Shearing Day 2026

The alpacas get their summer haircuts

Yesterday, the alpacas got their big annual spa day. Shearing is an essential part of alpaca care. Alpacas were bred for thousands of years to achieve the thick, dense blankets of fleece they grow now, so, unlike their more wild cousins, vicuñas, who can live without getting that haircut, getting shorn protects alpacas from getting heatstroke in the summer months.

Because most alpacas are resistant to handling, they are restrained for shearing, which provides the opportunity for dental care, nail trimming, vaccines, and other healthcare that is much harder and more stressful for both the animal and the handler if done unrestrained.

In our climate, most alpacas get sheared in May or June, hopefully before the real summer heat arrives, but after the last snow of the year. In Colorado, that can be hit or miss, and we have been rained out before. We were relieved that we got shearing day completed before the rain arrives (fingers crossed) later this week.

When the fleece is cut, the shearers do three passes. The first, the blanket, is the best fleece that grows around the barrel of the torso. Ideally, it comes off in one big, beautiful, fluffy piece. That gets bagged separately so we can clean out all the hay and other debris and eventually send it to a local fiber mill to create luxury alpaca yarn. The next two passes are the legs, tail, neck, etc, where the fiber is shorter and sometimes coarser, making it less valuable for textiles. This year, they bagged all the seconds and thirds in one giant bundle. It weighed 17.5 pounds!

Shearing Day 2026 Transformations

This year’s shearings went really smoothly. We use a service called TopKnot Alpaca Care, which specializes in gentle handling of the animals. This year, the two-man crew also played soothing music. One of the aspects that helped with the process was that we got the order of the girls perfect. Moira, who acts like she’s being murdered, went last. We had Luna go before Miss Firecracker, so that overprotective mama was shut in the barn while her daughter was getting sheared, and I think that was less stressful for everyone. I accidentally let Theo and Nell out of the barn at the same time, because in the past we’ve done two at a time. So, Nell watched her mom get her haircut before it was her turn, and I think maybe that made things less stressful for Theo. During her own shearing, we saw Nell spit, which we’d never seen before because she’s the sweetest alpaca ever.

Luna is a tricky customer because of her genetic foot issue and her looser fleece texture. I think this is the best she’s looked in years. Her overgrown feet and teeth got trimmed, and we had them do fly spray on her because she is especially vulnerable to fly attacks. She looks beautiful, and I hope she’s more comfortable.

So, for the big reveal:

Moira Before & After (with an epic droopy lip from spitting the whole time). Her blanket was 3.4 lbs!

Clementine Before & After. Her blanket was 2.8 lbs.

Luna Before & After. Her blanket was 2 lbs.

Miss Firecracker Before & After. Her blanket was 2.4 lbs.

Theodora & Nell Befores & After. Their blankets were each 2.6 lbs.

I did not want to leave our sweet Luna out of the poll, but it only allowed for five options, and little Lulu has less dense fleece and therefore does not look like such a raggamuffin before shearing. So, if you choose Luna, let me know in the comments.