This video is a highlight of shearing day 2017 at Apple Mountain Alpacas, with shearer Sam Murphy (and his sister) visiting from New Zealand. We hope you enjoy watching through a window into one day of the amazing alpaca lifestyle. More Info: Alpaca Shearing is an annual event for alpacas and their handlers. Like sheep, alpacas need to be shorn for their health. The alpaca's "wool" is a valuable commodity, but everything is designed to keep the animals safe, and they love being fleece-free in the warmer summer months. The primary economic value of alpacas in the U.S. is their fiber, which is what you call their coat . If the fiber is high quality, it can be sold and spun, like sheep’s wool, into yarn that is some of the softest, silkiest stuff on earth. High quality fiber is often made into hats, scarves, sweaters, socks — you name it. It can also be mixed with sheep’s wool for a composite.

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