Sheep shearers adapt easily to alpacas once the size of the animal and the volumes of fibre are taken into account. The best way to shear them is to tip them onto their side and secure the legs to fixed harness points , thus gently stretching the animal to gain access to the fleece. Another person supports the neck of the animal to avoid it inflicting any self damage if it resists. The animal is then sheared one side turned over and the shearing repeated on the opposite side. This can be done on a table or on the floor.

The whole process taking between five and ten minutes and offering as little discomfort as possible to the alpaca. Pregnant females are shorn in the same manner and suffer little discomfort if care is taken.