Who's a smart boy then...?

Archie the TOFT Llama got his annual haircut yesterday as the final alpaca to be sheared at this sitting. Archie is sheared standing up and that cut is called a Barrell cut which apparently is all the rage in the Lllama soirees at the moment... Honest!

Archie has one main function at TOFT and that is to demonstrate the difference between a Llama and an Alpaca which he does magnificently. As you can see he is... A foot and half taller, has big curved ears like the handles of the European Cup, his tail is permanently cocked at a jaunty angle and his head is much larger and more accentuated giving him a haughty arrogant look which is not as submissive as the alpaca. Job done.. Well done Archie.

Alpaca shearing: fighting teeth

When the three year old males come onto the shearing table we check their gums for fighting teeth. These grow in at around three years and are trimmed off at shearing. Archie the Llama was displaying a very fine set, having just reached his maturity. There are two in his top and one larger one below. If they are left they continue to grow and eventually enable the males to get a grip of each others ears legs and testicles and can cause damage. 

In the 16 years of breeding pedigree alpacas we have never had any of our males do any real damage to one another and we keep them all together. There again we religiously trim off any fighting teeth at shearing. 

Don't tell Archie but next week he gets 'trimmed' in another area entirely which may well have the additional side effect of turning him into a relative pussycat as his interest in females gradually recedes into a residual memory.

Alpaca shearing: 11 to go and Archie gets styled

What a week. Shearing delayed again yesterday due to bad weather. We finally kicked off about 12pm and coked right through until 8.30pm last night. At which point it was feed the dogs, Indian takeaway and bed.

The Toft team have been fantastic in this difficult week with Paul Beswick of Du Prem alpacas and our herds woman Linda did an amazing job of shuffling the dry alpacas to keep Mr Wheeler and his assistant John in dry alpacas.

Yesterday we had Claire from the Toft Alpaca Shop helping at the shearing table with Kerry and myself skirting and sorting at the sorting table. Needless to say Mrs B was clucking  around all day supervising, (what would we do without it) in between long absences whilst looking after young master Lord. My wonderful mother in law Myra did her best to keep the shed spotless and Doug, Kerry's other half , who was workings from home, did a sterling job of supplying the occasional teas coffees and biscuits to keep up morale.

We are all up at the crack of sparrows this morning to finish off the last 11 of the alpaca pets in order to get the shearer away to other alpaca owners for their turn at ' the shearing'. The sun is shining there's not a breath of wind. You would have no idea that we have just been through our most difficult shearing in the 15 years we have been shearing alpacas.

Except of course for the mess. The tent has died and has now seen its last shearing, the sorting lamps gave up the ghost, the ground is covered with muddy bits of fleece and the sorting table needs running repairs. 'Twas ever thus.

In between all the fun and games. Archie our Llama was restyled with a barrel cut. Apparently it is all the rage in the Llama world. It certainly gives young Archie a rakish air. Don't tell him he's losing his Crown Jewels in a couple of weeks time. Toft alpacas doesn't need a randy Llama on site at any time!!