The following list will help you prepare for shearing day:
1. Make sure animals are corralled in a small area, such as a stall, the night before. If we arrive and animals are not caught there will be a $50 charge per hour to help catch them. The smaller the pen the better.
2. Take everyone off feed and water a minimum of 12 hours prior to shearing, 24 hours is better. It is very uncomfortable for all animals to be sheared with a full stomach and it can be dangerous for them. They will complain, but they will be fine.
3. The shearing area needs to be flat, level and shaded. For alpacas we need two strong tie points to restrain the alpaca while shearing.
4. If you want to do shots or deworm, please make sure to have all of your supplies on hand and ready to go. We are happy to assist with this. We do not supply any shots or dewormers.
5. Have all your bags ready for fleece collection. Fleece is typically bagged for sheep and goats in one bag per animal. Alpaca and llama can use up to three bags. Make sure to have a trash bag for any fleece that is not kept.
6. If we are noodling alpaca fleeces, please make sure all bags are cut and ready to noodle prior to shearing.
7. All animals need to be dry for shearing. We do not shear wet animals. If we have forecasted rain and you are unable to keep your animals dry until shearing day we will need to reschedule.