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DUK10132759_010
FEATURE - Ingenieur züchtet mit seiner Frau Alpakas im schottischen Innerleithen
Three-year-old Steely Dan after his haircut.
Alpacas get their heavy coats sheered at Velvet Hall Alpacas in the Scottish Borders. June 2 2020 *** This blissed out alpaca appeared to be having a great time as its heavy coat was sheared away allowing it to cool down from the summer heat.
The South American animal looked totally relaxed as two people removed its three-kilo fur coat, while another collected the wool.
The five-minute shearing process allows the alpacas to cool down, as their coats can be the equivalent of wearing four cashmere jumpers.
Despite the heat, the alpacas love being outside at Velvet Hall Alpacas in Innerleithen, Scottish Borders, where 34 of the animals are kept by hobbyists rather than professional farmers.
Enthusiasts Stuart Ramsay, 56, and wife Jean, 65, started out in 2013 with four males - but they brought in some females and started breeding.
Stuart, who works as an engineer, said: “Some have four kilos of fleece on them, it’s like wearing three or four cashmere jumpers.
“It only takes about five minutes to shear them, it’s not long.
“We started at 8am and should be finished by around 1pm.
“They will feel better afterwards.
“We’ve got shelters for them and let them decide whether to come or go.
“But when the weather’s like this they like being outside, even the wee one’s who’ll follow their mothers around.”
The couple employ a shearer from New Zealand who comes to the UK every summer to shear alpacas of their thick coats, which weigh around three to four kilos each kilos each.
Each alpaca is expected to produce three kilos of wool this year, totalling more than 100 kilos which will then be sent away to hand spinners or a mill, so the fleece can be turned into balls of wool to be sold.
Some are also sent to fleece shows who grade the wool and awards are issued based on the best quality coats.
The couple first came across alpacas at a country show in 2011 and fell in love with them, and decid
(c) Dukas