SHEARING Alpacas

Alpacas require to be shorn (removal of their dense coats) once a year rather as is the situation with sheep. Normally - subject to weather conditions and your location - this would be carried out in the late spring.

An important factor to always consider is any element of stress, which might be experienced by the animal, balanced by the importance of the removal of the coat, which allows them to be kept in a more comfortable state during the hot summer months. To this end special attention should be paid to both the "shearing facilities" and the equipment used.

In order to conduct the "harvest" of the fibre, which is a valuable product and much in demand, certain specific equipment will be needed.

For the removal of the fibre the normal machine used is a "sheep-shearing machine". This is a "motor in the hand-piece" clipper, equipped with a clipper "head" designed to accommodate sheep blades, which are known as "cutters and combs". (See Fig. 1)

Clippers, which are fitted with horse/cattle "heads", (See Fig. 2) are not suitable for the purposes of shearing Alpacas. The reason for this is that the head takes the wrong type of blades. The blades for a horse/cattle machine are designed only to cut "single strand" animal hairs. As such they contain too many teeth and will not penetrate the dense fibre of the Alpaca.

Certain heavy-duty horse/cattle clipper can be fitted with a shearing head - purchased as optional extra. However it is not possible to fit a shearing head on those machines, which fall into the "light-duty" category.

As the fibre from the Alpaca is a valuable product, one should use a specialist blade, called a "Camelid" comb. (See Fig. 3) This is a blade comb, which has been specifically designed for use on Alpacas. The specific design of the spread and length of the comb blade teeth allow for the easy penetration of the dense fibres.

The Camelid comb blade is constructed with 13 twin-bevelled teeth. Each alternate tooth has a raised "spine" or "nib". This "spine" causes the blade to be raised off the body surface thereby allowing approximately an additional 1mm or so of extra depth before cutting thus resulting in more coat cover being left on the animal. (See Fig. 4)

Normal sheep "cutter" blades (See Fig. 5) are used in association with the Camelid comb blades to produce a high quality clip. The same comb blades can be used on Lamas, Vicunas and Camels.

Those who want to leave a greater depth of coat (as in the case of an older animal or inclement weather conditions) should consider the use of the "comb lifter." This is an ingenuous, yet simple devise, which is fitted under the blade comb screws of the clipper, beneath the comb blade, will very effectively leave an additional depth of cut of approximately 3/8th inch. (See Fig. 6)

When considering the selection of a shearing machine, whilst performance in important, comfort in use, is a key factor, after all the task in hand is not likely to be a matter of just a few minutes! So the more comfortable the machine the better it will handle and the faster the job will be achieved. There are a number of "shearing" machines, most of which are unfortunately fairly bulky and not particularly comfortable to use for a prolonged period.

The Premier "Dominance" Shearing machine however is the exception to the rule and one, which has the benefit of being both slim to hold and compact in length as well as lightweight. In addition to its powerful motor, it is cool running and of fairly low noise level, this makes it a perfect choice for both male and female end-users.

The Premier "Dominance" range contains two shearing models the 3000s and the 4000s. (See Fig. 7) Both look and are identical, except that the 4000s model has a 15% additional motor power achieved by way of tighter winding of the armature wire. However this results in a small increase in the noise level as a result. The 3000s machine can adequately cope with large stud sizes; the 4000s model is a slightly more demanding machine and as such is considered more suitable for the professional user with large numbers or a shearing contractor.

Both models can be converted into horse/cattle clipping machines by fitting the appropriate horse/cattle head.

Regular oiling is an important feature with any make or model of shearing machine. One needs to be mindful that two metal objects are tightly clamped together and passing across the surface of each other at speeds well in excess of two thousand strokes per minute.

Lubrication is there essential and at regular intervals. Make sure you are using the correct type of oil (see your handbook,) that you have plenty of oil available, and that you direct a few drips on the blades and in various oiling points frequently! A decent sized oil can with a long spout is a valuable accessory!

When fitting the comb and cutter to your shearing machine it is most important to make sure that both blades are correctly "aligned". If this simple but never-the-less important fact has been overlooked then you are likely to experience difficulty in shearing the fibre. In fact you may well find it extremely difficult to even make a start!

The procedure for assembling the cutter and comb is as follows: -

Naturally before embarking on blade fitting disconnect the machine from any main electrical power supply!

Before you do anything with the blades, first loosen the tension nut, on the shearing machine head to reduce any existing tension. The first blade to be attached to the shearing machine head is the cutter blade. This is the smaller of the two blades and usually it has four teeth. On most modern shearing machine the cutter is "seated" on two "cones" protruding up from the pressure yoke. (These look like two forked prongs) (See your manufacturers manual for blade fitting instructions.)

Once securely seated you should take the other blade - known as the comb - this is the larger blade with considerably more teeth) and slide it - so that the two slot cut into back of the comb blade - slip under the two large head screws situated on the clipper head base. (These you will have slackened off first!)

Once both blades are in place lightly tighten the two large nuts, enough to hold the comb blade in place. Next rotate the machine until it is the right way up and then gently move the lower comb blade forward until the upper cutter blade tips are "riding" the crown of the bevel of the comb (See fig. 8) by the required amount as described in you appliance manual. (Usually 1.5 - 2.0mm) This is the important bit, which will determine the success or failure of your shearing activity! Get it incorrect (See fig. 9) and the machine will not clip as it is intended to!

If you turn the machine over and look at the underside you will observe there is quite a gap between the comb blade and the back plate of the clipper head. This is correct. (See fig. 10) If it looks as in fig.11 it is in correct and the four cutter teeth will be protruding well over the comb teeth tips!

Incidentally always check that both the right and left hand side teeth of the cutter blades to do not over shoot the sides of the comb blade. If either does you need to check the alignment and correct accordingly. Failure to do so may well result in "nicking" the skin of the animal. In essence it is all very simple - may require a bit of practice - but if over looked - you are doomed!

One last factor, which often catches the "novice" out, is if you forget to take up the slack with the tension nut, when you switch the machine on, blades fly in every direction! As a common sense factor always point the machine away from yourself, other people close by, and not least of all, the animal/s before switching on the power!

LASTLY REMEMBER! Shearing cutters and combs - just like horse or cattle blades - go blunt without warning. Alpacas have coats, which are hard to groom let alone get totally clean; therefore the potential for meeting up with dust and grit is considerable. Abrasive matter of this nature very soon takes the edge off the blades!

If you intend shearing your entire stud the same day, make sure you have enough blades. Ensure you are not brought to an abrupt halt due to running out of sharp blades! If you have say: 10 Alpacas - a good ratios might be: 1 comb/3cutters. 20-30 Alpacas: 2 combs/ 5 cutters. 50/100 Alpacas: 5 combs/12-15 cutters. 100-250 Alpacas: 10combs/25-30 cutters. Conditions vary from farm to farm and weather wise, you may only use a proportion of the suggested number, but one thing for sure it is a lot easier to have enough blades as opposed to rounding all your "woollies" up again and starting were you left off!

One valuable tip! After the shearing is completed if you place all your blades in a pan of boiling water with a drop of "fairy liquid" they will clean and be rid of any grease which may have accumulated! Remove after the water has cooled, wipe dry and clean. Store blades in a dry place, suitably oiled and wrapped.

With these species the top priority is the need for a really quite machine, especially for deer, whilst clipping effectively and relatively quickly. Some of the most suited clippers are to be found within the dog clipper sectors with highly suitable choices being the Wahl/Moser KM1 & Moser Max 45 also Laube and Oster models. Wide blades are generally preferred for body clipping on the large animals, with the small traditional dog-sized blades suitable for most rabbit breeds. For rabbits, especially the Angora breeds, the Aesculap Favorita II is a popular choice when fitted with the GT746 blade designed for just that breed.

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For more detailed information on the suitability for your particular requirements please telephone 01424 882900/882211 or e-mail info@peasridge.co.uk

PEASRIDGE

Repair & service all makes of clippers and trimmers
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Tel: 01424 882900 or E-mail info@peasridge.co.uk

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