Spring means it is time for Alpaca Shearing

Gary & I have been very busy here at the ranch since the weather has broke.  From fixing fences, to building new pens. I also worked the Arts & Craft show last weekend. I haven't had much time to put up a blog post.

We have some new chicks that have arrived. We like to have chickens free range in the pastures with the alpacas. It is part of our "worming" program for the alpacas. They also help eat all of the flies and other bugs that  "bother" both us and the alpacas.  The best benefit is that their eggs taste wonderful. We have a high demand for the free-range eggs that we sell.

Below is a picture of one of the pens that we built for the buckling (baby male goat) that was born here this spring. His neighbors are the male alpacas. His "daddy" will soon be in a pen next door to him. He has grown and loves eating all of the grass in the pen.

Alpaca Shearing is scheduled for Saturday June 18th.

Anyone that is interested in helping out, please contact me, either email, a post or give me a call. We have jobs from helping to hold the alpaca's head during shearing to picking up the fiber and bagging it. Last year it took us 6 hours to shear our herd.  During shearing we also trim nails, remove fighting teeth, do their annual vaccinations and worming if needed. This is a great way to get "hands on" experience with alpacas and to feel their wonderful fiber on the hoof before it is processed.