Ain't Got No Hair

Last month was farrier day for the horses and shearer day for the alpacas!

It was a very different scene this year, as opposed to two years ago, when I  and had a broken ankle and had just bought the two alpacas.

Then, both Thelma and Louise had to be cornered using a rope and then caught, by Rick the shearer, and his helper. However, once they were caught and halters had been adjusted to fit their heads, they were very easy to handle. (I was so glad that I had bought two 2-way adjustable, extra-large sized alpaca halters at the alpaca show in Denver the week before. I didn't know what size to get, but I had read about the 2-way (nose and crown) adjustments and decided that was the way to go. (The halters I had been looking at locally were not adjustable). Best investment ever! The halter adjusts large enough to fit an unshaven adult and small enough to fit baby Sophie.)

They led surprisingly easily, after a short tug-of-war test, walking all the way over to the barn without incident. But when it came time for the shearing, each of them cushed, laying down with legs folded up. It took the helper, my son, and daughter to roll the alpacas around so that Rick could shave them on all sides. They kicked at us and spat at the horses when they were tied to the railing. Not happy!

But this year was much better overall.

I wanted to have them ready for shearing by combing out their coats so I 'captured' Thelma and made a makeshift halter out of a piece of rope around her head snugging it up high on the bridge of her nose. I have read that alpacas (and llamas) have a short bone structure in their nasal area so a halter cannot sit low on the nose like a horse because it cuts off the air intake which causes them to panic. Thelma is easier to handle than Louise so I figured she would be best behaved without a real halter. I tied her up and went after the other two. The part on her nose was actually tightened up so that it rode higher on her nose after I took this picture.

Then I caught Sophie. The alpacas will stand within a foot of me but do not like to be touched other than hand feeding. To actually touch them, one has to wrestle them for a few seconds until they relax. I have been working with Sophie on leading, but she still gets balky.

I cornered Louise and haltered her. Now I had all three tied up in the barn. I was ready to begin grooming them. I wanted their fleece to be clean for the shearing. I had purchased a dog comb and a detangler comb. I tried using them but the alpaca fleece was three-five inches thick and I decided it was just too much of a task. Rick told me he was bringing a blower and that combing was not necessary so I figured I'd just go with his way.

Rick came alone and my kids weren't available, so it was just the two of us handling them. And he forgot his blower.

We decided to do Thelma first because she is the easiest to handle, even with a makeshift halter. She did very well, standing the whole time. Rick also gave a booster shot because I am squeamish about sticking needles into living things. He also trimmed her toenails but by now she was getting really pissed off. I could smell the bile in her mouth as she prepared to spit. We decided that her uncut toenails didn't look too long, enough was enough, and let her go.

Sophie stood with her mother, Louise, and watched all the activity with Thelma, curious, but uncertain. Then it was her turn. I held her head up and she reluctantly stood for the shearing. She was very antsy so we missed a few spots on her legs and she also has long whiskers on her face. She didn't mind the shearing too much but she really didn't like having her toenails clipped. This was the second time she's had her toenails clipped. Once, I had the farrier trim her nails, because they were long and curled under and it was hard for her to walk. Both Louise and Sophie grow long, curled toenails whereas Thelma's break off regularly.

We worked with Louise last and she was a royal pain. She cushed (folded up) while waiting for her turn and she never did stand up. We finally had to drag her across the floor in that tucked-up position. Rick did his best to shear her but he missed a few spots on her legs and belly.

This was the only picture I got of the shearing process because I was so busy helping. That is not blood! It's dirt and hair.

There is nothing more alien and adorable than a sheared alpaca's face.

And sad!

Thelma looks so happy she looks like she's smiling. And Louise and Sophie look like miserable!

Notice how in the two previous photos, the alpacas all turn their heads the same way in synchronicity.

Sophie "before",

And Sophie "after". Doesn't she look so grown up now?

Ain't Got No Hair: song - Ashes to Ashes, artist- David Bowie, album- Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)

Ain't got no Hair, part 3

Saturday morning, the sky was again full of smoky haze from the Wallow Fire burning in Arizona, several hundred miles away.

But it didn't stop our plans to shear the alpacas. i got the name of a shearer during the East Mountain Fiber Tour last weekend and we had a date today.

It was good to see how they catch the alpacas using two lead ropes stretched out. When my son and daughter caught them the last time, it took them an hour to corner them. It took these guys about a minute.

 Louise tends to cush at all times. She wouldn't come out of the trailer when they arrived at my place and now she went down when they approached her.

For the first time since I bought them, the alpacas are being haltered. I found out the extra large halters I purchased at the Alpaca Show in Denver last month are a little too big but they are still usable. I should have gotten the large ones for a better fit.

 Once haltered, a quick tug on the lead and the reluctant alpacas led readily across the yard, through the arroyo and into the barn. I sure wish horses were so easily managed.

This gentleman is giving Thelma some "joy juice," an herbal sedative. I cannot remember the name of it but it might be good to have on hand.

 I think Trevor and and Thelma look alike here. Big dark eyes and snarly teeth.

It was amazing to see how gentle they became, once caught.

This shearer likes to shear them standing up. It's faster and easier. However, Thelma didn't agree. She immediately tried to cush.

 It certainly took a team to shear. Sheila was in charge of filling the bags: A, B, and C. This was the blanket, the finest fiber, bag A.

 I couldn't resist getting photos of the curious equines. Annie is the 'fraidy cat and wouldn't come any closer. Yalla! and Scout, like little kids, couldn't get close enough.

It was a lot of back breaking work to shear the girls. To avoid getting the shearer kicked, Trevor had to hold the legs really tight. Fortunately, there was no spitting happening here.

Here's Trevor hanging on to those legs. 

The shearer noticed a lump on Thelma's belly, like a hernia. He suggested that I call the vet out. You can just about make it out in the following photo. I'm glad the shearer noticed it.

  Just like Thelma, Louise immediately cushed. It made it very awkward while clipping the toenails.

 I was pleasantly surprised to find both alpacas reasonably well behaved during their shearing ordeal. They never spit at us and didn't struggle much, They have obviously been handled before.

 It's a good thing her neck is so long with all the hands holding her. lol.

Nadia had a different opinion of the little critters than Yalla!, Scout and Annie. Instead of curiosity, she had animosity

 and flat out charged at poor Thelma.

 Thelma spit at her over and over but it didn't stop the attacks. Nadia would go to the corner and charge the rail. She looks so innocent standing back there, doesn't she? So does Thelma.

 Poor thing! She looks like a cross between a rabbit and a camel.

Here they are the next morning, skinny and DIRTY! I never realized how much alpacas liked to roll in the dirt before. After their fleeces are off, it's a good time to assess their weight. They look just right.

We decided to leave the halters with the catch leads (5 inch straps left dangling for easier catching) on them until we can gentle them down a little more.

Whew! I'm glad that's over for a year. It seemed much less stressful than the shearing I watched up in Denver at the Alpaca Show where the poor things were screeching and spitting away.

The shearer said the girls' coats were shorter than usual, like maybe they had been sheared in the late fall last year. Hopefully, their coats will improve next spring.

Next step, felt making.


Ain't got no Hair, part 2- song: Space Oddity, artist: David Bowie, album: Space Oddity