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An Opinionated Viewpoint on Shearing
(Reprinted from Llamas Magazine, September, 1995)
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How many hours would you estimate that it took to groom all the
llamas that were entered in shows last summer? Most were
bathed, conditioned, blown and brushed until every speck of dirt
and hay was removed, clear down to their skins. When the work
was finished, they were absolutely beautiful, but what was
actually accomplished? First, the "architecture" of the fiber
(the natural arrangement of guard hairs and undercoat) was
destroyed by opening up the fleece. Now, every time those llamas
roll, debris is worked into the interior. Extensive brushing
damaged the fiber, no matter how gently it was done. Wire
slicker brushes are especially efficient at breaking off the
finer strands. And finally, when people who were just
discovering llamas saw those beautiful, full coated, fluffy,
clean animals, they probably asked, "What do you do with them?"
How credible was the explanation that they're used for packing,
pulling carts, guarding sheep, companionship, etc., when few of
those activities appear very practical to attempt with an unshorn
llama? Many new people probably didn't give llamas a second
thought if they observed a typical grooming session or if it
appeared that maintaining all that fiber was a standard
procedure.
In this country, since llamas aren't raised for their meat,
owners of other livestock species look at a brushed out, full
coated llama (or a lumpy, ungroomed one) and also wonder what
they're good for. They question why many llamas are abused
by leaving a heavy coat on them during hot weather. We can
talk about using the fiber, but as long as it remains on so
many of them, it doesn't ring true. If we want llamas to be
taken seriously as livestock, the medium to heavy coated ones
must be shorn on a regular basis. Fiber competitions at
summer shows should require the submission of the entire
prime area of the fleece, as is done with alpacas, goats,
rabbits and sheep. Attempting to judge consistency and
overall quality of llama fiber from a 1 to 2 ounce sample of
brushings is far from professional.
Harvesting fiber may require a change in management practices.
Pastures and corrals must be kept weed and sticker free. Feeders
should be a type that minimizes hay spillage. Grooming tools
must be set aside until just before shearing time when they will
be used to remove only the "crust" which has formed on the
surface of the fleece. The natural formation of fiber locks helps
keep out debris so that it remains near the surface. Even if the
fiber takes two years to grow long enough to shear again, this
"crust" will keep the interior far cleaner than if it were
brushed on a regular basis. Yearly shearing minimizes the
formation of felted fiber mats. Llamas not stressed by an
attempt to brush out mats, or groom them to the skin, have a more
positive attitude about being handled. Time previously spent
grooming could be used for training or just getting out and
having fun with them.
This doesn't mean that you have to make a choice between showing
your llama and raising it for its fiber. Remove the "crust" and
give at least a barrel or "Lion cut" before the summer show
season. Enter the llama in the same wool category as before
shearing. Judges appreciate being able to see how well conformed
a llama is instead of having to guess or go only by the way the
animal moves.
In North America, one of the main deterrents to the establishment
of processing mills is lack of an adequate and consistent source
of llama (and alpaca) fiber. If a large, reliable supply became
available, mills and markets would develop, as they have in South
America. Then llamas would be more readily accepted as
livestock, which would expand their marketability. They'd be
healthier and happier, and we'd no longer have to answer one of
the two most common questions about them!
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