The nice thing about winter is there isn't much to do for the farm. Hubster has fed animals alot lately. I keep coming home from work after dark and they are magically already fed! This afternoon I cleaned paddocks and the 'pacas were all over themselves to get out of my way. What short memories they have! They were saying "Who is that? What is she doing here? Why is she going in the shed? Why is she getting in our feed bucket? Why is she.. oh yeah, she lives here and feeds us occasionally."

Thought I would show you a little about them. Don't let their innocent faces fool you. They can hurl spit in the blink of an eye!
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This is Almond Joy. We purchased her from a farm that named all their animals after candy bars. She had her first cria on their farm. Her second cria was stillborn. Her third cria is our Ebony (no candy bar names). Joy is usually a sweetheart. Let's us stroke her back. Takes lots of treats. We can even trim her nails easily. But...if she is PREGNANT OR TRYING TO GET PREGNANT, watch out. She spits, stomps, jumps, kicks or runs in an effort not to do what we want her to do. Nothing sweetheart about her when she is pregnant. But how can you not love those great big dark eyes!
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This is Ebony. Don't you just love her shy, sweet face? Her mama is Joy and they are usually together in the paddock. She was born in October of 2008. Even though Ebony is pretty close to being an adult, her mama got very upset with us when we took her out of the paddock last month to go to a show.
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This is Amanda. This picture doesn't really show her best side. (I'm still trying to figure out this new camera). She is our equivilant to a stud. She gets pregnant with little fuss. Struts her stuff with little fuss. And has had GIRLS! We bought her from a ranch in Laramie Wyo. We had a couple fun vacations picking her up and taking her back to be bred. Her official name is Via Caligula's Amanda. Named for her grand sire. She used to spit at me when I didn't give her treats fast enough, but now when I think she's in the spitting mood I put my hand up toward her face in a STOP sign and she settles down and just gives me dirty looks.
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This is Sophia. She was the first cria born on our ranch. We were such proud 'paca parents. She has beautiful white fleece. She won a couple ribbons as a yearling. We arranged a boyfriend for her in Wakefield, Ks. A handsome brown alpaca name Steiner. The product of this will be so much fun to see! She gave us a scare last summer when she was at another farm being bred. She had a bowel obstruction and had to have emergency surgery. Fortunately her caregivers were right on top of it and saved the pregnancy! She has been a little testy during her first pregnancy. Her paddock sorority kinda gives her a wide margin because she will kick anything that gets within her "space". But how can you not love someone during their first pregnancy?
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This is Caeser or Ceaser or Cesar or Cease her or Sees her. We were told that was his name. We call him Uncle Cesar. He is a gelding (you know what a gelding is Right? Wink Wink.)He is kinda in charge. When all the girls are in the field he sits and watches them. When he thinks it's time for them to come back in the shed he gets up and walks toward the shed and they follow him. If it's time to go to the field he gets up and goes and they follow him. He is the one that gets on the weanlings when they try to nurse. We purchsed him when Joy was pregnant and would be in the paddock alone. (Not good for a female alpaca. They can get so anxious they will lose their pregnancy.) We love Uncle Cesar for doing his job.
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We have eleven alpacas. They all are special in their own way. Just gotta' love 'em!
...farm living is the life for me. Sanetha.