WisteriaSuriRanch I was wondering why you chose to hand cut instead of electric shears? I’m trying to learn all I can and do as much research as I can because I’m interested in homesteading. Also, if you know, can you list pros and cons of each method? I can see that your alpacas are way more calm but I was wondering about the quality of the fur. Does it make a difference whether electric sheared or hand cut?
@@awesomekoga7848 Hi again! I was originally trained with the electric shears and the traditional restraints. Our alpacas were ok with it since we talked them through the process but traditional restraints as well as rotating table require at least 3 adults familiar with alpacas. It is incredibly hard the human's back even with cooperative alpacas. But with ground and table restraint, there is always some risk of injury which was really exhausting for me. We didn't have any injuries- animals nor human, but I was using every bit of my attention to make sure the humans were in sync and the alpacas stayed calm. The electric shears are also much higher risk in terms of injuring the alpacas. It's actually easy to accidentally cut them so again, the stress level is quite high as I don't want to hurt anyone. Since they are on the ground or table restrained, it's important to go as quickly as possible while still being safe. This is not so easy unless you are a professional. I had two professional grade shearers- Andis and Premier- and they were still pretty heavy, over heated, and took some training to use properly. By the time you get all the equipment and combs and cutters...it adds up quickly. These combs and cutters need to be resharped each year. You can definitely shear with alpacas standing, but the noise, electric cord, and the risk of injury if they are not restrained is just not worth it to me. Also, if alpacas are standing, the electric shearers get even heavier faster! So...by now, you probably understand why I went the more simple route of shearing scissors! Hand shearers (the kind I use are about $15-20 per pair and will not dull for about 10-15 alpacas) are inexpensive so perfect for a small herd. They are much safer, no cords, and ok to drop if your alpaca starts moving around or bumps into you. As for quality, if you are super good at the electric shearers, you'll probably get a better harvest overall. Both do take practice. I personally like my hand shorn fleeces because I can clean each one before shearing and sort as I go. The other benefit is that I can leave more fleece on my alpacas which helps them from getting bitten by flies. Hopefully, I have answered your questions, but feel free to reach out to me if you have more questions regarding shearing or other. You can also contact me through my website contact page or FB messenger as well- whatever is easiest for you. Thanks for asking and CARING about how they are shorn and cared for!!! Hugs, Keiko
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! People look at me cross-eyed like I am nuts for hand shearing. I only had one alpaca until this year. Now I have five and I still would prefer to hand shear myself, and thanks to this video I feel confident that I can do it! Thank you!!
@@ArielZevon Hi Ariel!!! You are so funny!!! Totally awesome to hand shear our alpacas :) It takes me the whole month plus to get through my alpacas, but I talk to them and bond with them. It's such a different experience and I love it. I can't imagine any other way now. So thrilled you are going to keep hand shearing!!! Yay to more of us hand shearers!!!! Hugs hugs hugs :)
Yay, so happy to hear Cheryl!!! They get even better every year- it's really amazing and all the cool bonding we get to experience with hand shearing. Enjoy the process! Have an amazing weekend!
WOW, you have so much patience, and it shows how comfortable you are at doing this. I kept fearing that she would shift or jolt and the scissors might poke her. I’m sure you will have some fun with all that fleece ❤️❤️❤️
Funny you mention that- I hold my scissors lightly so I will drop it before anyone gets poked :) I am a bit paranoid of cutting them~!!!! Lots of work still ahead...Big hugs!!!
Love your videos! Love how you interact with them. I’m that way with my animals. I am a Certified Small Animal Massage Practitioner who really wants to start homesteading. I’m watching videos and learning so much. I love your shearing videos the most because of how you love on your animals. You’re also the only one I’ve seen not using those electric shears. Thank you so much for sharing your video and knowledge.
Hi Awesome Koga! Thank you for your kind comments! Awww, that is awesome about being an animal massage practitioner! I can already tell you'd be awesome at homesteading. I have actually been trained with electric shears so let me answer your question more fully. Let me look for the comment you had the questions- and I will reply to that one. I need to find it ;) hahahahah~ Hugs, Keiko
This is pretty cool. I am a cruelty free vegetarian but I think this is the only acceptable way I would accept alpaca wool. I hope more alpaca farmers do this.
Thank you, Anita! It takes a lot of time and patience but I love the time I get to bond with my animals. They really appreciate being shorn this way- and every year, it gets easier for all of us. Me, too- I hope more alpaca folks give hand shearing a try! It is very rewarding in so many ways! Have a lovely evening!
@@WisteriaSuriRanch Aww, thanks, Keiko! Hugs to you, Matt, and Kenji! Here in northern NM, we shear late May (this year, a bit later, due to scheduling conflicts). You really have some luster going with those girls!
@@MsSurigirl I can't believe how fast time is flying...it doesn't feel that long ago when I visited you in Boerne! How is Maddie? I still remember falling in love with your cute little chickens!!! So cool we're still alpaca shepherdess-ing!!! How many are in your herd now?
@@WisteriaSuriRanch Maddie is in San Antonio, working admin at a urology clinic. I am down to funny diva Roci, Rita's mom. I just bought a female in CO. Not sure when I'll bring her down here. I'm going to breed her to one of two great males up at Goldyn Rae Alpacas, before she comes down.
Lol, oh my gosh, you totally captured Milano!!!! He's still like that and loves to get attention from us but now has 4 alpaca friends he loves to hang out with. He's got personality. You totally made me laugh! Thanks for watching and writing! Have a great day!!!
Hello! Thank you :) I love on them daily 😍 These scissors can get through 10-12 alpacas almost completely before they start to get dull!!! They are the spring loaded craft scissors by Thornton Supply or something like that. I mention the brand in my tools video. I got them on Amazon for $15 or so. They are ridiculously awesome. I went through lots of other ones before I found these. The name brand ones got dull after half of an animal...I know they don't advertise their stuff for alpaca shearing~ ahhahaha, but the one I use in the video is the one to get. I have a lot of dull brand name pairs that wouldn't re-sharpen... Good luck and let me know if you have other questions! Have an amazing day! Keiko
Hi there, I don't have any Huacayas (bummer!!!) but I have helped shear a llama with huacaya like fiber. It is kind of different and since I am so used to Suris, I found it quite challenging! I recall creating a top line and that first row wasn't too good, but once I got that part off, the concept is similar but it will probably be a very different experience since the fleece won't fall like Suri. Good luck and maybe you cah share your experience with us :) Have an amazing day!
heheheh, THANK you :) :) I designed it with Cassie and am testing out the shirt quality. It'll be on Etsy soon! I'll include a link in the description when it's listed. I am in the process of making shirts with Milano~! Hugs hugs
How do you help them not develop bms when you handle them enough to be ok with you shearing them? I wang alpacaks in the future but it seem like a hard balance to keep!
Hello- what an excellent question! Yes yes yes- you are so correct in that there is a balance and a certain understanding that is needed so they don't have behavioral problems. I will tell you that my very first baby, I was soooo scared they would end up with behavioral problems that I barely handled her. Over time and experience, I started to understand the boundaries more clearly. So I only spend up to 5 minutes at a time in "official" training in a pen when they are babies- or I will train while they eat their treats. They always stay with their herd and I am always around them taking care of them, but I don't constantly keep touching them or treating them like a dog/cat. I am always gentle and talk to them. I might pet them and say hello. The alpacas are calm around us by the time I start training because they don't see us as a threat. I might touch them while doing chores just to get them used to that- but they can always walk away. They never come into the house. They also are taught not to invade my personal space should they be the super curious ones. The key is for them to understand we are humans, not alpacas. You might like some of my baby training videos here on my channel. Also- we did have our first bottle baby in 2019...his mom passed. We were very worried about behavioral problems and was really careful about how we interacted with him. We fed him with his herd in the barn, never in the house- trust me, those freezing winter nights when we were out there every 2-3 hours... we soooo wished we could just keep him next to our bed :) But we kept him with his herd 100% and only interacted with him as we would other babies- and so far, at 2 years old, he is ok. We did get him a friend close to his age. You'll see videos of him on my channel. I am still keeping a close eye on him but so far, ok...so keeping my fingers crossed....but we did the very best we could and he is thriving and healthy...so not sure we could have done much more differently. Hope this helps! Great question ;) Definitely one I had, too- and learned over the years!
I love the Thornton Art supply spring loaded scissors. I bought mine on Amazon! I usually have a few extra on hand because these are the only ones I've found that I can do around 15 alpacas without any problems. Good luck and I hope you can find them. They are about $20 or less. I have found them on Etsy, too.
Hi Terri, if they don't like to be brushed, I just pick the big stuff off and just clean their fleeces after shearing. Most of them, if you start brushing them a few seconds at a time months before shearing season to get them used to it, they are fine. Tiffany is great in all other ways but she doesn't like the sensation- so I respect that. But she's probably my only one out of 18 alpacas. Most can be desensitized by doing a few seconds while they eat and increasing the time. I do this as part of the desensitizing training after a few months old, or soon after a new alpaca comes to my farm. Hope this helps! Good luck and have fun! Always baby steps :)
Hi Tajda! Thank you for asking :) I don't know about a Huacaya since I don't have one. It might be a bit harder since the fiber doesn't drape down, but I would think you could hand shear them in a similar way. And YES, I definitely use the fleece. It usually comes off cleaner, there's no electric shearer oil or blade cleaner remnants (I have been trained the common way as well and found it challenging), better sorted as I bag as I go...but if you are just learning and have a less cooperative alpaca, you might end up with more second cuts. Hope this helps! Have a beautiful day! Keiko
Hi Liz, I usually give them crimped oats in the beginning but if I need more time, I will give them a "better" treat from their perspective. That one is Calf Manna from Manna Pro. I have also used alpaca pelleted formulas, too. Hope this helps. Have a great day!
Howdy! I am hand shearing Tiffany in this video :) Hope you find it helpful. More shearing videos to come. Enjoy!
WisteriaSuriRanch I was wondering why you chose to hand cut instead of electric shears? I’m trying to learn all I can and do as much research as I can because I’m interested in homesteading.
Also, if you know, can you list pros and cons of each method?
I can see that your alpacas are way more calm but I was wondering about the quality of the fur. Does it make a difference whether electric sheared or hand cut?
@@awesomekoga7848 Hi again! I was originally trained with the electric shears and the traditional restraints. Our alpacas were ok with it since we talked them through the process but traditional restraints as well as rotating table require at least 3 adults familiar with alpacas. It is incredibly hard the human's back even with cooperative alpacas. But with ground and table restraint, there is always some risk of injury which was really exhausting for me. We didn't have any injuries- animals nor human, but I was using every bit of my attention to make sure the humans were in sync and the alpacas stayed calm. The electric shears are also much higher risk in terms of injuring the alpacas. It's actually easy to accidentally cut them so again, the stress level is quite high as I don't want to hurt anyone. Since they are on the ground or table restrained, it's important to go as quickly as possible while still being safe. This is not so easy unless you are a professional. I had two professional grade shearers- Andis and Premier- and they were still pretty heavy, over heated, and took some training to use properly. By the time you get all the equipment and combs and cutters...it adds up quickly. These combs and cutters need to be resharped each year. You can definitely shear with alpacas standing, but the noise, electric cord, and the risk of injury if they are not restrained is just not worth it to me. Also, if alpacas are standing, the electric shearers get even heavier faster! So...by now, you probably understand why I went the more simple route of shearing scissors! Hand shearers (the kind I use are about $15-20 per pair and will not dull for about 10-15 alpacas) are inexpensive so perfect for a small herd. They are much safer, no cords, and ok to drop if your alpaca starts moving around or bumps into you. As for quality, if you are super good at the electric shearers, you'll probably get a better harvest overall. Both do take practice. I personally like my hand shorn fleeces because I can clean each one before shearing and sort as I go. The other benefit is that I can leave more fleece on my alpacas which helps them from getting bitten by flies. Hopefully, I have answered your questions, but feel free to reach out to me if you have more questions regarding shearing or other. You can also contact me through my website contact page or FB messenger as well- whatever is easiest for you. Thanks for asking and CARING about how they are shorn and cared for!!! Hugs, Keiko
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! People look at me cross-eyed like I am nuts for hand shearing. I only had one alpaca until this year. Now I have five and I still would prefer to hand shear myself, and thanks to this video I feel confident that I can do it! Thank you!!
@@ArielZevon Hi Ariel!!! You are so funny!!! Totally awesome to hand shear our alpacas :) It takes me the whole month plus to get through my alpacas, but I talk to them and bond with them. It's such a different experience and I love it. I can't imagine any other way now. So thrilled you are going to keep hand shearing!!! Yay to more of us hand shearers!!!! Hugs hugs hugs :)
dont you just love thier sweet little sounds they make. that's the sound Hakim makes when looking for Habibi.
Awww, Hakim sounds so sweet!
WOW! Thank you so much for the video. Will help us greatly ❤
Yay, so happy to hear Cheryl!!! They get even better every year- it's really amazing and all the cool bonding we get to experience with hand shearing. Enjoy the process! Have an amazing weekend!
I love this method.
Thank you! Me, too :) They are so much happier! Hugs :)
WOW, you have so much patience, and it shows how comfortable you are at doing this. I kept fearing that she would shift or jolt and the scissors might poke her. I’m sure you will have some fun with all that fleece ❤️❤️❤️
Funny you mention that- I hold my scissors lightly so I will drop it before anyone gets poked :) I am a bit paranoid of cutting them~!!!! Lots of work still ahead...Big hugs!!!
Milano is so precious! 😁 Thank you so much for creating this how to vid. Loved it. 😄🐱🐧
We love Milano
@@WisteriaSuriRanch 👍😁
Love your videos! Love how you interact with them. I’m that way with my animals. I am a Certified Small Animal Massage Practitioner who really wants to start homesteading. I’m watching videos and learning so much. I love your shearing videos the most because of how you love on your animals. You’re also the only one I’ve seen not using those electric shears.
Thank you so much for sharing your video and knowledge.
Hi Awesome Koga! Thank you for your kind comments! Awww, that is awesome about being an animal massage practitioner! I can already tell you'd be awesome at homesteading. I have actually been trained with electric shears so let me answer your question more fully. Let me look for the comment you had the questions- and I will reply to that one. I need to find it ;) hahahahah~ Hugs, Keiko
Bleesigns! The kindness of a human can be measured on how it treats animals
Thank you so much for your beautiful message, Nikkie :) I appreciate you! Sending you many beautiful blessings!
This is pretty cool. I am a cruelty free vegetarian but I think this is the only acceptable way I would accept alpaca wool. I hope more alpaca farmers do this.
Thank you, Anita! It takes a lot of time and patience but I love the time I get to bond with my animals. They really appreciate being shorn this way- and every year, it gets easier for all of us. Me, too- I hope more alpaca folks give hand shearing a try! It is very rewarding in so many ways! Have a lovely evening!
It's wonderful to see your interaction with the pacas. Great shearing job!
Hi Jeannie!!! Thanks
@@WisteriaSuriRanch Aww, thanks, Keiko! Hugs to you, Matt, and Kenji! Here in northern NM, we shear late May (this year, a bit later, due to scheduling conflicts). You really have some luster going with those girls!
@@MsSurigirl I can't believe how fast time is flying...it doesn't feel that long ago when I visited you in Boerne! How is Maddie? I still remember falling in love with your cute little chickens!!! So cool we're still alpaca shepherdess-ing!!! How many are in your herd now?
@@WisteriaSuriRanch Maddie is in San Antonio, working admin at a urology clinic.
I am down to funny diva Roci, Rita's mom. I just bought a female in CO. Not sure when I'll bring her down here. I'm going to breed her to one of two great males up at Goldyn Rae Alpacas, before she comes down.
Gosh, time DOES fly. once a shepherdess, always one, at least for me!
WOW 💚 very very cool
Thank you for sharing this experience with us
Thank you so much, Joyce! Sending you much love from our farm :) Hugs, Keiko
Milano: LOVE MEEEE
Lol, oh my gosh, you totally captured Milano!!!! He's still like that and loves to get attention from us but now has 4 alpaca friends he loves to hang out with. He's got personality. You totally made me laugh! Thanks for watching and writing! Have a great day!!!
Do you sell your alpaca fiber in your Etsy shop? I love this white fiber 💜
I do
They are so well behaved ! How often do you need to sharpen your scissors?
Hello! Thank you :) I love on them daily 😍 These scissors can get through 10-12 alpacas almost completely before they start to get dull!!! They are the spring loaded craft scissors by Thornton Supply or something like that. I mention the brand in my tools video. I got them on Amazon for $15 or so. They are ridiculously awesome. I went through lots of other ones before I found these. The name brand ones got dull after half of an animal...I know they don't advertise their stuff for alpaca shearing~ ahhahaha, but the one I use in the video is the one to get. I have a lot of dull brand name pairs that wouldn't re-sharpen... Good luck and let me know if you have other questions! Have an amazing day! Keiko
Nice! Would this way he similar to how you won’t trim a babydoll sheep as well?
Hi Terri, I love babydoll sheep and thought about getting some long ago :) But I have no idea how they are shorn :) they are sooooooooooo cute!!!!
Doyou have any huacaya? I'm just wondering if you have a viseo or advice on how they might be done differently?
Hi there, I don't have any Huacayas (bummer!!!) but I have helped shear a llama with huacaya like fiber. It is kind of different and since I am so used to Suris, I found it quite challenging! I recall creating a top line and that first row wasn't too good, but once I got that part off, the concept is similar but it will probably be a very different experience since the fleece won't fall like Suri. Good luck and maybe you cah share your experience with us :) Have an amazing day!
I love your tshirt. Which Alpaca is it and where do I get a tshirt? 🐧
heheheh, THANK you :) :) I designed it with Cassie and am testing out the shirt quality. It'll be on Etsy soon! I'll include a link in the description when it's listed. I am in the process of making shirts with Milano~! Hugs hugs
@@WisteriaSuriRanch 💞💞💞
How do you help them not develop bms when you handle them enough to be ok with you shearing them? I wang alpacaks in the future but it seem like a hard balance to keep!
Hello- what an excellent question! Yes yes yes- you are so correct in that there is a balance and a certain understanding that is needed so they don't have behavioral problems. I will tell you that my very first baby, I was soooo scared they would end up with behavioral problems that I barely handled her. Over time and experience, I started to understand the boundaries more clearly. So I only spend up to 5 minutes at a time in "official" training in a pen when they are babies- or I will train while they eat their treats. They always stay with their herd and I am always around them taking care of them, but I don't constantly keep touching them or treating them like a dog/cat. I am always gentle and talk to them. I might pet them and say hello. The alpacas are calm around us by the time I start training because they don't see us as a threat. I might touch them while doing chores just to get them used to that- but they can always walk away. They never come into the house. They also are taught not to invade my personal space should they be the super curious ones. The key is for them to understand we are humans, not alpacas. You might like some of my baby training videos here on my channel. Also- we did have our first bottle baby in 2019...his mom passed. We were very worried about behavioral problems and was really careful about how we interacted with him. We fed him with his herd in the barn, never in the house- trust me, those freezing winter nights when we were out there every 2-3 hours... we soooo wished we could just keep him next to our bed :) But we kept him with his herd 100% and only interacted with him as we would other babies- and so far, at 2 years old, he is ok. We did get him a friend close to his age. You'll see videos of him on my channel. I am still keeping a close eye on him but so far, ok...so keeping my fingers crossed....but we did the very best we could and he is thriving and healthy...so not sure we could have done much more differently. Hope this helps! Great question ;) Definitely one I had, too- and learned over the years!
Hi, can you tell me the name and type of scissors you are using please? Cheers
I love the Thornton Art supply spring loaded scissors. I bought mine on Amazon! I usually have a few extra on hand because these are the only ones I've found that I can do around 15 alpacas without any problems. Good luck and I hope you can find them. They are about $20 or less. I have found them on Etsy, too.
@@WisteriaSuriRanch oh that's great, thank you 😊
How do you get them cleaned first if they don’t all like to be brushed? I’m running into that issue. We have 4 alpacas right now;)
Hi Terri, if they don't like to be brushed, I just pick the big stuff off and just clean their fleeces after shearing. Most of them, if you start brushing them a few seconds at a time months before shearing season to get them used to it, they are fine. Tiffany is great in all other ways but she doesn't like the sensation- so I respect that. But she's probably my only one out of 18 alpacas. Most can be desensitized by doing a few seconds while they eat and increasing the time. I do this as part of the desensitizing training after a few months old, or soon after a new alpaca comes to my farm. Hope this helps! Good luck and have fun! Always baby steps :)
@@WisteriaSuriRanch thank you for your response!!;)
@@terribennett8433 My pleasure :) Let me know how it goes!
Can you use this technique on huacaya? And can you still use fleece? Thank you for answering.😄
Hi Tajda! Thank you for asking :) I don't know about a Huacaya since I don't have one. It might be a bit harder since the fiber doesn't drape down, but I would think you could hand shear them in a similar way. And YES, I definitely use the fleece. It usually comes off cleaner, there's no electric shearer oil or blade cleaner remnants (I have been trained the common way as well and found it challenging), better sorted as I bag as I go...but if you are just learning and have a less cooperative alpaca, you might end up with more second cuts. Hope this helps! Have a beautiful day! Keiko
Thank you.
I am just wondering what you're feeding them?
Hi Liz, I usually give them crimped oats in the beginning but if I need more time, I will give them a "better" treat from their perspective. That one is Calf Manna from Manna Pro. I have also used alpaca pelleted formulas, too. Hope this helps. Have a great day!