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Feel free to call Gold Star Alpacas with questions – 207-449-1121.

Click Here For Shearing Rates

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GOLD STAR ALPACAS SHEARING METHOD

Gold Star Alpacas is a CameliDynamics Handler and we work hard to treat all your camelids safely and respectfully, no matter what we are doing with them.

When shearing, Gold Star Alpacas uses the “straight-line” method of restraining alpacas for shearing. This method is based on some very sound principles – all of which are concerned with safety and efficiency.

Here is how and why it works:
A substantial set of ropes, designed with your animals’ health and comfort in mind, is used to extend and maintain the animal’s legs in a nearly straight line while the alpaca is on its side on a soft mat on the floor, and with a handler at its head. This position holds the animal’s body in a shape that facilitates the smooth flow of the shears through the fiber and over the body, which helps to avoid “nicking” the skin in areas where an alpaca’s skin is loose and vulnerable to the shears. It also helps to prevent dangerous struggling, which can cause injury.

While the alpaca may not enjoy the process, and some of them may even scream and spit in protest, they are not being abused by the use of this method – it is simply the most efficient way we know of to shear quickly and safely and to relieve the stress on your animal as soon as possible.

With proper planning and organization, we can prevent your animals having to spend an extended period of time restrained on the barn floor, and get them safely sheared. That way you have all that wonderful fiber to process, and we prevent heat stress during the summer months.

STAFF:
A staff of shearing volunteers needs to be on-site upon Gold Star’s arrival. These folks need to be arranged for by you, the farm owner - unless we agree upon something different in advance. The staff that Gold Star provides would be considered “paid help”, and we need to arrange for this in advance. Yes, this will increase the cost of your shearing, so you may want to coordinate with knowledgeable friends and other alpaca owners to barter with each other for this sort of volunteer assistance.

BARN LAYOUT:
Shearing requires a minimum space of roughly 10 ft wide by 20 ft long, with sufficient attachments for shearing ropes. The best attachments are immovable objects such as support members of your barn, your tractor, eyebolts screwed into studs, eyebolts screwed into a wooden barn floor, or something equally substantial. The area needs to be “broom-clean” before we can set up for shearing.

WEATHER CONCERNS:
Please check the weather early in the morning on the day BEFORE your shearing appointment. If there is any potential at all for rain in the 24-hour period before we plan to shear, you will want to corral your animals inside, under cover to keep them dry. This is better for your fleeces, and for the shearing equipment.

FLEECE CONCERNS:
Many folks devote some time to doing some cleanup on their alpacas’ fleeces before the animals are sheared. If this is your preference, please have additional staff on hand to handle that task so that it can be done at the same time that the shearing of another animal is occurring.

FIBER CONCERNS:
Please have a supply of bags ready to accept fiber. This helps to keep the shearing process moving efficiently. Many folks print a master list of all the animals in their herd, and then a set of labels that state the animal’s name and the words “Blanket” or “Neck & Leg”, etc. If you want fiber samples from specific locations on your animals, we are happy to do that - please let us know in advance.

HERD HEALTH CONCERNS:
It is possible for you to perform such herd health tasks as toenail trimming, injections, and teeth trimming in conjunction with shearing. Gold Star Alpacas can allow time for the safe, sane performance of these tasks. Please tell us when you call to schedule your appointment that you will want to take care of these things while we have your alpacas restrained!

SHEARING LLAMAS:
We are often asked if we shear llamas, and the answer to this question is “It depends.” Llamas are sheared using electric shears, and they are sheared standing up, not laying down restrained. If your llama will stand still for this, then yes we will shear your llama. If your llama will not stand still for this unless you administer some calming drugs and you wish to administer those, then yes we will shear your llama. If your llama is a danger to itself or to the shearer, to you, or to handlers, then we will not shear your llama!

SCHEDULING APPOINTMENTS:
Please call early to schedule. Scheduling is a major part of managing the shearing season, and we work hard to accommodate folks who are willing to help us by planning ahead.

Once you have booked an appointment, if any questions arise, we want you to get them addressed as soon as possible. Please don’t wait until the day has arrived to ask about something that’s important to you.

We can be reached at 207-449-1121 or Click Here to Email Christy.

Thanks very much!!!