheared....but no doubt by July or Aug they
will be much too hot.
I no longer have a vehicle to transport them in, so not a possiblity of
taking them to a shearing day anywhere. One year I did trim my pregnant
female with scissors because she was really struggling against being
loaded in the car and I stopped. Did not want to stress her out and
cause her to lose the baby because I was trying to save her from heat
stress! So I clipped her a bit at at time with scissors and she did
fine. So I might just do that this year if he cannot shear less closely.
Thanks, Janice
PS, I never hose them above the chest, just bellies and legs and groin
areas. A couple of mine like to lay in the mud and will immediately
cush when I come with the hose. So I just spray around them to make a
nice wet muddy area for them to cool off in, but never spray them over
their backs.
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posted by Chaddo at 6:37 AM
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