What The Kerfuffle

05/25/2026

I had the opportunity to assist with an alpaca shearing yesterday out on the eastern plains, outside of Colorado Springs, and meet some amazing people. The shearing is a necessity for healthy, happy alpacas. Removal of the fleece keeps them comfortable. Removal helps keep them cool in the summer heat and has grown back by the time the cooler temps of winter hits. There are groups of dedicated shearers out there and every year, they go from farm to farm. If a farm only has a few animals, it might not make sense to have a crew for just a few animals. So sometimes those farms will take their animals to a larger operation to have them sheared. Also then, the larger farms will have more hands to help.
So in these photos are the professional shearers, as well has people who’ve brought their animals, and people like me, just there to help and learn. One man who was there, had done his sharing the day before, and this owner had helped him. Chris came to return the favor. And funny thing? I know him! I had visited his farm, Our Red Barn Ranch, a month ago for some alpaca education. His wife teaches spinning, so we may see more of them!
Back to the shearing. There are many other aspects of alpaca care that happens at this time: teeth grinding, toenail trimming, ear spray on the ears for ticks and ivermectin injections. The animals are immobilized kindly so all the things can be done. The process is about 1-2 minutes. The descriptions are in the photo captions for more information.
The fleece that’s obtained is packaged and labeled, and given to the owner. The owners of the animals then determines what to do with the fleece.
We are honored and so lucky to have the opportunity to meet supportive and knowledgeable people in this alpaca community, while on this journey. In the end, we all just want what’s best for our animals!
*for the videos, if your volume is on, they let their displeasure be KNOWN! (And even before-humming anxiously as they wait for their turn.) They aren’t hurt. But they are very drama! They are pulled this way to keep them safe, the humans safe, and to pull them so they don’t get cut by the shears. And yes, there is spitting. You’ll see some have a large sock placed over their mouth, so green goo isn’t getting somewhere no one wants-like someone’s face. If you know me personally, you’d know I wouldn’t be able to watch if they were being hurt. 💜

05/22/2026

05/21/2026

It’s spring cleaning time! I pulled out about half of the winter straw from the coop, and will get the rest out tomorrow. It was our first winter with them, so I had put a lot down to keep them warm. We’ll turn the straw with the compost and dirt, and hopefully have good soil for the greenhouse. Funny that 4 of the ladies decided this was a good time to sit in a nesting box! (Thus the reason I only got half done. Chickens get the priority, since their eggs feed us.) Seamus supervised. And Sha was grumpy about the whole ordeal.

05/14/2026

We drove to Craig, CO yesterday to help (?) Monique MH and Dutch Dillon Ranch Alpacas’s for their yearly shearing. We got here in the afternoon and had a few trials and debacles. But nothing good comes easy, or without a lesson. Nothing huge though. This morning as we were getting ready to head over, we got a message that the shearing guy had a medical emergency and needed to cancel. Things happen! We went over anyway and Monique, husband, Matt and 11 year old daughter, Georgia, gave us the farm lowdown, and educated us to all things alpacas and Pyrenees LGD. Their place is beautiful, the alpacas fabulous, and the lunch scrumptious (prepped for a big shearing crew ☹️). We also had a good convo about getting ready for the “herd”.
Craig is a great Colorado town and near Steamboat Springs. Hopefully we can do a little exploring there. And also Shan can get some fishing in. So the shearing didn’t happen, but such a nice mini vacay, and more education with Monique tomorrow.
BTW, for those keeping track, SHANNON got spit on, and I did not. Monique was a witness!

05/04/2026

Getting things done! Rented an auger to get the holes dug for the greenhouse, the alpaca shelter, and some fence posts.
We are on the Florissant Fossil Beds, so to say we have hard, rocky dirt, is an understatement!

04/22/2026

I had the opportunity to visit a couple of farms with alpacas yesterday. 2 completely different farms, but both owners were a wealth of information. I think we’re more ready than we thought and we could be getting them sooner than later!
Chris, from Our Red Barn, and his wife have been in the business for 23 years. They even recently rescued a few goats, and in the past few days have been surprised with days of kids! They didn’t know they were preggers. Nothing cuter than kids!

Our Red Barn Ranch LLC https://share.google/RrHQlq6WzoZj3gxcP

Next I visited Nicole, down the road, and her and her families, set up at Moe’s Acres Raw Milk and Fiber Mill. They have quite few alpacas, but have a larger business selling milk from their dairy cows. But they also have many other species.

https://www.facebook.com/share/18ZgHqZ2PQ/?mibextid=wwXIfr

And, both farms had many large guardian dogs to greet me!

I’ve also been in contact with Monique, of DutchDilllon Ranch Alpacas:
https://www.facebook.com/share/1DsTGZeh7S/?mibextid=wwXIfr

We’ll be visiting them in a few weeks to experience and help with a big shearing!

We’re so grateful for the knowledge of this alpaca and farm community. The willingness to share their expertise, and help along the way, is invaluable.

Thank you, thank you! And your words of wisdom and encouragement, “there’s never a right time, just do it!” has got us motivated.

A Ranch inspired by an epic gesture of friendship. Raising quality animals and living the simple life

04/17/2026

Oooh! How to p**s off a chicken! We have a broody girl. She wants to sit in the box, all day, everyday, waiting for a NONEXISTENT egg to hatch. But she is there, by dang it, and gonna be for 21 days. And again, there is no egg there. So there are several ways to break this behavior. Isolate her from the others. Put in dummy eggs (that didn’t work). Block her from the box (which would mean blocking them all with our set up). Or…pull her out a couple of times a day so she’ll eat and drink. So that’s what we’re doing. The beak lashing I get from her when I do this is BRUTAL. I truly rock her world. Which is what a mama would do if you took her away from her kid, right?
In light of that, she cracks me up, although I know it stresses her out. I hope this ends soon.

04/08/2026

Just scheduled a visit to a friends farm to see an alpaca/llama/sheep shearing! We’re excited! Woot! 🐥🦙🐑
She’s warned us her boys are screamers and can be a little dramatic. So I had to look it up. Apparently, Coco, or #3 in this video is a good example!

Today is alpaca shearing day! Yep, all our alpacas, llamas and even our black belly sheep are getting their annual haircuts! It's never a dull moment and oft...

04/08/2026

When I walked outside the ladies were dispersed in the front yard. They came to see me. When I sat on the bench by their coop, they did this! I have no food or snacks. They just come and lay by my feet in a chicken puddle and fall asleep. Another l chicken snoring video! Sound up!

01/09/2026

Finally, snow! We’ve gotten the trail to the coop laid with gravel and graded just in time. A snow cover in the run, to give the girls a tiny bit of dry area for their food and water. Although a cold hardy breed, these Cochin girls are not having it. They have to be urged to go out. Sorry ladies, it’s coop cleaning day. No snow days for you! But they’re giving us 3 eggs a day still.
The cats only ventured out a few steps this morning. Pansies.