Shearing Area Setup

Sheep/Goats

5x6 foot space minimum. A piece of plywood, mat, or concrete surface works great.

Alpacas

8x16 foot space minimum. To set our ropes, we need two ground level anchor points 16-26 feet apart. Car tires, fence posts, and trees are perfect.

Llamas

We shear llamas standing with a short lead at their head height, ideally in a stall, trailer, or next to a wall to limit movement.

General Requirements

Conditions

We need a flat, dry, and clean area for shearing.

Location

Shearing area should be close to your animal pen.

Mats

We provide mats to keep your animals comfortable and their fleeces clean.

Electricity

We need electricity within 200 feet of the shearing station. We provide extension cords but no generator.

Multiple stations

For flocks larger than 3 head we will run several stations at the same time and will need the extra space and anchor points to do so. Moving equipment, especially for alpaca restraints, is time-consuming and may incur extra charges. Please have animals penned close together, or be ready to move them to our station.

Saving fiber

We do not bag fiber. If you plan to save your fiber, please have someone available to bag it as we work.

Animal Preparation

Corralling

Before our arrival, animals must be caught in a small pen or barn stall near the shearing area.

Catching/wrangling

We charge extra for wrangling animals or delayed start due to last-minute penning.

Feed

Sheep should not consume feed, grain, hay, and pasture for 12 hours minimum prior to shearing. Fed sheep experience respiratory and gastrointestinal discomfort. This causes them to struggle, increasing shearing time and risk of injury for the sheep and shearer. Water is OK.

Weather

Ensure animals are dry for shearing to avoid longer shearing times, cuts, electrical shock, and lower fiber quality.