I admit I’m nervous and I’m rambling… We are shearing the alpacas tomorrow. The head count is hovering near 100. We have never sheared 100 alpacas. In 2009 we sheared 77. Every year I get nervous, and every year it goes off without a hitch. Maybe it’s like putting on a big Broadway production. Whatever [...]
My usual way of breeding is to have female alpacas come to my farm and breed where I have control of the situation. Last year, for a variety of reasons some of my customers and I decided to bring my boys to their girls and do mobile breedings at their farm. I made several trips [...]
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 [...]
I’m totally in love with this little cria that was born to my friend Stephanie Mize of Gulf Breeze Alpacas. The cria was sired by one of our herdsires. Guess which one? (Looks just like his daddy) I could blog about this kid all week. And I will later. On the road today. But I [...]
Learning to spin yarn has not been an easy pursuit for me. But after several classes and a good bit of practice, I’m starting to see some progress. It has helped me to use colorful fiber that I liked working with. The natural browns and off-whites looked so much like kitty hairballs that it was [...]
Ultra’s cria
Ultra had her first cria on Tuesday. With first time moms – you’re never quite sure what you are going to get. Most take to mothering well, some need a little more time to figure out what is expected of them. Ultra did a great job. She loved her cria from the beginning, and [...]
When alpaca cria (babies) are born on cold, grey days we usually use a blow-dryer to get them warm, toasty, and dry: ready for the world. Most of their moms are startled at first, but they usually decide it’s okay for me to blow-dry their cria.
Not Ultra. (see above green spit)
Participating in Wordless Wednesday.
Photo by Val Newell of The Green Alpaca
Participating in Wordless Wednesday
His dam, Guardian Angel, was due at the end of July. That is the worst time of year for us to be having cria born down South so she stayed in Massachusetts to birth out. Her cria was born all happy and healthy this summer, sired by CCNF Royal Ring of Fire. I wanted to [...]
The story of our new alpaca baby, Phoenix, was so popular yesterday that I thought I’d share some more pictures of his first day.
Phoenix’s dam is not so sure…
My little girl knows to be wary. Alpaca dams may spit, but Tapioka just sniffed her.
He’s looking for his “noonie” (as we call it). But…those are her [...]
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