kicking

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.