My husband, the Artist, loves animals. He loves the alpacas. He, himself, is so tenderhearted that he probably never would have chosen a business that brought with it the inevitability of animals dying. We all feel sad when an alpaca passes away on the farm, but I’ve long suspected that the Artist takes it the hardest.

In recent days, I had been nursing an alpaca that our vet suspected had developed a gastric ulcer (perhaps more than one). To paraphrase a beloved and revered vet in the alpaca industry, “When an alpaca develops a stomach ulcer, she usually goes on to alpaca heaven.”  We had been treating our alpaca girl, throwing everything but the kitchen sink at her trying to save her…but nothing seemed to be working. Sad, resigned, I continued to treat her, and to try.

On this particular morning,  the kids had just gotten off to school, and I was hoping to take a little bit of time at the house before heading to the barn. The Artist was doing farm chores that morning to give me a break. I had just settled in to pay some bills and do some seriously neglected paperwork, when I realized that the Artist was heading out there first thing. Oh no! I jumped up and threw on some clothes.

Murphy’s Law. What Can Go Wrong Will Go Wrong. You know how this law applies to your life right? I believe this life applies in spades on a farm.

Remember how I said that the Artist is hit the hardest by death? Well, he also has the uncanny, extremely unfortunate ability to happen upon about 80% of animals that have died as well. Luckily alpacas are pretty hearty creatures and it doesn’t happen a lot, but I swear when it does happen HE always seems to be the one to be there. Because he’s the one who’s the most heartbroken. It really stinks.

I had been working the farm all week, and was really looking forward to the Artist doing some chores for me that morning so I could stay inside (where it was warm & cozy) past 9am, but I did not have a good feeling about my little ulcer girl so I flew out the door. I wanted to get to the patient before he did.

Whew! I could see that the Artist was still at the boys’ barn. Yes! Bullet dodged! I scurried to the main barn, said a quick good morning to my herdsire Magnum, and went to check on my little girl with the ulcer.

I stopped still in front of her stall.

She was all alone in there. dead.

“Damn,” I said, tears welling up in my eyes.

I stomped my foot just a little. My breath made a cloud in front of me from the cold.

I went into my office and wrote “deceased” on her paperwork with a wry sense of satisfaction that I had gotten some paperwork accomplished.

Then I went in search of a tarp with which I could move her sad, lifeless body.

I found a tarp in the shed. As I was coming back with the tarp I saw the Artist. Seeing the tarp, he knew that my patient had died. We exchanged sympathetic looks, and I headed back for the barn.

As I was walking through the gates and closing them behind me, I was thinking about millions of things. Meanwhile my brain was processing these additional thoughts as I looked at the alpacas as I passed by them:

baby alpaca. grey alpaca. tiny alpaca. there are no babies in that pen. wait. there should be no babies in that pen.

Finally my brain focused in on what it was trying to see and process:

We had been blessed with a new baby alpaca that morning!

Even though his dam, Rose Point, had not been due for three whole weeks, she had had a healthy rose gray baby boy!

The elation we felt was a balance to the sadness of losing our little girl from the ulcer. The rainy day was saved by the sunshine at the end. Does the sunshine make up for all the rain? No, but they work together to form the very fabric of life. They are woven together, like a tapestry. It is impossible to have one without the other.

I believe that farming is a metaphor for life, a venue for life to play out on nature’s stage. There is death and there is life. And what a blessed day it is when you can see all these things at work in the back yard before 10:30AM.

February 11th, 2010 | Tags: alpaca, alpaca farm, alpaca farming, Alpacas, cria, farm, farms, rain, sunshine | Category: Alpacas, The Alpaca Lifestyle | Comments (10)

This cute story was shared with me by my friend Valerie Newell from Crown Point Alpacas in New Hampshire.

Spring shows are coming up. Time to start thinking about halter training. If you have kids, letting them come up with ways to make it more fun can make the whole process more enjoyable.

It was a beautiful winter day, and early in the morning with the sun shining…I heard my little girl having quite the talk with Curious George. “George, would you like to come and meet the alpacas and help us train them for the show? You are always up for a challenge and something fun and exciting? So what do you say?”Apparently George agreed because I saw them both bouncing happily as they headed out to meet the alpacas.

They each got their turn with the halter and the leads. “George thought it was so much fun.” It was truly a great day, it was very apparent that  George and Annie felt proud and happy at the end of the day as they walked the newly trained “Snowman” together!

And as a mom, when all is said and done there is nothing like a happy kid, a happy monkey, and a trained alpaca!!

P.S. Thanks so much to Valerie for sharing this cute story with us. If anyone else has interesting/cute/helpful alpaca things they would like to share, feel free to email me with them. I am always looking for great items to publish.

February 1st, 2010 | Tags: Alpacas, children, curious george, halter training, kids, spring shows | Category: Alpacas, Handling/Training, The Alpaca Lifestyle | Comments (2)

Winter Moment in Time by Val Newell

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

~xoxoxoxooxoxoxo,

Alpaca Farmgirl

December 24th, 2009 | Tags: Alpacas, Val Newell, winter, winter moment in time | Category: Alpacas, Lifestyle, The Alpaca Lifestyle | Comments (10)

Andy with Phoenix, photo by Cheryl Bowen

It started out a glorious morning. My beloved herdsire Magnum was coming home from a long breeding engagement in Colorado. Another of our herdsires, Firecracker, was on trailer as well. IN addition there were three other alpacas who belonged to me but that I had never seen in person – Guardian Angel (our Archangel daughter) and her male cria by side, and Foxy Lady who we had gotten in exchange for several of Magnum’s breedings.

I was thrilled with the prospect of hugging Magnum’s neck again and greeting the new arrivals. The transporter was to be here at 8:30 AM. This was the kids’ first morning out of school for the break so we all lingered in bed a little longer than usual.

When I heard the buzzer indicating that the transport trailer had entered our front gate, I flew out the door. Running towards the trailer, I saw Magnum’s head in the back window. I almost wept with joy! I hurriedly greeted Capt. Dick Hegeman of Alpacas In The Forest, who was driving the rig. We exchanged pleasantries and got Magnum off the trailer. Poor alpaca had been traveling for 7 days!

As I walked Magnum into the barn something caught my eye in the first stall on the right. A lifeless brown lump and a placenta.

My heart sunk. Tapioka had had a stillborn. I felt an empty pang in the pit of my stomach. Disappointment flooded through me, “Oh no!” Dick and I both said at the same time. I quickly put Magnum in his pen and rushed to get back to the dismal scene. “It’s stomach looks like it moved a little,” Dick said.

“Really?” I asked disbelieving. I scurried into the pen and picked up the lifeless cria who hung like a limp dishrag in my arms. “She’s really cold,” Dick said. “Do you have a hot tub you can warm her in?” “No, but I have a bathtub,” I said, without thinking.

“Go ahead. I’m empty so I can wait while you see about the cria,” Dick said. “Let me know what I can do to help!”

“Okay!” I hollered over my shoulder as I ran to the house with my little dishrag.”

As I ran, I looked down at the cria. “It’s dead,” I thought. “It’s already dead.” Caught up in the drama I thought I’d try anyway. There was no life in the cria’s eyes. No spark to show me she was with us. I was going on a fool’s errand, but for some reason I was compelled to go.

I rushed past everyone in the house, up the stairs, and plopped her (in a trash bag) into the bathtub and began running the warm water. Did I see an attempt at breathing? I gave mouth to mouth. Doing this on a new cria is an experience that brings mixed feelings. Their little mouths are tiny. They are dirty with remnants of the “saran wrap” having just been removed. So it’s a tad bit ewww. But the sense of heroism one feels from giving breath, possibly life, to another makes it worthwhile.

As the water filled the tub, the cria’s eyes still looked lost, faraway, unlooking. But occasionally I would see an attempt to breathe. After a bit I felt the need to get back to Dick and all the animals still on the trailer. Sorry that I couldn’t be two places at once, I recruited my husband, the Artist to hold the little cria’s head above water and keep warming her up.”I hope this animal doesn’t die while I’m sitting here holding it,” he said.

“She was dead when I brought her in,” I called back. Hoping that might make him feel better if the little thing did expire.

Back outside I went. We unloaded a couple of alpacas before my son called to me that, “Dad needs you!” Oh dear. Back to the house.

We were out of hot water, but the cria was drawing shallow, desperate breaths. The Artist went to heat up some water on the stove. I decided to pull the baby out of the water and blow dry him. My children kept coming in and admiring the cria. They were curious, and each got a turn helping out by bringing me towels, hairdryers, and heating pads.

The first picture I had time to take

The cria came to life a bit more as we blow dried him. As I held up his head to dry it, he seemed to want to hold it up. He mostly laid there while we dried him. During this process we discovered two key pieces of information about the cria. It was a boy. And though he looked brown, underneath his fiber was rose gray. His face was so pretty I had guessed that he was a girl, but the equipment told a different story.

I left the children blow drying the little guy with strict instructions to the Artist not to let them burn him up. Back to the barn. Dick and I unloaded the last of the alpacas. I called my vet’s office to see if I could run the cria up to their clinic for an oxygen treatment. My vets were not on call. I thought wistfully how much they deserve a vacation, especially around the holidays….but why now? An unsatisfactory conversation with the on call vet had me frustrated. (They have little, if any, knowledge of alpacas.) I noticed my visitors, and quickly hung up the phone.

Sparkle’s human parents, Cheryl and Andy Bowen, of Humming Star Alpacas, had come over for a visit. I was happy to see them, but feeling frazzled…

Steve drying the cria

I introduced Cheryl and Andy to Dick and scooted back and forth to check on my patient, and check with my alpaca peeps. I decided to bring the cria back to the barn to be closer to his mom. I brought Cheryl with me to help carry all our heating equipment. As we topped the landing, the scene melted my heart. There was the Artist, blow drying the little guy, with the most tender, adoring look on his face. He had been massaging the cria, stimulating his muscles. “He likes it when I do this,” he said as he showed me where to blow dry the cria’s neck. “He’s sitting up. And he wants to stand up.”

“Do what? He wants to get up?”

“Yeah, look” With a little help the cria was standing. I was floored. Wow.

Downstairs the kids were watching tv. “Look kids!” I exclaimed, placing the little guy on his four legs.

The cria took a few steps into the sunroom. One of the twins began immediately hugging and helping him. They couldn’t believe it. The cria we had seen an hour ago was such a goner, how in the world had he made such a miraculous recovery? “Phoenix.” the Artist suggested. We all agreed it was the perfect name.

Are You My Mother?

We took Phoenix outside to see his mom. “I can’t believe that’s the same animal!” Dick exclaimed upon seeing him. Ever since then Phoenix has acted like a “normal” cria. He walks around, nurses, and seems fine. strong. He is only 9 lbs. and with a start like that he will be an “at risk” cria. But he has fight like I’ve never before seen.

Phoenix has risen! Photo by Cheryl Bowen

Move over Magnum. A tiny little Phoenix has stolen my heart.

December 20th, 2009 | Tags: alpaca, Alpacas, Alpacas In the Forest, blow drying, cria, dam, dam and cria, herdsire, Magnum, Phoenix, SCA Peruvian Magnum, warming up cria | Category: Alpacas, New Additions, The Alpaca Lifestyle | Comments (37)

They dream of being old enough…

Participating in Wordless Wednesday

December 9th, 2009 | Tags: alpaca farm, ATV, farm, kids, Wordless Wednesdays | Category: Lifestyle, The Alpaca Lifestyle, Wordless Wednesdays | Comments (4)

Photo and Artwork by Valerie Newell

This video is outstanding. A film crew from the New Hampshire Chronicle visited my friend, Valerie, at her farm – The Green Alpaca. In the video Valerie talks about alpacas being eco-friendly, we get to see her yurt, and the alpacas are completely adorable.

I have to admit that I never understood the yurt. I’m not a real camp-out kinda girl. But after seeing this video…I wanna go stay in the yurt! I wanna go!!! It looks so cozy and comfy!

So please check out the video:

http://www.wmur.com/chroniclevideo/21770521/

I swear – Valerie makes ME want to retire and go buy some alpacas and start an alpaca farm. oh. Maybe I’ll get off the computer and go out and enjoy them…

Learn more about White Mountain Yurts.

See a tv show about Green Alpacas.

Find an alpaca farm near you.

December 5th, 2009 | Tags: alpaca farm near you, Alpacas, eco friendly, Fairhope Alpacas, New Hampshire Chronicle, The Green Alpaca, video, yurt | Category: Alpacas, Lifestyle, The Alpaca Lifestyle | Comments (5)

This Thanksgiving was full of family fun. My cousin and her husband and baby were able to join us. My kids absolutely loved having a baby around to play with!

They also loved climbing their favorite tree in the alpaca mom and cria pen.

I was so busy with indoor activities (like cooking), that I didn’t remember to take pictures inside. I’m glad that I remembered to bring the camera when we introduced our little cousin to the alpacas.

The little guy wasn’t so sure about the alpacas. When he wants someone or some creature to give him some space he holds his hand out and says, “Go Away.” Simple and possibly effective. I wish my cousins lived closer. At least we can see them on Facebook.

What did you do for Thanksgiving? Leave a comment telling what was your favorite part of your Thanksgiving.

More Thanksgiving posts:

Thankful for my Agri-Bliss

Thanksgiving on the Farm 2008

December 1st, 2009 | Tags: alpaca, alpaca farm, Alpacas, Thanksgiving | Category: Alpacas, Lifestyle, The Alpaca Lifestyle | Comments (2)

Or Why You Won’t See Me At An Alpaca Show This Fall

Do you see this alpaca above? His name is Colt McCoy (named for the wonderful Texas Longhorns quarterback). He is one of the finest alpacas I’ve ever bred. I bragged on him.

Alot.

If you have ever read my blog or met me, you’ve probably heard me going on and on…and on about my darling little Colt McCoy alpaca. He was born in October 2008 and I’ve blogged about him many times. (Here, here, here, and here, to name a few.) In my defense – I mean, look at him. I may have barn blinders on, but in the alpaca world – this “look” sells. Who doesn’t love the fuzzy teddy bear/Ewok  running around in the fields?

Even after shearing last Spring, he looked great. I’m completely infatuated with Colt. The camera loves him as much as I do. And his genetics rock.

Just look at his head. If my whole herd looked like this…*sighs dreamily*…

And then….the unthinkable happened.

It has taken me months to write about this occurrence. It was so heinous, so depressing that I could barely speak of it, much less write about it. Guess I’ll just blurt it out -

Colt lost all his hair!

And when I say “all his hair”….I mean, literally, “ALL THE HAIR on the top of his head!!!!!” All the poor guy had left were some eyelashes. Long, gorgeous, eyelashes that Brooke Shields would envy…but I digress. He also lost most of it on his body.

Here’s what happened:

One evening I glanced at Colt as he scooted past me. “Hmm,” I thought. “Colt’s face looks different. Less Fiber.” I made a mental note to check on him the next day because he had already run past me out into the field. Though I knew from my quick glimpse that something was “off” I couldn’t put my finger on it. In the back of my mind I figured that another alpaca had gotten nutty and plucked a small tuft of his fiber off his neck or something. I dared not think it was off his face.

The next day I got a gut-wrenching text from our farm manager: “Colt’s hair is falling out. He has no topknot.” My stomach dropped to the ground. My rare and much anticipated shopping trip at Target lost it’s shine. I headed for the checkout in a daze. My appetite took a vacation – unheard of. (I never miss a meal.) There was no joy in Mudville…

How could this happen? To my superstar boy? (Hush it, Murphy! Enough outta you & your fancy laws.)

Colt has had it all. Exceptional conformation, super fine, dense, crimpy fleece, tremendous bloodlines, star presence, and (*wipes a tear*) the best fiber coverage on the farm. I was ready to prance him into the show ring within a matter of months. So when I got that text, the only thing I could think, or say for that matter, for the next few hours was, “DAMN!” Seriously?

I rushed home, and we jumped into action. We took his temperature, checked his poop for parasites, gave him a good once over, and called the vet. The resulting diagnosis was a stress-break to the fiber due to heat stress and/or a high temperature which would have occurred previously. Interestingly it wasn’t that hot when this happened (compared to what is usual for us here in Alabama). Colt does grow a lot of fiber, But he showed us no signs that he was having any sort of heat problem. In fact, he was still walking around like everything was fine. Fine – EXCEPT HE’S BALD as Uncle Fester!

Thanks to Cheryl and Andy Bowen of Humming Star Alpacas who helped me realize that the only choice I had was to laugh. They helped me find the funny side to all this with this sympathy card they sent to Colt:

Enclosed Card

Note: In an email to Cheryl, as Colt’s guardian, I thanked them for their support and acknowledged that Colt would need their friendship now more than ever.

Cheryl thought we could get him a little hat and tell the AOBA Show Judge, “The hat is NOT coming off!” But judges don’t really like to hear that – so he’s a “scratch” for Alpaca Shows in the near future.

By now you’re probably dying to see what he looks like. Here’s how it looked to us:

This is one of the first views we saw. You can tell that something is going on with his fleece, particularly on his back legs. There are tufts of fiber coming off.

Here Colt is striding by and you can definitely tell that he doesn’t look like the Colt we are used to seeing. Fiber missing and hanging off of him…

But nothing can prepare you for this:

Yeah. And no, he did not have a date with Hannibal Lector. Though that’s exactly what kept running through my mind. Over and over again I kept saying, “Colt, where is the top of your head?”

Colt always buddies up with Xman. Xman is Colt’s security blanket of sorts since he was weaned from his dam, Nevoso, in June. It looks like Colt might be feeling shy about his hair loss, but I think he was just trying to avoid his usual paparazzi (me).

How ’bout that topknot? Like a scary Halloween costume for alpacas.

In an attempt to salvage what self-esteem Colt has left, we have kept him away from full-length mirrors. He has not seen himself.

Notice above he is standing in the typical, “Look at me! I am Fabulous, no?” Colt McCoy stance? We don’t have the heart to tell him, and his four-legged mates are kind enough not to mention it to him.

We waited about two weeks to let any more weak fibers grow on out, and then we sheared Colt all the way down. (His temperature was normal once we found the fiber loss, and it continued to become cooler outside so there was no need to “emergency shear” him immediately.) My goal was to try to salvage a fleece harvest from Colt. It is possible since he has a super long staple length.

National Alpaca Farm Day was coming up, and I wondered how people would respond to seeing Colt, who looked more like a deer with very long ears, than an alpaca.

Which One Is Not Like The Others? Yep, that’s him on the right.

Yes, he’s really a huacaya alpaca. Just a bald one.

Now all I can do is laugh. The prognosis is good. The vets say his fiber will all grow back just fine and there is no reason to think he will have any further problems from this incident. But my show headliner is out for the season.  I will just look at it as a sign from the man upstairs that instead of going to alpaca shows this Fall, maybe I should go to a fiber show. So I went to SAFF (Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair).

***Note: We’ve had alpacas for 10 years, and this is the first time this has ever happened. The universe’s way of keeping me humble.

I should never have said that my Colt McCoy alpaca was cuter than that Tim Tebow alpaca.

November 24th, 2009 | Tags: alpaca, alpaca fiber, alpaca shows, Alpacas, Brooke Shields, Colt, Colt McCoy, fiber, fiber break, show alpaca, show alpacas, Tim Tebow, vet, Xman | Category: Alpacas, The Alpaca Lifestyle | Comments (18)

What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Participating in Sunday Citar

November 15th, 2009 | Tags: alpaca, alpaca farm, Alpacas, climbing trees, Emerson, quote | Category: Lifestyle, Quotes, The Alpaca Lifestyle | Comments (3)