Shear Beauty
by Donna Moore, Somerset, OHIO

SHEARING!!. . . The thing we all dread doing every spring/summer! Myself included! But the task that really pays off well for you, your llamas, and your farm/ranch if done correctly.

Just about everyone shears their own llamas. However, many owners will willingly admit they don’t do it well. Probably the reason they don’t is that they do not know for sure what the “finished look” should be or, if they do, they don’t know how to achieve it.

There is no doubt that the growth of llama shows has influenced llama shearing. When judges look at llamas to make their decisions, they want/hope to see the most correct, neat-looking and attention-getting llama they can for their selections.

Don’t think for a minute that a good/correct shear job does not enter this equation. In may cases, you can take an overweight looking, short necked, short legged, it-has-no-tail llama after a winter’s hair growth and turn it into a most dynamic looking, sleek, long necked, the-legs-are-perfect, and look at that nice high tail llama with a GOOD shear job!

Where shearing is concerned, there is probably only ONE thing that llama owners will agree upon and that is that, it most parts of the U.S., it should be done . . . for the llama’s personal comfort, health, and general well-being.

Get the heat off, get the weight off, expose the important parts like the whole belly area, teats and butt area . . . no matter if you are in a miserable summer climate or in many of the western states.

Equally important is the yield of that wonderful fiber for a useful end product, if you so desire.

The rest about shearing seems to be total individual opinion. If you don’t believe that, just look at the different shearing styles in the different parts of the U.S. and when people choose to shear.

After shearing hundreds of llamas over the last fifteen years, I feel there are some serious MYTHS out there regarding shearing your llamas:

• Everyone who owns llamas can shear them well

My Dad always reminded us kids for years that if we were going to do something, do it well! Don’t hesitate to seek the help/experience of other llama owners who shear and have the respect of owners for doing a good job. Have them show/teach you or have them shear your llamas. Remember, a good shear job lasts for a whole year. And be sure to pay them or return these favors in some way.

• Any way you shear a llama is fine, as long as the wool comes off.

Many people may go to one or the other extreme – they leave too much wool on or they shear right to the skin. Both can be dangerous. After shearing, three or four or more inches left around the barrel of a llama can hold in as much heat as the previous five to ten inches that was cut off. Or, sunburn, insect bites, and hyperthermia (if the temperatures drop) can be dangerous for an animal that is shorn to the skin but is used to having a year round protective coating of some sort.

• In a show ring, judges don’t pay any attention to the way the wool looks anyway.

Standing in your field representing your farm, participating in community events, or competing in a llama show, wool greatly influences the looks of your llama. There is most always a great conformation hidden underneath that wool. Don’t misrepresent your llama by making him look short necked, short legged, fat, or hump backed.

• Every llama needs to be put into a restraining chute to be shorn.

If you have three kids, chances are they all have different personalities. So it is with llamas. To shear, try free standing under halter and lead rope in a small area first. Try free standing in a “V” paneled area to restrict movement a bit. If it looks like you are going to put more time and miles in getting this moving target shorn, use the chute. Once in chute, offering hay/feed at intervals is a positive thing. Restraining straps are only rarely needed . . . for the llama who always wants to lay down or the opposite – jump out.

• There isn’t a restraining chute or any number of people anywhere that can contain my llama for shearing.

Our chute would. Its solid wood, held with several long bolts, unmovable (attached to the floor and ceiling), with one over-the-withers strap and two for under the llama – behind the front legs and in front of the back legs. Also, for the more unruly llama, increasing the number of people assisting with the shearing really helps. It’s almost as though the llama feels “out numbered.” Don’t forget to praise him and constantly reassure him while he is being bound in, if he is doing anything right. Make it as pleasant as possible and maybe next time you shear him, he’ll remember that he “didn’t die” during that experience!

• Babies (under 12 months) should always be put in a chute also because they have never been shorn before.

Actually no. These little guys seem to cooperate very quickly if you use patience, lots of praise, and have their peers very close by. Anyway, they are usually too small for most chutes.

• A llama that acts badly in the first ten minutes being shorn (in or out of a chute) as you shear will get worse as time passes.

Not really. The first ten minutes are usually the worst. Remember, it’s been a year since the last shearing. The llama may be new to the chute, he may have never been shorn before, and he’s just plain scared. Give him time to understand death is not imminent.

• A llama can stand for two hours in a chute without having to go to the bathroom.

I know I couldn’t. Half way through, llamas sometimes get antsy . . . they need to go to the bathroom. Take them out of the chute for that, for a little walk around to stretch their legs, and simply not be confined. It’s kind of like you stopping at a Rest Stop on a long trip.

• Lightly sedating a very nervous, unruly llama, 'that needs shorn and I know will not tolerate it,' is a terrible thing to do.

How much stress do you think that llama will experience if not “helped” to calm done some with sedation? Unless you really know what you are doing, is a job for your vet. The amount depends upon the animal’s weight and personality. We’ve never had to sedate.

• The more wool you leave on your llama, the better he will look and do in the llama show.

Actually, judges seem to prefer the opposite. With much of the unnecessary wool removed, judges can get a better idea on top line, weight, muscle tone, and movement. The proper wool classification your llama should be in is determined by the amount of neck and leg wool, places you normally never shear.

• Light woolen llamas don’t need shorn.

It is as necessary for them as longer wooled llamas. Remember what we said about three to four inches of wool on the barrel? Many light wool llamas also have a more dense cottony type down (undercoat) that can really hold in the heat. The positive is that they can be shorn more quickly.

• One person alone can shear a llama.

Yes . . . if the llama is extremely gentle and allows anything. No if he is like most llamas and considers this an invasion. It’s a good idea to always have someone at the head of your llama holding the lead rope, even if the llama is in the chute, while you shear . . . for the llama’s comfort, safety, to offer hay/feed now and then, and to encourage the llama to stand correctly and still.

For the llamas who stay at home and have babies and breed regularly, feel free to cut all the neck hair off down to two or three inches, just below the mats they have probably acquired. You will be amazed at the amount of fiber weight such cutting removes and how much taller and prouder your llama will become.

Also, having a couple other llamas very close during the shearing makes the shearee more relaxed. A new mom must have her cria close and in sight.

How much you groom your llama prior to shearing depends upon what you are going to do with the fiber. It is feasible to shear your llama with no grooming ahead of time if you are going to totally dispose of the fiber.

If you have access to Circuiteer Blower (double motor), blowing the llama well before shearing removes a lot of dust, sand, and tiny debris that can dull your blades quickly, hand or electric shears.

For all the years we have shorn ours and many other owners’ llamas, I’ve always used a very simple pair of three inch blade hand shears that you can get at any llama/wool supply place and have great results. These cut easily and my hand does not tire. I have several pairs and have them professionally sharpened. Many owners prefer to use electric shears and can obtain the same great results.

Why hand shears for me?

. . . I can better control and get the look I want.

. . . I don’t particularly care for the results of some llamas I’ve seen shorn electrically. The cut is too close and makes lines like you see with shorn sheep. However, a good electric shearer person could over come this.

. . . The weight of the unit and tension needed seem to tire my hand and arm.

. . . If the llama moves, and they do, mistakes are a lot smaller and easier to cover up with hand shearing.

. . . I’m over 50 and hard to retrain!

On the upside, electric shears can get your llama cut in half the time and your whole herd done way before mine!

For you who are interested in trying the electric shears. Bill Safreed will save you a lot of research and “trial and error” by giving you great information on what and where to buy and how to use. See his article next month in the June 2005 ILRe-port.

If we put all of the above information together, what does that “finished look” look like?

• The llama’s top line is as straight as possible. Fee free to leave the wool a little longer in the middle of the back to achieve this look.
• Cut his top line right up to the break at the bottom back of the llama’s neck, which takes out the huge clump that was filled with hay, dirt, and whatever else was in your pasture. Eventually, you will brush his beautiful mane hair down over this area.
• When you cut back to the top of the butt on the top line, DO NOT follow the curvature that goes down to the tail. Cut very little off right in front of the tail to achieve that total straight top line from the break in the back of the neck to the tail.
• Don’t be afraid to cut the wool down to at least one-quarter to one-half inch all around the barrel.
• Aiming your shears downwards, cut the sides as “flat” as possible, like you like your stomach to be, rather than make him have a pot-gut look. You can achieve this by leaving the wool and little longer on either side of the spine above.
• Earlier you cut the hair off the top of the butt, especially if that wool was cottony and tended to stand up. From the top of the butt, continue down both hips to cut a lot of the excess hip hair off. This will make the hips somewhat “squared” and flat looking rather than puffed out. (Exactly like you don’t want your hips to be!) fiber on the hips that is cut down to about five to six inches is a lot easier to clean up than all the fiber left there and your having to brush eight to ten inch wool.
• If you did not need all that flaring out wool on each hip, why should you want it on each shoulder? Cutting downwards with your shears, take that eight or more inch shoulder hair down to about three or so inches also. This creates a nice flow of hair from the whole side of the llama’s neck, which you normally do not cut, all the way down to the bottom of that shoulder area.
• If you are cutting a very thin llama, especially a juvenile, you may want to leave more than a quarter of an inch around the barrel area for substance to the animal.
• The result? This gorgeous camelid body hidden underneath! The great thing is that a llama seems to know he has just been made more beautiful by removing a lot of his wool!

There are certainly several variations to the above that still keep the llama looking good and feeling better.

A llama cut with patience, time and knowledge ahead of time of what you want to do is a more GORGEOUS sight to behold in a pasture! With everything that they do for us, aren’t they worth taking the time to do it right?

Have a GREAT summer with your BEAUTIFULLY SHORN llama!!

Look next month in the June ILRe-port for Bill Safreed's Power Shearing article.