Saturday Night Llama Fever

This week our two llamas, Lomi and Paisley, were sheared. Since it's late in the season, we discussed with the shearer what kind of cut they should get in order to not leave them too cold as we begin to approach fall/winter. She suggested leaving some of the fiber on their legs, so that it will add some extra warmth when they are laying down.

Camelids typically fold their legs up underneath their body when they lie down (called cushing). Here's an example:

Look Ma, no legs! 

So, essentially, leaving the fiber on their legs provides a nice wool blanket of sorts to curl up with.

Lomi and Paisley are suri llamas, which means they have a type of fiber that hangs down in free-flowing locks from their body. So, after being sheared, Lomi looked like he was sporting some super-cool bell bottoms.

Look at that flair when he walks:

In fact, we found it a bit reminiscent of John Travolta, circa 1977. Check out this video clip -- and don't forget to turn your volume up!