May - Shear joy at Artemis Alpacas

May has arrived, and that means one thing at Artemis Alpacas: shearing season is here! 

It’s the most anticipated (and fluffiest) time of the year, when our herd gets their annual trim—and we all roll up our sleeves for a day filled with fleece, fun, and a few very expressive alpaca grunts!

Alpacas may look like walking clouds, but underneath all that fluff is a lightweight frame that needs to stay cool through the summer. Shearing helps keep our herd comfortable, healthy, and happy—and it gives us the soft, luxurious fiber that makes alpaca fleece so prized.

We shear once a year, usually in May, when the weather is warm enough that they won’t get chilly afterward, but not yet too hot for comfort.

Think of it as the alpaca version of taking off your winter coat—and you’ll understand why most of them are pretty happy afterward (even if they act dramatic for the camera during the process