Professional Alpaca Shearing

How we shear alpacas

Shearing day can tend to be a stressful day at the farm — but it doesn’t have to be. Our goal is to make shearing day as smooth, efficient, and low-stress as possible for both you and your alpacas.

For most farms, shearing happens once a year. For us, it’s what we do every day.

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We provide professional, on-farm alpaca shearing services for farms of all sizes, using methods that prioritize animal welfare, safety, and consistency. Every part of our process is designed to keep alpacas secure, safe, and well-cared for and to help the day run predictably from start to finish.

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Ground-Restraint Alpaca Shearing

We shear alpacas using a ground restraint method on specialized, padded shearing mats. Alpacas are gently laid onto the mat and carefully restrained for their safety during the shearing process. This method keeps alpacas stable and supported, reduces unnecessary movement, and allows for precise, efficient shearing without lifting animals onto tables or allowing them to jump or kick during the process.

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Each alpaca is typically restrained for approximately 5–10 minutes. Once shearing is complete, the alpaca is calmly released and returned to its feet. This approach has proven to be effective, predictable, and well-tolerated by alpacas of all ages and temperaments.

 

Two-Station Alpaca Shearing 

We operate a two-station alpaca shearing setup designed for efficiency and minimal stress on your animals. We operate this method with 3-4 crew members. 

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Here’s how it works: while our head shearer is shearing an alpaca at one station, our team at the second station handles preparing the next one up. After an alpaca is shorn, our handlers perform any clean-up shearing, nail trimming, etc., then carefully let the animal up. They prepare the station to keep the area clean and safe, and then lay down and restrain the next alpaca. Once one alpaca is finished, the head shearer moves to the next prepared station, allowing them to be continuously shearing without interruption. This system ensures each alpaca is handled carefully, restraint time is kept to a minimum, and the day runs smoothly — especially on larger farms with many animals.

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Handling and restraint are managed throughout the shearing process so alpacas are handled calmly and deliberately. This system allows us to shear efficiently while still giving each animal the care and attention it deserves, resulting in minimal stress and consistent results. Our team averages about 10 alpacas sheared per hour with our two-station method. 

 

Low-Stress Handling From Start to Finish

Any handling of alpacas can tend to be stressful, but shearing, especially, is a high-intervention healthcare task that requires careful attention, skill, and control. Our approach focuses on keeping the process efficient, safe, and precise, so each alpaca spends as little time restrained as possible while receiving expert care.

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The longer an alpaca is handled for shearing, the more stress it experiences, which is why we’ve spent many years perfecting a workflow that balances speed with mastery. This allows us to deliver high-quality fiber harvest, expertly shape the topknot, tail, and legs, and leave a smooth, clean finish, all while minimizing restraint time and protecting the animal’s well-being.

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Our priority is always safety and proper care for your alpacas, ensuring the shearing process is as effective and stress-free as possible while producing excellent results.

 

Biosecure Alpaca Shearing

We work on farms across the US and take basic biosecurity measures. Key equipment is regularly washed and disinfected between farms whenever possible, and we follow common-sense practices designed to help reduce the risk of disease transmission and protect herd health during shearing season.

 

Alpaca Nail Trimming & On-Site Dental Care

We offer FREE nail trimming for each alpaca sheared, and on-site dental work while we’re shearing at your farm, allowing you to address multiple herd-health needs in a single visit.​ For a complete list of our prices, click here. 

 

Serving Alpaca Farms Across The US

We provide on-farm alpaca shearing services to small and large alpaca farms throughout New York, the entire East Coast, and all over the United States. Whether you have a handful of alpacas or a large herd, our process is designed to care for every alpaca herd while maintaining the same level of care and attention.
 

Ready to schedule or want pricing details?
View our full price list or contact us today to reserve your shearing date or ask any questions you may have. 

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Meet Your Alpaca Shearer

Jeffrey Ebel is a master alpaca shearer and nationally recognized leader in camelid shearing and handling. He has won multiple North American Alpaca Shearing competitions and has personally shorn more than 50,000 alpacas over the past 15+ years.

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Jeffrey works with a highly trained crew and is committed to setting industry standards for safety, efficiency, and animal welfare.​

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Offered Services

While we specialize in alpaca shearing, we also offer some additional services.

• Alpaca Shearing

• Llama Shearing

• Nail Trimming

• Camelid Dental Work

• Sheep Shearing*

• Goat Shearing*

• Hoof Trimming

• Fiber Bagging

• Herd Health Services

• Private Shearing Lessons​

 

*We can only shear a limited number of sheep and goats from March-June, as we are typically booked up with alpaca work during this time.