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Ruminations
2006
This has
been an active year here at the farm. In June, Liza needed assistance
with her first birth. Tommy's leg was flexed back and he was stuck! Dr.
Wendy Hartman rushed out and got him out. A week later, Mumsie had a trouble
free birth during a heat wave. But... Little Neo got limp in the heat...
very worrisome. Dr. Wendy explained that his temperature regulation needed
to adjust and after a few days he was up and frolicing. Merlin was not
proving potent yet with Tiona, so Tiona, Mumsie (with Neo in tow) were
sent out for breeding. I went with a mobile breeding for Liza. In July,
toenail trimming time came. (Ask me how I lost a contact, broke my watch,
and almost cut my thumb off due to an equipment malfunction!) In August,
DP's father came up for sale and suddenly it came about that I had bought
him! I'm excited that he is a proven male, with a recessive bay black
gene, my most favorite crimp, and density, good teeth and straight conformation,
AND that I am told he is well behaved at toenail trimming time (my least
favorite chore!).
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Oct 18, 2006
The end of
October is coming and I will be saying goodbye to my Schmoozy face Merlin.
He is going back to NJ with his co-owner, who just loves him, so he will
be well taken care of. I'm disappointed that he wasn't successful in impregnating
Tiona, and I'm feeling like throwing caution to the wind and trying him
in with little Velvet. She seems to be constantly flirting with him.
*Update -
10/22/06 - Merlin made Velvet his woman, and since then she has been spitting
off. 10/29/06 - Merlin went back to NJ, and Velvet is pining...
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February, 2007
I ask you...
Does this sweet boy look like a "hay beast" to you?
The owner
of Neo's dad Armani described him this way when she saw this picture.
I have to say, I was a fiend all year keeping the hay in containers or
off the ground. Then, when the icey winds blew from the northwest, I felt
sorry for DP who was kicked out the barn in the normal course of male
domination/ subordination. A little hay went on the ground outside. Then,
everyone on the other side of the fence was jealous of DP's hay, and the
record breaking cold came. I admit then I really broke down. The hay is
now everywhere. Alpacas wallowing in it, lounging, cushing, rolling, sleeping.
Alpacas contentedly cushing outside in their feather beds in the middle
of a subzero night...
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 September,
2007
Well, it
turns out the the evening after I entered the above post, we had a major
fire at the farmhouse. For those of you who've experienced major upheavel,
you can sympathize. But, I am pleased to say the house is being rebuilt,
better than ever. The alpacas are thriving. They were never affected,
and continue to laze about in their comfy barn and frolic in the pasture.
After 3 trouble free births in June, Valentino was bred to all 4 open
girls (lucky devil!) and proved that he sure has stamina.. And, we are
in the process of adding some new fencing so that the existing pasture
is utilized better.
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February, 2008
Sabre says...
I love Jean... The alpacas are packing on the pounds (of hay), except
when the snow clears and they are out picking any bit of green they can
find. Iris, one of the 2 new girls, has turned out to be the most food
motivated .. even topping Mumsie. She will bang at the gate to get in
as the grain is being put down. Her half sister Coral is a kiss queen,
but nobody can top Sabre. Even Neo is coming around to whole face to face
thing. Little Zan looks very foreign somehow, and we have decided he is
aptly named. All in all, everyone is healthy and seems happy. They are
in their element in their winter fluff!
For more
pictures of Jean's last day, go to the slideshow.
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