Last week was shearing week. We’ve always said that shearing is the most traumatic thing we do on the farm, both for owners and alpacas. Preparation for shearing at Hollywick Farms began several weeks earlier as we started the annual barn cleaning to make room for shearing. As the date grew closer, we realized that we were going to be experiencing both rain and colder temperatures, so we made last minute changes to our stall configurations to make sure the alpacas stayed dry. And we cleaned all of our alpaca coats to keep our animals from shivering (no, they are not made from alpaca fiber).
We don’t know who is happier now that shearing is done—the alpacas or Kathy and Bill. The saving grace about shearing is that no matter what happens, we always manage to get through it. Thanks to all of our dedicated volunteers who helped things go so smoothly.
Now, the real work begins! Stay tuned.