While horses are known to kick, it's rare that an alpaca will kick. However, Linda warned us that both Snowstorm and Victoria have been known to kick. She reports that their mom, Hana, teaches them to kick.
J has been kicked at when he was trying to herd the alpacas for their health check. That is somewhat understandable since they do not liked to be touched.
Yesterday I fed the alpacas as usual. Except when I was taking Kateri's grain out to the pasture all the sudden I felt something on my leg and realize Victoria kicked me! The only thing I can figure out is that she was in front of me but stopped walking, she did not like it that I was so close behind her and still walking so she kicked me. I was quite put out because she was in MY way, yet she kicked me! She made contact on my leg above my knee. It didn't really hurt, more felt like pressure. I was most annoyed by her actually doing it than any discomfort caused by the kick. Of note though, had she kicked a child like that it could have been a more serious issue. Given children are shorter her kick would have hit higher and she did have a lot of force behind it. I'm use to Zack running into me so I'm use to standing up to lots of force, it didn't knock me down. But I could see that being enough force to knock a small child down. Not that I think alapcas are dangerous to children. In general they are not dangerous at all. I just will be careful when we have kids in the pen to avoid having kids behind the alpacas. So far when kids have come to see the alpacas they have fed them carrots and see the faces of the alpacas. I will just be more observant that kids do not end up behind an alpaca. Better to be safe than sorry.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Visiting Kids
My neice, Carlie, had her birthday party yesterday. All the kids came up to the fence and were looking at the alpacas so J and I went out there to let them into the barn. I brought out carrots for the kids to feed them. Snowstorm would have nothing to do with the carrots and Kateri was not willing to take any from the kids but Victoria was all over them! J went to catch one of the alpacas for everyone to touch but opted not to because they were pretty excited from having all the kids in the pen.
I have been working on making a knit alpaca finger puppet. My plan is to hand those out to any kids that visit our farm. I have made 2 that turned out pretty cute (picture pending my getting a digital camera - waiting on Kodak for my 25% discount). I do not have a pattern, I just knit them until they look how I want. The 2 I made a little different but I think that's what makes them more charming. No 2 alpacas are alike either. I plan to knit them out of our own alpaca yarn but for now it's alpaca yarn that I bought.
I have been working on making a knit alpaca finger puppet. My plan is to hand those out to any kids that visit our farm. I have made 2 that turned out pretty cute (picture pending my getting a digital camera - waiting on Kodak for my 25% discount). I do not have a pattern, I just knit them until they look how I want. The 2 I made a little different but I think that's what makes them more charming. No 2 alpacas are alike either. I plan to knit them out of our own alpaca yarn but for now it's alpaca yarn that I bought.
Peru, Chili and Bolivia
Alpacas come from Peru, Chili and Bolivia. From what I've read it appears the first alpacas to come to the US were from Chili as Peru did not export them until later (early 1990's). When Peru started exporting them, they touted them as the best of the alpacas. It is true that Peru focused on breeding for the best fiber they could, but only in white, which is what was desired by the English textiles. The white fiber class is the most competitive because there is a long history of breeding for excellent fiber in that color.
Alpacas from Chili are more likely to be of color. Natural colors have become popular in the yarn/craft industry. Natural brown and grey have been popular for some time, now natural silver is the big color.
Few alpacas have come from Bolivia, but some are reported to be from Bolivia.
Of note there is no current importing of any alpacas. I believe in 1998 the US border was closed to any more imports. From what I've read this was done by the alpaca industry to help the US alpaca farmer, with no imports everyone will have to buy from US alpaca farmers.
Some farms choose to focus on the genetics from one particular county. We have decided not to do that. Our thought is that for one, the borders in that part of the world (Peru, Chili, Bolivia) and not structured. Alpacas were able to go from one country to another, it's impossible to know exactly which country they came from. I've read that importing from Chili was easier than from Peru so people would take an alpaca from Peru to Chili then export it. In addition, I do not know that having "Accoyo Peruvian" in the alpaca is noteworthy. While Accoyo is a very good farm in Peru, after being exported it would be very difficult to prove it definately came from that farm (alpacas were held in detentions when they arrived at the US, it was a long journey from there to here, unless you went to Accoyo farm and saw the alpaca there it would be difficult to know for sure it was there). And even if it did, it would be impossible to prove if it had the great genetics from the farm or was a mediocere one on that farm. We have based out decisions of purchase on the animal and how the relatives of that animal has places in shows in the US rather than focusing strictly on country of origin.
I found this quote from a judge which I think sums up our thoughts (Alpaca Judge Maggie Krieger (http://www.alpaca-uk.co.uk/articles/alpacabrand.htm ):
Like Ken and Linda from South Haven Alpacas, we have decided to include all backgrounds, but when breeding to take into consideration what would make the alpaca better. For example, Victoria has very dense, soft fleece, but does not have the best crimp (it has gotten better as she has aged). When breeding her, we will look for a male with really good crimp. Kateri is a smaller alpaca so when breeding we want to make sure the male is on the bigger side. We are looking at the animal and what genetics it brings with it that should create an even better alpaca, rather than looking at the country of origin. I have heard that Chilean alpacas have density and softness, Peruvian have crimp, so combining them gives the best of both worlds.
Alpacas from Chili are more likely to be of color. Natural colors have become popular in the yarn/craft industry. Natural brown and grey have been popular for some time, now natural silver is the big color.
Few alpacas have come from Bolivia, but some are reported to be from Bolivia.
Of note there is no current importing of any alpacas. I believe in 1998 the US border was closed to any more imports. From what I've read this was done by the alpaca industry to help the US alpaca farmer, with no imports everyone will have to buy from US alpaca farmers.
Some farms choose to focus on the genetics from one particular county. We have decided not to do that. Our thought is that for one, the borders in that part of the world (Peru, Chili, Bolivia) and not structured. Alpacas were able to go from one country to another, it's impossible to know exactly which country they came from. I've read that importing from Chili was easier than from Peru so people would take an alpaca from Peru to Chili then export it. In addition, I do not know that having "Accoyo Peruvian" in the alpaca is noteworthy. While Accoyo is a very good farm in Peru, after being exported it would be very difficult to prove it definately came from that farm (alpacas were held in detentions when they arrived at the US, it was a long journey from there to here, unless you went to Accoyo farm and saw the alpaca there it would be difficult to know for sure it was there). And even if it did, it would be impossible to prove if it had the great genetics from the farm or was a mediocere one on that farm. We have based out decisions of purchase on the animal and how the relatives of that animal has places in shows in the US rather than focusing strictly on country of origin.
I found this quote from a judge which I think sums up our thoughts (Alpaca Judge Maggie Krieger (http://www.alpaca-uk.co.uk/articles/alpacabrand.htm ):
“Further centuries of careful genetic engineering, using the colour palate of the Chileans and Bolivians and the quality of the white Peruvians, I believe, will provide the ultimate in high quality coloured alpacas. …… Let us not write off one brand over the other, forsaking the incredible potential we have been lucky enough to be blessed with and privileged enough to own.”
Like Ken and Linda from South Haven Alpacas, we have decided to include all backgrounds, but when breeding to take into consideration what would make the alpaca better. For example, Victoria has very dense, soft fleece, but does not have the best crimp (it has gotten better as she has aged). When breeding her, we will look for a male with really good crimp. Kateri is a smaller alpaca so when breeding we want to make sure the male is on the bigger side. We are looking at the animal and what genetics it brings with it that should create an even better alpaca, rather than looking at the country of origin. I have heard that Chilean alpacas have density and softness, Peruvian have crimp, so combining them gives the best of both worlds.
Suri vs Huacaya
As I mentioned in the post yesterday there are two types of Alpacas, Suri and Huacaya. We are raising Huacaya which is the more popular of the two. We like the look of the Huacaya better, we also feel that since we live in a colder state, it makes sense to raise the alpaca that has the warmer coat ;) Though there are Suri farms in Michigan, so it comes down to a personal choice which to raise.
I found this on wikipedia:
another quote I found about the two different kinds of alpacas (http://www.delphialpacas.com/alpaca-wool-fiber-fleece-article.htm):
Crimp refers to the waves in the fleece. There are differing opinions on the benefits of more crimp. I have read that the crimp helps alpaca yarn have memory once the fiber is made into yarn and knit into product. However, as a spinner, I prefer the more bold crimp. At our farm we focus on producing animals with consist crimp, especially across the blanket area (the blanket is the fleece that is across the back and along the sides of the alpaca, considered the "prime" fleece). Crimp, luster (shine) and density are considered good traits in huacaya fleece. Guard hairs are a bad trait. Guard hairs are the coarse hairs that are usually longer (they are what causes wool to be scratchy). Alpacas fiber is more desirable than wool because a good alpaca does not have much guard hair and is not scratchy. Alpacas who are overfed are more likely to grow very coarse guard hairs (called "blowing out their fiber"). Reportedly in Peru they sometimes underfeed alpacas to keep their fleece from becoming coarse but instead staying baby soft (this was referred to as being hunger fine). This is not practice in the United States, though we do watch their weight, we do not underfeed. Of note, alpacas have a longer life expectancy in the US, of around 20 years.
I found this on wikipedia:
There are two types of alpaca: Huacaya (which produce a dense, soft, crimpy sheep-like fiber), and the mop-like Suri (with silky pencil-like locks, resembling dread-locks but not actually matted fibers). Suris are prized for their longer and silkier fibers, and estimated to make up between 19-20% of the Alpaca population. However, since its import into the United States, the Suri is growing substantially in number and color diversity. The Suri is thought to be rarer, possibly because it is less hardy in the harsh South American mountain climates, as its fleece offers less insulation against the cold. The Suri fleece parts along the spine, exposing the animal to the cold, unlike the Huacaya fleece which provides excellent cover over the backbone.
another quote I found about the two different kinds of alpacas (http://www.delphialpacas.com/alpaca-wool-fiber-fleece-article.htm):
Huacaya fleece is usually crimpy, and grows out perpendicularly from the alpaca's body, giving huacayas that “poofy” look. Suri fleece has a long and silky look, hanging straight down from where it grows on the alpaca's body. Suri and huacaya fleeces each have desirable characteristics making them highly sought after for different uses in the textile industry.
Crimp refers to the waves in the fleece. There are differing opinions on the benefits of more crimp. I have read that the crimp helps alpaca yarn have memory once the fiber is made into yarn and knit into product. However, as a spinner, I prefer the more bold crimp. At our farm we focus on producing animals with consist crimp, especially across the blanket area (the blanket is the fleece that is across the back and along the sides of the alpaca, considered the "prime" fleece). Crimp, luster (shine) and density are considered good traits in huacaya fleece. Guard hairs are a bad trait. Guard hairs are the coarse hairs that are usually longer (they are what causes wool to be scratchy). Alpacas fiber is more desirable than wool because a good alpaca does not have much guard hair and is not scratchy. Alpacas who are overfed are more likely to grow very coarse guard hairs (called "blowing out their fiber"). Reportedly in Peru they sometimes underfeed alpacas to keep their fleece from becoming coarse but instead staying baby soft (this was referred to as being hunger fine). This is not practice in the United States, though we do watch their weight, we do not underfeed. Of note, alpacas have a longer life expectancy in the US, of around 20 years.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
More alpacas?
Yes, we've found more alpacas. J came across a really good deal that we've decided to go ahead with. We went to Autumn Alpacas, LLC this morning to meet Shirley and John from KaSar Alpacas (they board these alpacas at Autumn Alpacas, LLC). Shirley and John have decided to specialize in Suri Alpacas so they are selling off their Huacaya.
To back track a bit in case I lost some of you, there are two types of Alpacas. The Suri have a bit longer hair that is in ringlets. The other type of alpaca, Huacaya, have more fluffy fiber. Most farms pick one to focus on, though some farms do have both types. We choose to work with Huacaya, which is the more popular of the two types. There isn't a great reason why we picked Huacaya other than we prefer how they look. For an example of a Suri Alpaca, put "Suri Alpaca" into google and you can find links to some pictures.
The deal we got includes four alpacas (considering was have 3 right now this more than doubles our herd!).
Pictures and information on the four can be found at the farm website. I'll post some here too but more info can be found at: http://www.alpacanation.com/farmsandbreeders/03_viewfarm.asp?name=13596
We are getting a 2 year old male, Sir Remington. He has potential to be a herdshire. We are looking to start breeding with him this spring. He can be found at http://www.alpacanation.com/alpacasforsale/03_viewalpaca.asp?name=61207
and he looks like
Sancha is a full Peruvian female. While she is a bit older (almost 10 years old) she is full Peruvian which we have mostly Chilean (I'll explain in another post the difference). Peruvian alpaca are more popular in our area of the country so it makes sense to have at least one full peruvian. The farm page: http://www.alpacanation.com/alpacasforsale/03_viewalpaca.asp?name=77389 and a picture: opps having trouble with that picture
Sancha's daughter, Sommerfield, is also part of the package deal. She was born on April 8th so is not quite a year old. We have some pictures of her but I can't find any on-line right now. The write up by KaSar Farm can be found at http://www.alpacanation.com/alpacasforsale/03_viewalpaca.asp?name=85565
And my favorite, Midnight Masquerade (“Maddie”)
I know we have a lot more pictures of Maddie that I'll post later. She is only 3 months old so we cannot bring her to our farm until she is weaned which should be in March. I can't wait to have her. She is such a cutie!! She is a 1/2 sister to Remington (they have the same mother). They both have the multiple colors on their face.
Now we have to think about where these alpacas will go. Remington is not gelded so he will need to be kept separate from the girls. And we have potential to show Remington, Sommerfield and Maddie. Many decisions ahead!
To back track a bit in case I lost some of you, there are two types of Alpacas. The Suri have a bit longer hair that is in ringlets. The other type of alpaca, Huacaya, have more fluffy fiber. Most farms pick one to focus on, though some farms do have both types. We choose to work with Huacaya, which is the more popular of the two types. There isn't a great reason why we picked Huacaya other than we prefer how they look. For an example of a Suri Alpaca, put "Suri Alpaca" into google and you can find links to some pictures.
The deal we got includes four alpacas (considering was have 3 right now this more than doubles our herd!).
Pictures and information on the four can be found at the farm website. I'll post some here too but more info can be found at: http://www.alpacanation.com/farmsandbreeders/03_viewfarm.asp?name=13596
We are getting a 2 year old male, Sir Remington. He has potential to be a herdshire. We are looking to start breeding with him this spring. He can be found at http://www.alpacanation.com/alpacasforsale/03_viewalpaca.asp?name=61207
and he looks like
Sancha is a full Peruvian female. While she is a bit older (almost 10 years old) she is full Peruvian which we have mostly Chilean (I'll explain in another post the difference). Peruvian alpaca are more popular in our area of the country so it makes sense to have at least one full peruvian. The farm page: http://www.alpacanation.com/alpacasforsale/03_viewalpaca.asp?name=77389 and a picture: opps having trouble with that picture
Sancha's daughter, Sommerfield, is also part of the package deal. She was born on April 8th so is not quite a year old. We have some pictures of her but I can't find any on-line right now. The write up by KaSar Farm can be found at http://www.alpacanation.com/alpacasforsale/03_viewalpaca.asp?name=85565
And my favorite, Midnight Masquerade (“Maddie”)
I know we have a lot more pictures of Maddie that I'll post later. She is only 3 months old so we cannot bring her to our farm until she is weaned which should be in March. I can't wait to have her. She is such a cutie!! She is a 1/2 sister to Remington (they have the same mother). They both have the multiple colors on their face.
Now we have to think about where these alpacas will go. Remington is not gelded so he will need to be kept separate from the girls. And we have potential to show Remington, Sommerfield and Maddie. Many decisions ahead!
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
knitting
I haven't posted much about my knitting because it can be very boring to talk abuot, especially since without a digital camera I do not have any pictures to show off my work. But I have been very busy with knitting and should do an update.
I made several pairs of slippers socks for Christmas gifts. I knit a pair of baby booties out of alpaca yarn (I bought some at The New Ewe, a yarn shop in town). I also knit a scarf out of alpaca yarn. The alpaca yarn was interesting to work with. I realized quite quickly that I will need to get different knitting needles as my metal ones are too slippery. I have pictures of these projects that I will have to add when I get them developed.
For Christmas I got a yarn swift and a winder. J spent most of yesterday using them to rewind all my yarn. He then wanted me to show him how to knit. I am a horrible teacher, but attempted to. By the time we went to bed J had knit a small swatch in garter stitch. For his first attempt and the fact I was his teacher I think he did great! Emma has been begging me to teach her to knit but I do not think I have the patience or the skill to teach her. Maybe if J gets better at it he can teach her.
I made several pairs of slippers socks for Christmas gifts. I knit a pair of baby booties out of alpaca yarn (I bought some at The New Ewe, a yarn shop in town). I also knit a scarf out of alpaca yarn. The alpaca yarn was interesting to work with. I realized quite quickly that I will need to get different knitting needles as my metal ones are too slippery. I have pictures of these projects that I will have to add when I get them developed.
For Christmas I got a yarn swift and a winder. J spent most of yesterday using them to rewind all my yarn. He then wanted me to show him how to knit. I am a horrible teacher, but attempted to. By the time we went to bed J had knit a small swatch in garter stitch. For his first attempt and the fact I was his teacher I think he did great! Emma has been begging me to teach her to knit but I do not think I have the patience or the skill to teach her. Maybe if J gets better at it he can teach her.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas!
We've had several Christmas parties prior to Christmas Day so things are a bit more calm around here today. On Christmas Eve day we were surprised by the delivery of a wonderful chocolate strawberry cheesecake! Thanks so much Ken and Linda from South Haven Alpacas! It is very yummy.
For the holiday I took carrots down to the alpacas. I've read that alpacas are similar to goats and horses and like carrots and apples and the like. I first held one out for Victoria and she ate it right out of my hand. Snowstorm stepped back and did not want one. I then held one out for Kateri who licked it, but did not take it. If I held it pointing at her she would grab it and eat it. Both girls wanted more. Snowstorm would not come near me. J took one for snowstorm and actually started chasing him with it to the point Snowstorm went to kick J! No carrots for him. Though in retrospect not worth all that given Snowstorm never did eat any.
The best laugh of the day in reguards to animals came from Dottie. She likes to balance herself on the top of our couch and was taking a nap. I could tell she was dreaming as her feet were running, then her tail wagging, then more running. I stopped paying attention to her until I heard her fall off the back of the couch! Poor dog. I felt bad, what a way to wake up, but it was so funny. She gave me a very mean look for laughing at her.
For the holiday I took carrots down to the alpacas. I've read that alpacas are similar to goats and horses and like carrots and apples and the like. I first held one out for Victoria and she ate it right out of my hand. Snowstorm stepped back and did not want one. I then held one out for Kateri who licked it, but did not take it. If I held it pointing at her she would grab it and eat it. Both girls wanted more. Snowstorm would not come near me. J took one for snowstorm and actually started chasing him with it to the point Snowstorm went to kick J! No carrots for him. Though in retrospect not worth all that given Snowstorm never did eat any.
The best laugh of the day in reguards to animals came from Dottie. She likes to balance herself on the top of our couch and was taking a nap. I could tell she was dreaming as her feet were running, then her tail wagging, then more running. I stopped paying attention to her until I heard her fall off the back of the couch! Poor dog. I felt bad, what a way to wake up, but it was so funny. She gave me a very mean look for laughing at her.
Monday, December 24, 2007
goofy cat
On Sunday morning after I scooped poop, I wheeled it out to the woods where we keep a pile. It was slushy out and a bit icey (as temps were falling to freezing). I was concerned I might fall and land in the wheelbarrow full of poop (yuck!). And it's difficult to wheel it into the woods as it is not plowed or shoveled so I push it through snow. I was relieved to dump the poop and be on my walk back to the barn. On my walk back I noticed Fluffy had followed me and was trying to climb up a tree. I grabbed her and put her on my shoulders (which is a place she loves to be). It must have been the wind because she decided she did NOT want to be there. She jumped off, slid on some ice, and ran to the barn! Emma and my mother-in-law saw the entire episode from the living room window.
Winter weather - a snowstorm
a real snowstorm (not our alpaca Snowstorm). We had some snow on the ground, then Saturday night it rained almost all night, with really strong winds. We were lucky we did not lose power, as many did. Sunday the temp dropped below freezing and all the slush froze. Then it snowed and snowed. On Sunday morning when I went to feed the alpacas it had no yet started to freeze. Snowstorm was digging away the slushy snow to eat grass in the pasture, though it seemed like he was eating more leaves than grass. By evening when I went to feed the alpacas there was a thick sheet of ice and a couple inches of fresh snow on the ground. Zack fell at least 10x while walking to the pasture due to the ice. In the barn I could see the snow was blowing into the openning and onto about 1/2 of the area the alpacas lay in. I put more straw on the side that wasn't getting the blowing snow and encouraged the alpacas to lay there overnight. But really they do not seem to mind the snow. All three of them had a coating of snow/ice on their backs. I've been told their fleece is so warm that they stay warm even in these conditions. I am anxious to get down to the barn this morning to see how they did overnight. We got more snow throughout the night, along with lots of wind. I'm sure they are fine but curious to see how much snow blew into the barn. It's still dark outside and I do not want to walk on ice in the dark. Plus almost all of us are sick at our house so I need to make sure the kids are set before I head out to the barn. I took Zack with me last night so it's Emma's turn this morning. I'll head down soon.
pictures found
J found these pictures of Snowstorm in his file from South Haven Alpacas. The one from 2006 is when he was a baby. How cute! The other is when he's older. We are pretty sure that's Victoria in the background. Snowstorm has a very impressive history. Too bad he is white, it's such a tough class.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Petting alpacas
I do not think I have fully explained the fact that alpacas do not like to be touched. They know exactly how far your arms and hands can reach and will stay just out of this range. However, if you do not try to touch them, over time they will come closer to you. But beware, the moment you try to touch them, they move back out of this range. Alpacas are curious, so they do try to come near you. But they do not like to be touched so they keep that distance. The best bet is to not touch them, but let them come by you. You will get a good look at them that way. The hard part is that they look so soft and cuddily you want to reach out and hug them but they won't let you. Sometimes a farm will have an alpaca that is very friendly and will let you pet them. I've been told that Victoria has let my neice pet her. I do not reach out to grab at them because I know in general they hate that. So they are not afraid to come into the range of my arms and hands. I actually have to tell them to move out of my way when I am doing chores! But if I reach out to touch them, they do jump back out of range. We've made it a family rule not to reach out and grab at them. They will be much more friendly if you don't. I tell the kids if they want to pet an animal the cat loves attention.
Because of this arm/hand range that they stay out of, the best way to herd them is to hold your arms out and move towards them. They cannot get out of your way fast enough! Just make sure the alpaca is between you and where you want them to go and start walking toward them, they will move to whatever openning is available. But be sure noone is standing where you want the alpaca to go. The alpacas do not want to be trapped between 2 people. This is how I herd Kateri into the pasture to eat. Most of the time I end up having all 3 alpacas follow me into the pasture (they know I have food and they want it). And since Victoria is always the first to go anywhere (she's the lead alpaca) I usually can't get Kateri to go into the pasture until Victoria leads the way. I get all three into the pasture, then I try to move around so that Victoria and Snowstorm are between me and the gate openning to the barn, yet Kateri is on the other side of me. I usually have to move between the 3 of them to get this arrangement right. I hold my arms out (which can be difficult while holding bowls of food especially when they are trying to eat the food!) and move toward the gate. Victoria and Snowstorm move through the gate, I lock it and put a bowl down for Kateri. Then I go through the gate and put food in the barn for Victoria and Snowstorm. Most nights this goes quite smoothly but there have been a couple times when it was very hard to get Kateri on one side of me and the other two on the other side of me, yet by the barn. Then in the barn there are times Snowstorm tries to steal Victoria's food. I end up standing between him and Victoria's food with my arms out. He sometimes will look for a way to get around me, but if I move at all he jumps and runs out of the barn. They are not agressive animals, simply by having my arms extended even the guardian alpaca runs (and Snowstorm is a big alpaca). Which compared to other animals this is easy. I'd be much more hesitant about getting between a dog and some food!
Because of this arm/hand range that they stay out of, the best way to herd them is to hold your arms out and move towards them. They cannot get out of your way fast enough! Just make sure the alpaca is between you and where you want them to go and start walking toward them, they will move to whatever openning is available. But be sure noone is standing where you want the alpaca to go. The alpacas do not want to be trapped between 2 people. This is how I herd Kateri into the pasture to eat. Most of the time I end up having all 3 alpacas follow me into the pasture (they know I have food and they want it). And since Victoria is always the first to go anywhere (she's the lead alpaca) I usually can't get Kateri to go into the pasture until Victoria leads the way. I get all three into the pasture, then I try to move around so that Victoria and Snowstorm are between me and the gate openning to the barn, yet Kateri is on the other side of me. I usually have to move between the 3 of them to get this arrangement right. I hold my arms out (which can be difficult while holding bowls of food especially when they are trying to eat the food!) and move toward the gate. Victoria and Snowstorm move through the gate, I lock it and put a bowl down for Kateri. Then I go through the gate and put food in the barn for Victoria and Snowstorm. Most nights this goes quite smoothly but there have been a couple times when it was very hard to get Kateri on one side of me and the other two on the other side of me, yet by the barn. Then in the barn there are times Snowstorm tries to steal Victoria's food. I end up standing between him and Victoria's food with my arms out. He sometimes will look for a way to get around me, but if I move at all he jumps and runs out of the barn. They are not agressive animals, simply by having my arms extended even the guardian alpaca runs (and Snowstorm is a big alpaca). Which compared to other animals this is easy. I'd be much more hesitant about getting between a dog and some food!
Our first farm visitor
We had our first farm visitor last night. The kids' babysitter, Karen, came over to take a look at our alpacas. She had never seen any and wanted to know what they were like. We took her to the barn and fed the alpacas so that they came near her. But alpacas do not like to be touched so that part is more difficult. At the farms we've visited they would catch an alpaca and hold them so we could feel the fiber. But J was at work and I have never even tried to "catch" one yet so I didn't do that for Karen. I'm not eager to try to wrestle an 150+ pound animal that does not want to be touched. I did have some items I knit out of alpaca yarn for her to feel and I had some loose alpaca fiber (some of the 2nds from our animals sheering last spring). I can talk about alpaca facts and about how they behave. So while we did not catch one for her to feel first hand we did have a lot of other things to discuss. Victoria was being a stinker and kept eating all the food, so I had to bring Kateri out into the pasture for her feeding (which is how we usually do it but I was trying to hand feed them instead). Then Victoria kept trying to get Snowstorms food, so after Kateri was done eating I put Snowstorm in the pasture and fed him there. You could see Victoria's personality very well!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Visiting South Haven Alpacas
On our way to Chicago this past weekend we stopped in South Haven, the home of South Haven Alpacas where our 3 alpacas came from. We got to see Kateri's baby, Princess, and we saw Contessa who is Victoria's baby (they were both born in June). Both girls look awesome. They have dense fleece, lots of crimp. I'm excited to see how they do in shows this spring. Linda said that she has 7 that were born this past year that she will be showing in the spring. We saw her other babies and they look really awesome. J offered that we could help her in showing as there will be so many she can't be everywhere at once. She seemed excited we would do that. I'm looking forward to show time! It's not until early April though. Thankfully it's in Indiana so not a bad trip at all.
We also got to see Victoria's and Snowstorm's mom. I still chuckle about it because I think Snowstorm looks so much like her. They have the same fun smile. Snowstorm is my buddy, we roll our eyes at Fluffy and stand back when Kateri and Victoria get into their spitting matches. He's a great guardian of the girls, so we are glad we got him along with the 2 girls. We also saw Kateri's mom but I didn't see much family resemblence. For that matter, I don't think Victoria looks like Snowstorm or their mom, Hana. You never know what traits will be carried down.
We also got to see Victoria's and Snowstorm's mom. I still chuckle about it because I think Snowstorm looks so much like her. They have the same fun smile. Snowstorm is my buddy, we roll our eyes at Fluffy and stand back when Kateri and Victoria get into their spitting matches. He's a great guardian of the girls, so we are glad we got him along with the 2 girls. We also saw Kateri's mom but I didn't see much family resemblence. For that matter, I don't think Victoria looks like Snowstorm or their mom, Hana. You never know what traits will be carried down.
You might be an alpaca farmer.....
I saw this on an alpaca forum (yes, there are forums on the internet where alpaca people gather to chat about alpacas). Here's a link to that thread that lists many great ones http://www.alpacanation.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6074
I want to add that You Know You Are an Alpaca Farmer when:
* you spend time on an alpaca forum!!
* you're told that your husband is on the internet looking at girls and you aren't jealous, of course they are bred alpacas ;)
* you think of money in terms of how many alpacas that can buy. J recently changed his cell phone service, cut out that monthly bill so that we may be able to get another bred female
* you walk around with straw in your gloves and don't even notice.
I want to add that You Know You Are an Alpaca Farmer when:
* you spend time on an alpaca forum!!
* you're told that your husband is on the internet looking at girls and you aren't jealous, of course they are bred alpacas ;)
* you think of money in terms of how many alpacas that can buy. J recently changed his cell phone service, cut out that monthly bill so that we may be able to get another bred female
* you walk around with straw in your gloves and don't even notice.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Going on vacation
Going on vacation is more complicated when you have an alpaca farm. We went away this past weekend, Saturday to Sunday. We decided not to have someone come and feed the alpacas. Instead we fed them all their grain for the day in the morning on Saturday and again on Sunday evening (unfortunately I got back even later than I intended so it was rather late). My mother-in-law did check in on Fluffy and made sure the water buckets had water. I figure we will save asking someone to feed the alpacas to when we are gone for a longer stretch of time.
My in-laws said that after we fed the alpacas on Saturday morning they started running all over the pasture. I was told that horses will do this too, if they eat a lot of grain they get extra energy and will run around like crazy. They reported that the alpacas were running around and at times fighting (Victoria and Kateri have been known to get into spitting fights).
My father-in-law said on Saturday evening the alpacas all were gathered at the end of the pasture closest to my house. They were waiting for me to show up to feed them. I wonder how long they waited!
But all was well, they did fine. Though when I finally got there later on Sunday and went into the barn, Victoria stood with her butt towards me and would not look at me, as did Snowstorm. Kateri was the one who came up to the gate to greet me. Usually she is the most shy. She also is getting more use to being separated from the other two at feeding time. I think we may have finally gotten the right amount of food to the right alpaca.
My in-laws said that after we fed the alpacas on Saturday morning they started running all over the pasture. I was told that horses will do this too, if they eat a lot of grain they get extra energy and will run around like crazy. They reported that the alpacas were running around and at times fighting (Victoria and Kateri have been known to get into spitting fights).
My father-in-law said on Saturday evening the alpacas all were gathered at the end of the pasture closest to my house. They were waiting for me to show up to feed them. I wonder how long they waited!
But all was well, they did fine. Though when I finally got there later on Sunday and went into the barn, Victoria stood with her butt towards me and would not look at me, as did Snowstorm. Kateri was the one who came up to the gate to greet me. Usually she is the most shy. She also is getting more use to being separated from the other two at feeding time. I think we may have finally gotten the right amount of food to the right alpaca.
Attack cat
Our barn cat, Fluffy, is the first to greet me when I come into the barn. She is desperate for attention and circles my feet. I have stepped on her more than once. Last week one morning I didn't have a lot of time so I didn't pet Fluffy, I went straight to feeding the alpacas. While I was scooping out the feed, Fluffy jumped up into the hay and pounced on my back. She was determined to make sure I paid her some attention! She usually jumps on my legs and climbs anything she can to get up near my face. She is a very nice cat, loves to be held and petted. J says we need to get a friend for Fluffy so likely in the near future we will get another barn cat to keep her company.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Personality
The alpacas do have personality. As I have gotten to know our three, I have seen some personality emerge.
Victoria appears to be the leader of our group and is the most outgoing. She is the first to walk up to the gate when we come to the barn. She is the only one who has let people pet her. When they walk around the barn and pasture, Victoria is the first to go into the next place (like if they go from the barn to pasture, Victoria is the first to go through the gate).
Snowstorm has turned out to be a great guardian. If there is danger, it is Snowstorm who sounds the call. He sticks very close to Victoria (they do have the same mother which it seems like they know because they are close buddies). Snowstorm is bigger than the girls so he does create a presence of protection. Snowstorm has some fairly big teeth (J says they meet up right in his mouth and do not need to be trimmed yet - alpacas do need their teeth trimmed when their bite no longer matches up). These teeth make him look like he is always smiling. He seems like a happy alpaca (though who knows, maybe he's secretely making fun of me). He is stubborn so haltering him is difficult, especially given how big he is. But he is also very curious. When I am doing something in the pasture, Snowstorm will walk up behind me. As long as I ignore him, he will stay there, if I turn to acknowledge him, he backs off.
Kateri is the shy one. She also seems the most nervous. She's most likely to be humming, but to be standing behind the other two. She seems to get left out when the other two seem to be such buddies. I did once find Kateri laying down with Tiger (the kitten), but Kateri often jumps when Fluffy is around (Fluffy must be too active for Kateri's taste).
Their personalities are all fun in their own way. I enjoy having Victoria walk up to the gate to greet me, and to have Snowstorm watch everything I do, and I enjoy seeking out Kateri to make sure she doesn't get lost in the shuffle. I know what it's like to be the shy one in the back ;)
Victoria appears to be the leader of our group and is the most outgoing. She is the first to walk up to the gate when we come to the barn. She is the only one who has let people pet her. When they walk around the barn and pasture, Victoria is the first to go into the next place (like if they go from the barn to pasture, Victoria is the first to go through the gate).
Snowstorm has turned out to be a great guardian. If there is danger, it is Snowstorm who sounds the call. He sticks very close to Victoria (they do have the same mother which it seems like they know because they are close buddies). Snowstorm is bigger than the girls so he does create a presence of protection. Snowstorm has some fairly big teeth (J says they meet up right in his mouth and do not need to be trimmed yet - alpacas do need their teeth trimmed when their bite no longer matches up). These teeth make him look like he is always smiling. He seems like a happy alpaca (though who knows, maybe he's secretely making fun of me). He is stubborn so haltering him is difficult, especially given how big he is. But he is also very curious. When I am doing something in the pasture, Snowstorm will walk up behind me. As long as I ignore him, he will stay there, if I turn to acknowledge him, he backs off.
Kateri is the shy one. She also seems the most nervous. She's most likely to be humming, but to be standing behind the other two. She seems to get left out when the other two seem to be such buddies. I did once find Kateri laying down with Tiger (the kitten), but Kateri often jumps when Fluffy is around (Fluffy must be too active for Kateri's taste).
Their personalities are all fun in their own way. I enjoy having Victoria walk up to the gate to greet me, and to have Snowstorm watch everything I do, and I enjoy seeking out Kateri to make sure she doesn't get lost in the shuffle. I know what it's like to be the shy one in the back ;)
Typical Day
Now that we have had the alpacas here for a few weeks, I'll give an example of a typical day on the farm.
In the morning I walk down to the barn sometime between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. When I open the barn door, Fluffy jumps out at me (often greeting me with a loud "meewww"). Fluffy is very friendly and very affectionate and wants attention. If I don't pick her up she will be under foot the entire time and will climb up the stacked hay to jump on me. I have never met a cat like her :) but she is so much fun.
I greet the alpacas and then get their food together. We had been feeding them all in the barn, but Victoria has become the leader alpaca at our farm, and she was not letting Kateri eat. Snowstorm, being a gelded male, has a tendency to put on weight and does not need much grain, but was pushing his way into eating more. When we did a health check a couple weeks ago we monitored their weight. You can check their weight by feeling their back spine. It should feel like a triangle. If it buldges out too much they are getting too much grain. If it goes in to fast they are not getting enough grain. At our last check Victoria and Snowstorm were on the too heavy side. Kateri was on the too thin side. So to make sure Kateri is getting enough grain and Victoria and Snowstorm are getting less, I have had to separate them at meal time. They are pack animals so they do not like to be separated. I put the grain in the cups and I walk out into the field. Victoria usually follows first, then Snowstorm, then Kateri. I try to get to where I can be between them so that Kateri stays in the pasture but I heard Victoria and Snowstorm out. Some days it takes longer than others but eventually I get Victoria and Snowstorm out of the gate, close the gate and give Kateri her big bowl of food. She eats slowly so I am not that concerned about her choking (we did have an incident when Snowstorm was using that bowl that he choked but he wolfes down his food). I then put Victoria's food on one side of the barn in the cut in half PVC pipe and I put Snowstorms on the other side. I stand between these two and prevent Snowstorm from going over and eating Victoria's share. He tries to get past me but so far I haven't let him.
After the food is gone, I make sure their water buckets have some water and I'm done for the morning. In the middle here I am of course picking up and petting Fluffy as she follows me all over.
I go back to the barn between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. (Depending on what else I was doing that day). I greet Fluffy, give her attention (I usually have the kids with me in the evening so they give Fluffy lots of attention). Then I feed the alpacas, again separating Kateri and standing between Snowstorm and Victoria. I make sure the water buckets are full. Then I scoop some poop (usually about 1/4 of a wheelbarrow full).
On the weekends I do additional jobs like sweep the straw in the barn into the corners. And I dump out what water is in the water buckets, rinse them, and fill with fresh water.
None of this has been very time consuming. More often I am trying to come up with things to do so that I can stay down at the barn and watch them.
In the morning I walk down to the barn sometime between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. When I open the barn door, Fluffy jumps out at me (often greeting me with a loud "meewww"). Fluffy is very friendly and very affectionate and wants attention. If I don't pick her up she will be under foot the entire time and will climb up the stacked hay to jump on me. I have never met a cat like her :) but she is so much fun.
I greet the alpacas and then get their food together. We had been feeding them all in the barn, but Victoria has become the leader alpaca at our farm, and she was not letting Kateri eat. Snowstorm, being a gelded male, has a tendency to put on weight and does not need much grain, but was pushing his way into eating more. When we did a health check a couple weeks ago we monitored their weight. You can check their weight by feeling their back spine. It should feel like a triangle. If it buldges out too much they are getting too much grain. If it goes in to fast they are not getting enough grain. At our last check Victoria and Snowstorm were on the too heavy side. Kateri was on the too thin side. So to make sure Kateri is getting enough grain and Victoria and Snowstorm are getting less, I have had to separate them at meal time. They are pack animals so they do not like to be separated. I put the grain in the cups and I walk out into the field. Victoria usually follows first, then Snowstorm, then Kateri. I try to get to where I can be between them so that Kateri stays in the pasture but I heard Victoria and Snowstorm out. Some days it takes longer than others but eventually I get Victoria and Snowstorm out of the gate, close the gate and give Kateri her big bowl of food. She eats slowly so I am not that concerned about her choking (we did have an incident when Snowstorm was using that bowl that he choked but he wolfes down his food). I then put Victoria's food on one side of the barn in the cut in half PVC pipe and I put Snowstorms on the other side. I stand between these two and prevent Snowstorm from going over and eating Victoria's share. He tries to get past me but so far I haven't let him.
After the food is gone, I make sure their water buckets have some water and I'm done for the morning. In the middle here I am of course picking up and petting Fluffy as she follows me all over.
I go back to the barn between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. (Depending on what else I was doing that day). I greet Fluffy, give her attention (I usually have the kids with me in the evening so they give Fluffy lots of attention). Then I feed the alpacas, again separating Kateri and standing between Snowstorm and Victoria. I make sure the water buckets are full. Then I scoop some poop (usually about 1/4 of a wheelbarrow full).
On the weekends I do additional jobs like sweep the straw in the barn into the corners. And I dump out what water is in the water buckets, rinse them, and fill with fresh water.
None of this has been very time consuming. More often I am trying to come up with things to do so that I can stay down at the barn and watch them.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
more pictures of alpacas
I uploaded a few more pictures of the alpacas in our barn. The kids are feeding them out of their hands.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
pictures
Meet our alpacas! This picture was taken from inside our barn since it was raining outside. Snowstorm is a 2 year old gelded male, he's white. Victoria is in the middle of the other 2, she is a 3 year old female. And Kateri is on the end, a 3 year old female.
The kids, Zack and Emma, with the alpacas:
I have more pictures but that's all the time I have to post any today. I'm get some more up this week.
The kids, Zack and Emma, with the alpacas:
I have more pictures but that's all the time I have to post any today. I'm get some more up this week.
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