How to Shear Alpacas for Fleece

Alpacas are gentle, sweet, curious animals that are easy to raise. The fleece from alpacas is very desirable among the garment industry and can usually be sold for a good profit. Alpacas fleece is better quality than llamas and is straighter and finer than sheep wool. Alpacas come in several shades of black, gray, brown and white.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Use an electric or hand shear to shear your alpacas once a year. The annual shearing should be done in the spring to make the animals more comfortable for the summer months. This will give them plenty of time to grown a thick new coat before winter.
2. Expect to get five to eight pounds of fleece per alpaca that you shear. Good quality alpaca fleece is fine, dense and crimpy.
3. Sort the fleece by color and shade. You will most likely have more than one shade of a color on each individual animal.
4. Wash the fleece in warm water and a mild gentle soap. Be sure to rinse the fleece well to remove any soap residue.
5. Untangle the fibers and lay them out straight to dry. If needed, you can comb them at this point while they are still wet.
6. Package the fleece to be sold to local hand spinners and crafters who will then spin and weave the fleece into yarn to be used to make sweaters, coats, scarves and other garments.

Tips & Warnings

• Alpaca fleece can also be dyed to make other colors. It will not loose its luster and sheen even after dying.