We know it's disappointing to arrive at the farm and find the gates closed. We hear you — and we want to explain exactly why we make that call, what's happening with our animals during a heat event, and why your understanding means everything to us.

Alpacas and Heat: A Dangerous Combination

Alpacas are native to the high-altitude grasslands of the Andes — a cool, dry climate that sits thousands of metres above sea level. In Canada, they've adapted beautifully to our winters. But summer heat is a different story entirely.

Unlike dogs or horses, alpacas cannot pant effectively to cool themselves. They rely almost entirely on their skin — particularly the underside of their belly and inner legs, where fibre is thin — to release body heat. When temperatures climb above 25°C, and especially when humidity is high, that system becomes overwhelmed quickly.

Signs of heat stress in alpacas include:

• Rapid, open-mouth breathing
• Lethargy and reluctance to move
• Pressing their belly to the cool ground
• Loss of appetite and reduced water intake
• In severe cases: collapse, seizures, and death

Heat stress can escalate from mild discomfort to a life-threatening emergency within hours. It is not something we can monitor casually while also hosting visitors.

What We Do During a Heat Event

When extreme heat is forecast — or when we step outside and feel it arriving — our entire farm routine shifts to animal welfare mode:

• Shade first. All animals are moved to shaded paddocks or into the barn, where airflow is managed and temperatures are lower.
• Water showers. We run cool water over the animals' legs and bellies — the areas with the least fibre coverage — to help bring their core temperature down. This is done multiple times throughout the day.
• Restricted movement. We limit how much the animals move. Even gentle walking generates body heat. On extreme heat days, rest is medicine.
• Constant monitoring. Our team checks on every animal frequently — watching breathing rates, posture, and behaviour for early signs of distress.
• Fresh, cool water always available. Hydration is critical. We refresh water troughs throughout the day to keep water cool and encourage drinking.

This is not a passive process. It requires our full attention and presence.

It's Not Just Alpacas

Every farm animal is vulnerable to extreme heat, and each species has its own physiology to consider:

Sheep share many of the same vulnerabilities as alpacas — heavy fleece traps heat, and they are prone to heat exhaustion in humid conditions. Freshly shorn sheep are more resilient, but unshorn animals in summer heat require careful management.

Cattle begin to experience heat stress above 25°C, particularly when humidity is high. They reduce feed intake, produce less milk, and are at risk of respiratory distress. Shade and water access are non-negotiable.

Poultry — chickens, ducks, and geese — are highly susceptible to heat stroke. They cannot sweat and rely on panting and wing-spreading to cool down. Mortality can occur rapidly in confined spaces without ventilation.

Pigs have almost no sweat glands and are among the most heat-sensitive farm animals. Without wallowing water or shade, they can die within hours of extreme heat exposure.

A farm during a heat emergency is not a place for casual visits — it's a place where every person on the property needs to be focused on the animals.

Why Visitor Presence Makes It Harder

We love sharing our animals with you. Alpaca Encounters are one of the most joyful parts of what we do here at SHED Chetwyn Farms. But during a heat event, visitor presence — even well-intentioned, gentle visitor presence — adds stress that the animals simply cannot afford.

Here's why:

• Alpacas are social and curious. When visitors arrive, the animals engage — they approach, they interact, they move around. That movement generates heat. On a 35°C day, that engagement can tip an animal from uncomfortable to distressed.
• Our team's attention is divided. Hosting visitors safely requires staff presence and focus. During a heat emergency, every team member needs to be watching the animals, not managing a visitor experience.
• Animals need to rest in shade undisturbed. The most effective thing an overheated animal can do is lie still in the shade. Visitors — even quiet ones — disrupt that rest.

Closing the farm is not a decision we make lightly. We know you may have driven a long way. We know you were looking forward to it. And we are genuinely sorry for the inconvenience.

Animal Welfare Is Not Negotiable

At SHED Chetwyn Farms, our animals are not props or attractions. They are the heart of everything we do — the source of the fibre in your socks, your throws, your yarn. They are cared for year-round with the same attention and love that goes into every product we make.

When we close the farm, it is because we have made a judgment call that the welfare of our herd comes before the experience of our visitors. We believe most of you, if you were standing here with us watching a young alpaca struggle to breathe in the heat, would make the same call.

We will always communicate closures as early as possible — on our website, on social media, and by email to anyone with a booking. If you have a booking affected by a heat closure, we will reschedule you at no cost.

How You Can Help

If you're planning a visit during summer months, here are a few things that help us and help the animals:

• Check our social media and website the morning of your visit — we post closures as soon as we make the call.
• Book morning time slots when possible — temperatures are lower and the animals are more active and comfortable.
• If you arrive and the farm is closed, please don't attempt to enter. The animals need quiet, and our team needs to focus.
• Share this post with anyone who's wondered why we close — the more our community understands, the more supported we feel in making these hard calls.

Thank you for caring about our animals as much as we do. That shared value is what makes the SHED Chetwyn Farms community so special.

— The Team at SHED Chetwyn Farms

Planning a visit? Learn more about our Daily Alpaca Encounters and book a time that works for you. And while you're here, explore our alpaca sock collection — fibre from the very animals you'll meet on the farm.