Shearing

It was shearing weekend at Moonshadow Alpaca Ranch. These big, cute, fluffy animals are a different beast once they're shorn. They look like bobble heads of their former self - but still just as cute.

Long work day - helping out was fun and tiring. Lots of stuff to do besides getting the animal ready. The fiber has to be collected (in different categories too - the blanket, seconds and thirds), and they have to be tagged, weighed and bagged. On the animal side of things, once the animals are secured, besides the shearing, they get their nails clipped, teeth trimmed (only if they need it), and treated for various skin conditions.

All in all it was a very smooth operation - and that beer at the end of the day tasted so good.