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Shearing 2010

 During Shearing week all of the Ameripaca Staff get involved.  The office staff prepares meals and snacks for the crew throughout the day.  Isai, Jesus, Rhina and Rigo are directly involved with setting up (safely getting the alpacas onto the mats and secured so they don't get hurt during shearing) the alpacas and assisting with holding during the process.  We have two mats set up to move things along quicker.  

 

As the alpacas are shorn the prime blanket fleece is removed from the mat and carefully placed on the skirting table.  Gail (owner and full-time veterinarian for Ameripaca) and Teece (a client that helps with fleece every year) then skirt the fleece removing guard hair and any second cuts.  The legs and neck are bagged separately but kept with the blanket so we can get a total annual fleece production weight for each alpaca.  All other fleece seconds are sorted into bags by color (white/beige, light fawn, fawns, browns, greys and blacks).

 

Rhina sweeping the mat.  The mat is swept clean between each alpaca.

Isai playing around with some of the fleece left on the mat.