Rain rain go away!

The rain has been incessant and horrible this afternoon.  We were unable to get to any of the shelter building or fence finishing or anything.  Ahhh!

I took Cadbury and Chupa out to the pasture before the rain hit.  Chupa has decided I'm okay and allows me to rub her neck and scratch behind her ears - so long as I don't make an sudden scary movements.  Cadbury has decided my very special "camelid cookies" that I made for her are quite edible and tasty.  Yesterday she turned her nose up at them.  Getting them out to the pasture was a lesson in patience.  I just had to be persuasive and persistent and they eventually made the trek.

Once we got to the field, Chupa ran around and Cadbury filled her belly, or at least one of them, with fresh rye grass.  They were happy.  For about an hour.  Then the rain hit.  It hit hard.  I kept hoping it would stop but it didn't.  I know they can handle rain, but they had no place to get out of it and I felt bad.  I put on my rubber boots and my rain slicker and headed out to get them.  They were uncooperative.  Chupa, in fact, was impossible to round up.  I chased and cajoled and begged but she would have none of it.  I finally decided to lead Cadbury and hope that Chupa would follow.  That worked swell until I decided to go through the woods to get back.  Cadbury decided that was entirely unacceptable. No way was she going that way.  By that time I was soaked clear through and gave in.  We back-tracked, slogged through the mud puddles and under the clothes line and eventually made it back to their covered sheltered.


Here is an Alpaca lesson  (because I like to share what I learn)

• When Alpacas sit down on the ground it's called "kush"    as in:  The Alpaca is in a kush position.
• A baby Alpaca is called a cria.  Pronounced "cree-ah"

As if we don't have enough to keep us busy, I got Peter an early anniversary present.  A couple years ago He had a goose and a gander.  The goose was killed by a neighborhood dog and the poor gander has been mateless.  The gander has been making a pest of himself with the ducks.. and the drakes.. in ways we won't talk about in THIS forum!  So - I found a couple of girls for our gander. He needs to wait til they grow up but I think they will make fine brides for him.

The gander doesn't have a name.  He's just Goose - which isn't particularly accurate but it works.  I wonder if we should name these.  I like to name our animals.

Happy Birthday!

On a non-alpaca note - yesterday was my daughter's 19th birthday.  Happy Birthday dear daughter!

On an alpaca note - today Chupa is one month old.  Mark sent me pictures of newborn Chupa.  Also in the picture is Cadbury on the left, and Chupa's dad on the right.

Bringing our Alpaca girls home was postponed by a day.  The fencing just took longer than we expected.  Peter's patient load increased and he was gone for large chunks of the day and there is just so much I can do on my own  (like almost nothing!).

The good news is we finally got them home last night. Here is Cadbury peering out of the trailer telling us to get a move on.  Our departure from her previous home was postponed because a slightly rattled gentleman headed up the narrow driveway, saw us preparing to head down, started backing back down and went off the road into a small creek.  He managed to get his car thoroughly stuck AND block our exit.  We, okay, PETER, helped him get his car unstuck and back on the road while I stood around looking like ornamental fluff.

Once we got them home getting them out to the pasture was quite challenging.  Chupa was not used to a halter.  In fact before yesterday she had never worn one.  She resisted being led anywhere.  Cadbury saw a very unhappy offspring and dug her heals in and refused to go anywhere.  It seems, much like mules or donkeys, when Alpacas don't wanna go - you're not going to make them.  Eventually Peter just picked Chupa up and carried her.  Cadbury wasn't about to let her baby be taken away so she immediately decided she would get moving.  Once we finally got them out to the field, Chupa explored her new surroundings.

Today we finish securing the fence, and attempt to build a proper shelter for them.  Last night Dash was evicted from his kennel and the girls spent the night in that.  They were okay but they need their own shelter in their own pasture.

Alpaca Update

Tomorrow!!

Tomorrow is the big day. I get to bring Cadbury and Chupa home.  I know I said we could back out of the deal but I don't think either of us could have.  Not really.  We had quickly fallen for these animals.  In fact, on the way home on Friday Peter said, "she's such a beautiful little thing.."  at least 4 times.  I think he was sold on them before I was!

We've been working hard around here getting ready for their arrival.  Of course, it's not ever as easy as it sounds.  The pasture where we want to put them needed trees cut back and blackberries removed.  Peter had to go to the office and actually work.  It's been raining nearly non-stop.

We're still not done with the fencing but the weather is supposed to get better, Peter doesn't work tomorrow and we should manage to be mostly ready by the afternoon. I did get to visit them again a couple days ago.  We just happened to be near their current home on Sunday and I just happened to have an apple in the car.  We stopped by to see them.  Cadbury ate most of the apple while eyeing me suspiciously, Chupa smelled the apple and apparently decided it wasn't as good as momma's milk.  While we were there Chupa became fascinated by the farm cat and then quickly got distracted by the chickens and went running after them.  She is all legs and such a baby.  Her antics are very entertaining.  


I should mention while we were shopping for fencing material Peter insisted on getting fencing material that would be suitable for Alpacas AND goats because, he says, since I can't make up my mind he's convinced we'll end up with both eventually anyway and we might as well be prepared.  He's probably right.

Cadbury and Chupa

Meet Chupa:

She was born May 22nd.  She and her mom, Cadbury are ours - probably.  We still need to get fencing and shelter created for them.

There is still a small window where we can come to our senses and cancel the deal we're making with their current keeper.  They are Huacaya (pronounced Wa-Ky-Ah) Alpaca.  Huacaya fiber is thick and bouncy and spins like a dream.  Of course, I'll only be able to spin and knit chocolate brown wool from now on - but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

Cadbury (as in chocolate) came to her current owner, Mark, as a rescue.  He saw her through her pregnancy and birth but is now ready to pass her and her cria on to a loving home.  What a coincidence!  I just happen to have one of those!

We went to meet them yesterday.  We were told Cadbury is not pet-quality.  That means she is leery of humans - but is, fortunately, food-driven.  She will come to a human if you have food.  I can relate to that.  She is apparently much friendlier than she was when first rescued and I have full confidence I can break through her guard and get her to trust me.  I just happen to have an apple tree and apparently, she loves apples.  How fortunate is that?

Chupa is a totally different story.  Chupa bounces and runs and leaps and hops and explores.  She is a bundle of energy and you just can't help but smile when you watch her.  When I first met her, I sat down on the ground and she approached me cautiously.  She smelled my face.  She smelled my hair.  It tickled.  I laughed and frightened her into bounding off.  It wasn't long before she came back again and repeated the process.  This time I stifled my giggles and she stayed awhile longer, after a complete investigation she got distracted by something and wandered away.  She is definately pet quality and I expect she and I will become best friends. 

Mark showed us the corral - which they just happened to share with.. (drum roll please).. goats.  Yes - apparently goats and alpacas can live happily together.  hmm... this opens up a whole new world of possibilities!