Shearing time at Clay Meadow, Kensmyth Alpaca in the Cotswolds

Shearing time is upon us again and I dread it really – moving all the hurdles around the farm and penning each group ready for shearing so that the shearers are not held up at all. Then the putting back into respective groups as each group is shorn and then praying that it is not too cold or wet for the following week.

We once sheared at the end of April and I vowed never again as we had to buy coats for all the alpaca but this year we were lucky and it stayed warm not only for the day but for the following weeks too.

Whilst the blanket of the fleece is critical from younger alpaca, the older alpaca fleece is not so critical to be kept so carefully when the alpaca is being shorn..