Last week, I invited Bruce the Shearer Man over to help my llamas and angora goat feel cooler this summer. And of course, I kept the fleeces and will probably be selling them soon, as I still have fleeces and rolags of carded fleece that I’ve yet to spin into yarn. Here are some photos from that experience, with before and after photos, too.
Cataleya, my female llama. Before Photos.
Cataleya wearing her spit mask (trust me, it was needed!lol!)
Half a llama partially sheared.
My friend Kendra drove over to take photos and experience shearing day. We had to do the shearing down by my house as we don’t have any electric in our barn ever since an underground critter chewed our wiring.
I typically don’t shear a llama tail, but not only were their tails tangled, knotted, and dreadlock-like, but Cataleya also had a piece of wire twisted within her tail.
We couldn’t help but laugh at how funny her tail looked naked.
And voila! All done!
Cataleya’s After Photos!
Isn’t she pretty?
And next up is Catlinite, my gelding llama. I had to walk each llama and goat down the hill from the barn to the house to be sheared, then walk them back up, and bring down another one…and so on, and so on. lol!
And Catlinite’s Before Photo! He used to be a show llama, and he still knows how to pose.
My twin sons, Jem and Jax were a huge help that day moving panels and keeping them secure when the llamas tried to thrash around.
Bruce the Shearer Man and all of us within spitting distance were very thankful that the llamas wore spitting masks.
Catlinite’s After Photo! He was making faces because he didn’t like the nasty taste of spit in his mouth.
Next it was my Angora goat Luna’s turn to be sheared.
Here’s her Before Photo:
My son Jem, caught this funny photo of Luna expressing her displeasure at being sheared.
But soon she relaxed and began to enjoy the attention.
And it wasn’t long before her thick, heavy dreadlocks finally fell to the ground.
And soon she was all done!
And she was so much cooler and happier!
Luna’s After Photo! Isn’t she pretty?
When I walked her back up to the barn, her goatie friends, Mud Pie and Latte didn’t even recognize her!
I gathered up the fleeces and carried them into the garage.
Boy Howdy! They were heavy and hot! It made me happy knowing they weren’t on my animals anymore, so they would enjoy feeling cooler this summer.
I ended up only saving the llama fleeces, as Luna’s fleece had become too matted and dirty. I usually shear her twice a year, in the Spring and early Fall. But last Fall it snowed the day before I was going to shear Luna, so I just put it off for fear of her getting too cold. The two llama fleeces are in very good condition, super soft, and not too dirty either.
