Question for Alpaca Owners

[StarRidgeAcres]

In a very round-about way I ended up on a site for an Alpaca farm. In their photo gallery they show some shots of animals being sheared. One of the shots clearly shows the animals legs being stretched totally straight/tight by these straps. I admit I know nothing about shearing alpacas but this looked horrible to me. Does anyone know if this is the normal process? It looks dangerous to the animal at a minimum and horribly painful in the extreme. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

We have always clipped our llamas standing with just a person holding them against a wall, NOTHING like that! Even the "bad" ones were never restrained by the legs. Sounds cruel.

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

We have always clipped our llamas standing with just a person holding them against a wall, NOTHING like that! Even the "bad" ones were never restrained by the legs. Sounds cruel.

It looks HORRIBLE to me!

I sometimes can't believe the pics people put up for the public to see. Do they not realize their craziness is then broadcast for the world to see? Who is going to buy from someone who looks like they put their animals in something that is going to draw and quarter them?????

 

[Oakbrooke Farm]

I work at an alpaca farm and can assure this is common practice. The animals are NOT hurt and it is not cruel. It is easier to get them sheared when they are stretched out.

 

[Feather1414]

I've grown up on an alpaca farm. It's common practice and it's not cruel. The animals are picked up by someone, loops are put around the feet and the animal is slowly laid down. The legs are stretched just tight enough that they can't kick, can't have them kicking since those blades are so much sharper than a minis clipper blades. They are quickly shaved on one side, then their ropes are loosened and they are rolled over to do the other side. Once they are down the ropes are released and their legs are undone. They are free to get up on their own and they are placed back outside.

Most of the time they don't even care. It's not a cruel practice. What would be cruel would be trying to clip them standing up since all parties would be bloody by the end.

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

Thanks for the explanations folks. You'd have to admit, to someone who didn't see the before process, the after process, etc., and just saw a still picture, it looks prettyn drastic.