Although my last day of Pacasitting was yesterday, I didn't get this written until this morning.
If you read the first paragraph of the previous 3 days of Pacasitting, you can fill in the blanks. I arrived at 7AM,__ __ __ __ __ __ __. In other words, no babies.
The weather went from cloudy to sunny to overcast to sunny to cloudy. The best part...no rain! The ground is drying up really well with only a few mud puddles left. The Alpacas were laying all around the fields, truly enjoying the nicer weather. I really enjoyed spending hours sitting in the fields, hanging out and observing them. Or, were they observing me? Gabby and Michelle are so funny to watch. They are buddies and play alot. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw Gabby rear up and chest butt Michelle. Kids! In the nursery, I caught Indy (born January 2007) trying to nurse from Priscilla. I scolded her and she stopped. I told Rick about it, so she may end up getting moved in to the maiden field. I didn't try to move her thinking maybe she won't do it again. Unlike Zsa Zsa, who was relentless at trying to nurse.
After Philip left, I noticed there wasn't much hay in the middle and north fields. Pati had told me if I needed to put hay in the fields to use the rolling cart and take it a few flakes at a time. The bales are pretty bulky and heavy. I know the secret to putting a bale on the golf cart is leverage. I've watched Rick many, many times. I figured I could do it! After all, someday I'm going to have to put hay out in my own fields, so I better get used to do. First things first. Before I can drive the golf cart in to the field, I have to move the Alpacas. I started with the maidens in center field. I picked up an armful of hay in their feeder and walked into the alley with it. Yep, they all followed. I closed the gate and they were fine munching on, what they thought, was new hay. I pulled the golf cart out of the garage and headed for the barn. At one point, I got stuck in a mud puddle on the way down. It's not too difficult to push a golf cart out of a mud hole :) On to the hay. I'm standing in front of a tower of hay bales, hook in hand. It really wasn't too hard to position the bale and drop it on to the back of the golf cart, then push up the bale with my body and secure it to the cart with straps. Off to center field. I got the bale off the cart and in to the feeder with the help of the hook. Done! I drove the golf cart out of the field, then went back in and opened the gate for the girls. Doing the north field was a little more of a challenge. More Alpacas and Llamas to deal with. But, I was able to move everyone where I wanted them to be and get hay in the north and northeast field. I was pretty proud of myself.
I hung out with the boys for quite awhile. Because of the rains, weeds were popping up again. They love the weeds with the yellow flowers. I picked a bunch and treated all the boys. I took a bunch in the field with the little boys and they all ate from my hand, even Patron! I wanted to take Felix for a walk, but Patron has become quite attached to him. I didn't want him to freak out if Felix left. So, I walked Alpha with his new halter. Yep, he has a brown halter with his name in yellow across the bridge of the nose. It fits perfect. Maybe next weekend I can put a halter on Patron and walk him and Felix. After our walk, I let the boys out in the alley and the playground for a few hours. Kona and Apollo got to join them again today. They all had a great time running around and being boys.
Throughout the day, I kept checking on north field just in case someone decided to have a baby.
Nope.
Rick called around 1PM and said he was on the road back from Utah. Pati was at the airport trying to get on an earlier flight home. I talked to her last night and she was able to get on an earlier flight from Salt Lake, but got stuck in Las Vegas, so still didn't make it to Ontario until 9PM. Rick should make it home today.
It got cool and overcast around 3:30, so I went ahead and did treats early. Everyday, I made sure Prissy had her special treats in the nursery. I left about 4PM.
I had a great time Pacasitting. I would have liked it even more if Summer had cooperated and had her baby. But, it wasn't meant to be. That's O.K. I had 4 days of experiences that will serve me well in the future. A big THANK YOU to Rick & Pati for trusting me to take care of the herd.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Pacasitting Day 3
It's Saturday. Considering I go to the ranch on Saturdays and I've witnessed several births, I figured today was Summer's day to deliver. I was up and out of my house at 6AM because Summer has a habit of delivering at 6:45AM. I made it to the ranch by 6:40. I jumped out of the car, camera and cell phone in hand, and headed for the north field. Summer was standing in the north east field and looked very uncomfortable. At times, it appears she was having contractions. There was alot of movement going on in her belly. She was not chewing her cud.
The first thing I did was close 2 gates, confining her to one field. Magdelena, Emma and Obama were in there with her. I sat on the wet ground to hang out with her for awhile. 30 minutes later, nothing.....30 more minutes, nothing. I decided to go check on all the other fields and come back. Maybe she needed some time alone. Long story short....no baby today.
Although it was cloudy, there was some blue sky and a little sun. After yesterday, it was a beautiful day to me (and I'm sure to the Alpacas). No rain today, yeah! This afternoon, the sun actually was out enough for me to take off my jacket.
Yep, the girls had a poop party in the shed. I got it cleaned up and Philip carried it away for me. Philip takes care of the fields; scooping poop, filling water buckets, replenishing hay and whatever else needs to be done. Then, it was time to capture two little girls and take off their coats. Gabby is like greased lightning. So, again, I cheated. I waited until she was nursing. It sure is easier when you have the coat to grab ahold of. Next, Michelle. I had to cheat with her too. I was really amazed that both coats were in tact. I figured Meg Ryan would have gotten them off overnight.
Yesterday, I caught Zsa Zsa (born November 2006) nursing on Priscilla (Gabby's mom). I asked Rick if he wanted me to move her to the center field. That could be easier said than done. Because of the weather, yesterday was not a good time to try. Today, yes! It took a little dividing of Alpacas to close gates and lessen the number I had to deal with. It ended up being Zsa Zsa, Meg Ryan (of course) and Dip 'N Dot (without her mom, Peach) in the alley outside center field. Of course, by this time, all the Alpacas are at the gate that I want to open and let Dip 'N Dot through to be with her mom. I was able to keep them back so she could get through. Meg Ryan was not cooperative. I finally gave up and tried to "arm herd" Zsa Zsa in to the middle field. It worked! Then, Meg followed me out, I opened all the appropriate gates and life is good.
I made it a point to check on the preggos every 30 minutes. I also pruned a pepper tree so the boys could have treats. I didn't realize how many branches I cut, from a tree all the way on the other end of the 5 acre property. More than I could carry in one trip. Light bulb! I got the golf cart, filled up the back basket with tree branches and drove down to Boys Town. All the boys got tree branches and really seemed to enjoy them. I let the litle boys out of their field where they could run in the alley and in the empty field (their playground). Apollo and Kona are little guys,but they live in a field with Show Me The Money. I let them out, too. All the little boys were having a great time, except for Patron. He is the smallest. He spent the whole time glued to Felix. I think Felix has become his big brother. Alpha, Kona and Apollo were being "boys"; neck wrestling, biting ankles, and chasing each other around. Apollo likes to spit :(
(sort of a wet air spit). DJ and Luther had a great time munching on branches and running around. They spent several hours playing. When it was time to put them back in the fields, they all went without a problem. Tomorrow we'll take walks.
The sun hid behind the clouds this afternoon at about 3:30. Because it was cloudy and cool, I thought it would be O.K. to give everyone treats early. While giving treats in the north field, I had a chance to check under the tails of the preggos. Didn't look any different than first thing this morning. After treats, I checked all the gates, locked up the house and headed for home. t
The road wasn't as bad this morning, driving in, although still puddles and mud. This afternoon was even better. Still muddy in spots, but not bad at all.
Pati flies home tomorrow afternoon. I will be at the ranch bright and early in case Summer wants to surprise her with a cria. I talked to Rick this afternoon. Paris Hilton won 4th place in her class. Wow, that is so cool! Tomorrow, Majik and Sonny will be in the ring!
The first thing I did was close 2 gates, confining her to one field. Magdelena, Emma and Obama were in there with her. I sat on the wet ground to hang out with her for awhile. 30 minutes later, nothing.....30 more minutes, nothing. I decided to go check on all the other fields and come back. Maybe she needed some time alone. Long story short....no baby today.
Although it was cloudy, there was some blue sky and a little sun. After yesterday, it was a beautiful day to me (and I'm sure to the Alpacas). No rain today, yeah! This afternoon, the sun actually was out enough for me to take off my jacket.
Yep, the girls had a poop party in the shed. I got it cleaned up and Philip carried it away for me. Philip takes care of the fields; scooping poop, filling water buckets, replenishing hay and whatever else needs to be done. Then, it was time to capture two little girls and take off their coats. Gabby is like greased lightning. So, again, I cheated. I waited until she was nursing. It sure is easier when you have the coat to grab ahold of. Next, Michelle. I had to cheat with her too. I was really amazed that both coats were in tact. I figured Meg Ryan would have gotten them off overnight.
Yesterday, I caught Zsa Zsa (born November 2006) nursing on Priscilla (Gabby's mom). I asked Rick if he wanted me to move her to the center field. That could be easier said than done. Because of the weather, yesterday was not a good time to try. Today, yes! It took a little dividing of Alpacas to close gates and lessen the number I had to deal with. It ended up being Zsa Zsa, Meg Ryan (of course) and Dip 'N Dot (without her mom, Peach) in the alley outside center field. Of course, by this time, all the Alpacas are at the gate that I want to open and let Dip 'N Dot through to be with her mom. I was able to keep them back so she could get through. Meg Ryan was not cooperative. I finally gave up and tried to "arm herd" Zsa Zsa in to the middle field. It worked! Then, Meg followed me out, I opened all the appropriate gates and life is good.
I made it a point to check on the preggos every 30 minutes. I also pruned a pepper tree so the boys could have treats. I didn't realize how many branches I cut, from a tree all the way on the other end of the 5 acre property. More than I could carry in one trip. Light bulb! I got the golf cart, filled up the back basket with tree branches and drove down to Boys Town. All the boys got tree branches and really seemed to enjoy them. I let the litle boys out of their field where they could run in the alley and in the empty field (their playground). Apollo and Kona are little guys,but they live in a field with Show Me The Money. I let them out, too. All the little boys were having a great time, except for Patron. He is the smallest. He spent the whole time glued to Felix. I think Felix has become his big brother. Alpha, Kona and Apollo were being "boys"; neck wrestling, biting ankles, and chasing each other around. Apollo likes to spit :(
(sort of a wet air spit). DJ and Luther had a great time munching on branches and running around. They spent several hours playing. When it was time to put them back in the fields, they all went without a problem. Tomorrow we'll take walks.
The sun hid behind the clouds this afternoon at about 3:30. Because it was cloudy and cool, I thought it would be O.K. to give everyone treats early. While giving treats in the north field, I had a chance to check under the tails of the preggos. Didn't look any different than first thing this morning. After treats, I checked all the gates, locked up the house and headed for home. t
The road wasn't as bad this morning, driving in, although still puddles and mud. This afternoon was even better. Still muddy in spots, but not bad at all.
Pati flies home tomorrow afternoon. I will be at the ranch bright and early in case Summer wants to surprise her with a cria. I talked to Rick this afternoon. Paris Hilton won 4th place in her class. Wow, that is so cool! Tomorrow, Majik and Sonny will be in the ring!
Friday, May 23, 2008
PacaSitting Day 2
Just in case Summer decided to deliver this morning, I was at the ranch at 7:15AM. The first thing I did was go in the north field and check on everyone. The only one that looked ready to deliver was Nala. I really thought today was her day by the looks of her back end. While I was in the field, Rick called. I told him about Nala and he said she's been that way for 2 months. Whew. She's really not due for another month. Summer, Gwen and Toni didn't look like they planned to do anything today. I can't say I blame them. The weather was yukky. It didn't started raining until this afternoon. The morning was cold and windy. After checking on the "baby watch" girls, I headed down to Boy's Town to check on them. They didn't seem too happy about the weather, but were doing well. The weather is way too bad to walk anyone. I did spend time with the little boys, who seemed to enjoy the attention.
As the day progressed, the weather got worse. Colder, rain, wind. I decided to try to put cria coats on Michelle and Gabby (born May 11 and 12), just in case the weather stayed bad, or got worse, after I left. Catching crias in the mud is a challenge. I FINALLY got ahold of Gabby (I cheated...I waited until she was nursing) and did what Pati showed me to do. Put it around their neck and attach the velcro first. Then, you've got something to hold on to (the coat) to finish the velcro under their belly. No sooner did I get the coat on her than Meg Ryan came over and starting pulling at it. Before long, she had the belly velcro undone. So, here's little Gabby, walking around the nursery with a cria coat hanging from her neck! Great! At least catching her was easier because I had the coat to grab. I got her all fixed up, then went for Michelle. She was a master at weaving in and out of the adults to evade my capture. After playing slip and slide in the mud, I finally got her. She was so funny. Once I got the coat on her, she kept trying to walk backwards, as if to back out of it. They both acted weird for awhile, but seemed to get used to their new outfits. The adults were sure curious as to what these little girls were wearing.
Because of the weather, I spent more time in the house with the kitties than outside with the Alpacas. I did take a walk to the north field every 30 minutes to check on the late preggos. I noticed that several of the girls from the main field were standing in the shed to be out of the rain. Granted, they have the shelters over their feeders, but the rain was blowing sideways.
There is a section of the shed that is used for vet checks, with a door that closes. I went ahead and opened the door to give them more room in a sheltered area. I know they'll have a poop party in the shed tonight, but that's O.K. I'll clean it out in the morning.
I was worried about Aria. I noticed she wasn't chewing her cud, was nowhere near Manda Smith (her best buddy), and was shivering. She's one of the older girls, so I was concerned. I called Rick and asked him what to do. He said to do the "bucket test". Grab the blue bucket, put treats in it, and walk in to her field and see what she does. WELL, I wasn't even in the gate of her field before she, and all the others, were running to the fence. She was in my face, spitting at Manda Smith and eating treats. Great test, Rick! I guess she's fine. Maybe she just had the morning blahs. After treats, she spent the rest of the day cushed next to Manda. Cool.
Rick said it was O.K. to give everyone treats, so I did. I'm glad I did because later in the day it was raining and they don't get treats in the rain.
I left a little earlier today, around 4:15PM. I was concerned that I may not be able to drive out if I waited much longer. The dirt road was not too bad going in this morning, but was real slippery going out. I skidded a few times, but remembered you steer into the skid, so I was fine. I drove R E A L S L O W.
I hope the weather gets better tomorrow. I want to hang out in the fields with the Alpacas and take the boys for walks. It's not fun watching the Alpacas through the living room or sun room windows. I want to be with them :)
As the day progressed, the weather got worse. Colder, rain, wind. I decided to try to put cria coats on Michelle and Gabby (born May 11 and 12), just in case the weather stayed bad, or got worse, after I left. Catching crias in the mud is a challenge. I FINALLY got ahold of Gabby (I cheated...I waited until she was nursing) and did what Pati showed me to do. Put it around their neck and attach the velcro first. Then, you've got something to hold on to (the coat) to finish the velcro under their belly. No sooner did I get the coat on her than Meg Ryan came over and starting pulling at it. Before long, she had the belly velcro undone. So, here's little Gabby, walking around the nursery with a cria coat hanging from her neck! Great! At least catching her was easier because I had the coat to grab. I got her all fixed up, then went for Michelle. She was a master at weaving in and out of the adults to evade my capture. After playing slip and slide in the mud, I finally got her. She was so funny. Once I got the coat on her, she kept trying to walk backwards, as if to back out of it. They both acted weird for awhile, but seemed to get used to their new outfits. The adults were sure curious as to what these little girls were wearing.
Because of the weather, I spent more time in the house with the kitties than outside with the Alpacas. I did take a walk to the north field every 30 minutes to check on the late preggos. I noticed that several of the girls from the main field were standing in the shed to be out of the rain. Granted, they have the shelters over their feeders, but the rain was blowing sideways.
There is a section of the shed that is used for vet checks, with a door that closes. I went ahead and opened the door to give them more room in a sheltered area. I know they'll have a poop party in the shed tonight, but that's O.K. I'll clean it out in the morning.
I was worried about Aria. I noticed she wasn't chewing her cud, was nowhere near Manda Smith (her best buddy), and was shivering. She's one of the older girls, so I was concerned. I called Rick and asked him what to do. He said to do the "bucket test". Grab the blue bucket, put treats in it, and walk in to her field and see what she does. WELL, I wasn't even in the gate of her field before she, and all the others, were running to the fence. She was in my face, spitting at Manda Smith and eating treats. Great test, Rick! I guess she's fine. Maybe she just had the morning blahs. After treats, she spent the rest of the day cushed next to Manda. Cool.
Rick said it was O.K. to give everyone treats, so I did. I'm glad I did because later in the day it was raining and they don't get treats in the rain.
I left a little earlier today, around 4:15PM. I was concerned that I may not be able to drive out if I waited much longer. The dirt road was not too bad going in this morning, but was real slippery going out. I skidded a few times, but remembered you steer into the skid, so I was fine. I drove R E A L S L O W.
I hope the weather gets better tomorrow. I want to hang out in the fields with the Alpacas and take the boys for walks. It's not fun watching the Alpacas through the living room or sun room windows. I want to be with them :)
Thursday, May 22, 2008
PacaSitting, Day 1
I headed down to the ranch at around 11:30AM. Normally, it would take me about 35 minutes. Today, we had "weather". Rain, hail, funnel clouds, strong winds, even tornadoes. Bumper to bumper traffic, due to 2 bad accidents, made my trip somewhat longer. I did get there before Pati left for the airport. Pati said there had been hail, rain and high winds there, too. I was a little concerned, driving in on the dirt road, I may not be able to get through. No problem. I have a really muddy HUMMER right now, but no worse for wear. I did play a little slip and slide, but not bad.
By the time I arrived, it wasn't raining and the wind had calmed down. Pati put out cria coats "just in case". She said she believes Summer will deliver on my watch. After Pati left, I spent some time in the north field, trying to identify Summer, Gwen and Toni. I have such a hard time with the whites. I think I know who's who. Maybe not. Well, I do know Summer is the next one due to deliver. Pati said she always delivers at 6:45AM. Ummmm, I don't know if I'll witness the birth at that time. If not, I'll be there very soon after.
I walked through all the fields to make sure everyone was O.K. The newest little girl (Priscilla's cria) has a name now, Gabrielle (Gabby). She was having a blast with Michelle, running all around the field and biting at each other's ankles. Most of the others hung out in the nursery most of the afternoon. I cut some branches from the pepper trees to take to the boys. They all got a treat. So did I. Felix, DJ, Alpha and Luther will eat tree branches from my hand. I was so excited. Patron doesn't seem to care for the leaves. I wonder if they miss their buddies; Sonny, Majik and Tonto? They are in Utah at the Nationals :) Alpha has more spots! Every week, there are more little silver spots on his hips and back. I have no idea what is going on. Crazy.
It started getting pretty cold and windy outside. The Alpacas didn't seem to mind, but I did. So, I hung out in the house with the kitties and watched TV for awhile. Of course, every 15 minutes, I had to check the north field "just in case" someone decided to have a baby in the afternoon. Nope.
At around 5PM, I headed down to the shed for treat time. When I first walked outside, all the Alpacas were cushed around the fields, just "chillin". Once they saw me, they all came running to the fence. Yep, treat time. Main field (1 bucket), middle field (1/2 bucket) and north field (1 bucket). Even though Prissy was in the main field, I sprinkled some treats in her favorite spot in the nursery, just in case she finds her way up there after I leave.
I did a final walk through all the fields, checking gates to make sure they were secure, closed the barn door and locked up the house. I said good-bye to the boys and headed for home.
It rained on and off on the way home. At one point, it was raining so hard my windshield wipers couldn't go fast enough. Then it stopped. As soon as I got home, I turned on the news. I just missed a tornado that touched down at the Ontario Ave. offramp of the 15 freeway, not 10 minutes after I'd been right there. Apparently, it caused several accidents. Whew! I can't get in an accident....I'm Pacasitting!
I'll be up bright and early tomorrow morning to head on down to the ranch. I'm hoping the weather will be better tomorrow. Sounds like we may get some rain, but not as much. I hope it clears up so I can hang out in the fields with my best friends. I love to sit in the fields and watch them. I'd also like to walk Felix, Alpha and DJ. Maybe Patron would like to try on a halter. Oh, speaking of halters....Alpha now has one with his name on it. He and Felix are "stylin".
By the time I arrived, it wasn't raining and the wind had calmed down. Pati put out cria coats "just in case". She said she believes Summer will deliver on my watch. After Pati left, I spent some time in the north field, trying to identify Summer, Gwen and Toni. I have such a hard time with the whites. I think I know who's who. Maybe not. Well, I do know Summer is the next one due to deliver. Pati said she always delivers at 6:45AM. Ummmm, I don't know if I'll witness the birth at that time. If not, I'll be there very soon after.
I walked through all the fields to make sure everyone was O.K. The newest little girl (Priscilla's cria) has a name now, Gabrielle (Gabby). She was having a blast with Michelle, running all around the field and biting at each other's ankles. Most of the others hung out in the nursery most of the afternoon. I cut some branches from the pepper trees to take to the boys. They all got a treat. So did I. Felix, DJ, Alpha and Luther will eat tree branches from my hand. I was so excited. Patron doesn't seem to care for the leaves. I wonder if they miss their buddies; Sonny, Majik and Tonto? They are in Utah at the Nationals :) Alpha has more spots! Every week, there are more little silver spots on his hips and back. I have no idea what is going on. Crazy.
It started getting pretty cold and windy outside. The Alpacas didn't seem to mind, but I did. So, I hung out in the house with the kitties and watched TV for awhile. Of course, every 15 minutes, I had to check the north field "just in case" someone decided to have a baby in the afternoon. Nope.
At around 5PM, I headed down to the shed for treat time. When I first walked outside, all the Alpacas were cushed around the fields, just "chillin". Once they saw me, they all came running to the fence. Yep, treat time. Main field (1 bucket), middle field (1/2 bucket) and north field (1 bucket). Even though Prissy was in the main field, I sprinkled some treats in her favorite spot in the nursery, just in case she finds her way up there after I leave.
I did a final walk through all the fields, checking gates to make sure they were secure, closed the barn door and locked up the house. I said good-bye to the boys and headed for home.
It rained on and off on the way home. At one point, it was raining so hard my windshield wipers couldn't go fast enough. Then it stopped. As soon as I got home, I turned on the news. I just missed a tornado that touched down at the Ontario Ave. offramp of the 15 freeway, not 10 minutes after I'd been right there. Apparently, it caused several accidents. Whew! I can't get in an accident....I'm Pacasitting!
I'll be up bright and early tomorrow morning to head on down to the ranch. I'm hoping the weather will be better tomorrow. Sounds like we may get some rain, but not as much. I hope it clears up so I can hang out in the fields with my best friends. I love to sit in the fields and watch them. I'd also like to walk Felix, Alpha and DJ. Maybe Patron would like to try on a halter. Oh, speaking of halters....Alpha now has one with his name on it. He and Felix are "stylin".
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Two Months of "Catch Up"
Wow, it's hard to believe it's been 2 months since I've written. It's not because I haven't been going to the ranch (because I have), nor is it because nothing exciting has happened (because things have). I've just been a nut case with work and haven't been able to sit down quietly and collect my thoughts.
After 2 months, where do I start? I still go to the ranch every Saturday and help with breeding, spit testing, walking the boys and anything else I can do. Marquita had a darling little boy in March. They, recently, went to a new home in San Diego. Her little boy's nickname is "Spot" because he is a light fawn yet covered with spots. He took a real liking to Lillith the Llama. They would neck wrestle and he would follow her around, and even nurse from her. Rick said if a cria sucks long enough, milk will appear. How crazy is that? More about Llamas and crias later...
Emma also had a darling little black boy in April, followed by Smokey surprising us with a perfect little black girl last Saturday. Not to be outdone, Priscilla waited to deliver her, cutie pie, medium fawn little girl on Mother's Day. It was pretty funny at the ranch last Saturday. Rick and Pati had moved Priscilla in to a field with only 2 other Alpacas. There was every indication she was going to deliver that day. All of us kept walking around the house to look in the field to see if it was time for the blessed event. Pati left and Rick and I continued the vigil. While standing there, watching Priscilla, Rick glanced over into the next field and saw a new cria rolling in the hay. Smokey had popped out her baby, with no fanfare. She was so quick, Lillith hadn't even noticed yet. A perfect little girl, 21 pounds, jet black and healthy. Priscilla also delivered a 21 pound perfect little girl the next day. If you don't read Rick's updates, he said that when the nose and toes were showing, Priscilla started spinning around like a cat and spitting at the cria hanging out her back end. Rick was concerned she may not be a good mom, but nope, she's a great mom.
Mid April was shearing time again. This year was a fiasco as Ken, the shearer, was having problems with his equipment. That delayed the job getting done in 2 consecutive days. The first day, he did about 40 Alpacas, then could only do about 4 the following day. He couldn't finish the job until the following week. Diane bagged and tagged the fiber, I helped with herding, some holding, and walking boys back and forth from Boy's Town. Rick blew out his knee so wasn't able to hold the animals. A friend of theirs, Dave from Raisin Bred Alpacas, did most of the holding of the animals and did a fantastic job. He really had a way with them. Pati held quite a few of the animals also, which is amazing, considering she is so tiny. Who gets the prize for being the most unruly Alpaca??? ALLAA Perseverance 291. Yep, little Percy, that weighed 7 pounds at birth, was almost 2 months premature (the youngest gestation to live)was tubed, bottle fed, wore diapers, stayed in the house, and was handled a lot by adults. She threw Pati, Dave and Ken around like rag dolls. She's a real firecracker. I would say a close second would be my girl, Princess. I can see she is quite predicable at shearing. Once again, projecting from every oriface, and yelling the whole time. No, she wasn't being hurt. She was MAD! Once again, shearing was like unwrapping presents. I think the biggest surprise was Lilly Belle. She had sort of a marble look to her fiber. After being shorn, she is a pattern of light and dark fawn. She's really pretty.
I know I've talked about Alpha's spots before. Well, now that he's been shorn, he has lots of little silver spots. Spots he didn't have last year. It could be my imagination, but it looks like he's getting more and more spots every week.
Speaking of my first born, Alpha, he has recently had a growth spurt. February 16, he weighed 89.1 pounds; March 1st 88.1 pounds; April 5th 97 pounds, and May 10th (after shearing) 107 pounds. Considering he shed 2 pounds of fiber, that means he gained 12 pounds in a little over a month. Go Alpha! He's so sweet. He, now, will eat tree leaves and weeds from my hand. Alpha helped halter train Tonto, who will be going to the Nationals in Utah. They have a very special bond and are really cute to watch together. Felix helped halter train Sonny and Majik, as they are going to Nationals, also. So is Paris Hilton. I am so excited that I get to Pacasit while Rick and Pati attend the show. I know they'll be bringing home lots of ribbons :)
Back to shearing for a moment....at the end is when the Llamas were shorn. It's pretty easy to handle them by short tying them in the shed. Rose and Lillith are Rick and Pati's. KoKo is a border that came last July. She had been barrel cut last year, so she looked really big and fat.
When Ken started shearing off her fiber, there was lots of movement going on in her belly. Yep, KoKo is pregnant. KoKo is pregnant by an Alpaca. Where she used to live, they would put the herdsire in the field with the girls (obviously, Alpaca and Llama girls) for the day. Oops! Considering their gestation is the same as an Alpaca, and she's been at Rick and Pati's since last July, she should be due pretty soon. Watch, she'll have her cria while I'm Pacasitting. Actually, there is a possibility of a few crias, maybe, being born on "my watch". Nala, Summer, Gwen and Toni (Star's mom) are all on baby watch. Today, we went over what I need to do in the event a cria is born. I've been very fortunate to witness several births at the ranch, which will be helpful. I can do it. Plus, how helpful is this? Two weeks ago, Rick held a seminar on cria births. It was very informative and I learned a lot. There were about 20 people there and I know everyone walked away much more knowledgeable than when they arrived.
Wow, this is too hard, trying to catch up for 2 whole months. I think I'll end this with a list of my "herd" (which is now up to 8), and what's been going on with them:
Princess - bred to Fred in December, due in late November. She's doing great, has been a wonderful mom to Pati Cake and is starting to get a belly.
Alpha - the jury is still out on him. Although he didn't do well in the shows, I am not ready to write him off as a pet male. He is so sweet, has great confirmation, great bite, impressive testicles and is growing well. Plus, the spots intrigue me.
Vanilla Sundae - bred to Mo in December, due in late November. She is doing great and looking more like her dad, Vivace, every day. She is mellow, just like her mom, Carmel Sunday.
Felix - my sweetheart. He is doing great, has incredible fiber with lots of crimp and has a personality all his own. I actually feel he gets jealous if I halter a herdsire for breeding before I go in his field and spend time with him. He's the oldest in his field and seems to get along well with everyone. His roommates are Alpha, Merlin's Majik, Deja Vu, Luther, Patron, Sonny and Tonto.
Star - bred to Fred in late August, due in early August. Yes, Star is pregnant!! She is huge!!
I am so pleased with her. She is a beautiful girl, and her coloring (light rose gray) is magnificent.
Meg Ryan - bred to Fred, bred to Fred, bred to Fred. Is she pregnant? Don't know. She is so hard to read. Rick said now that she's been shorn, we'll put her in the chute in a few weeks and he'll ultrasound her. He did say he thinks her belly looks lopsided and she has a "don't even think about it" stance when boys are around.
Pati Cake - my baby girl. Oh boy, is she black! She's growing like a weed. She'll be 7 months old next week and will be weaned from mom, Princess, pretty soon. I'm hoping to show her in the Fall, depending on how her fiber looks when it grows out.
Norma Rae - Who? You've never heard me talk about Norma Rae? Probably because I just added her to my herd :) She is Felix's half sister (same mom, different dad). Although their mom, Paloma, was the Wicked Witch of the West (and has been sold and left the ranch), she has really nice babies. She's a big girl for her age, and we expect to breed her on her first birthday. This is pretty weird. I, actually, named her. She was born September 1, 2007 (Labor Day weekend). She has some pretty hot shot names in her ancestry, so I have high hopes for her. I think she'd like a date with Mo on her birthday.
I won't let so much time pass without writing. Not only do I enjoy writing for people to read, but I find myself going back to my blogs to remember certain events and when they occurred.
I promise to write about my Pacasitting experience :) Stay tuned....
After 2 months, where do I start? I still go to the ranch every Saturday and help with breeding, spit testing, walking the boys and anything else I can do. Marquita had a darling little boy in March. They, recently, went to a new home in San Diego. Her little boy's nickname is "Spot" because he is a light fawn yet covered with spots. He took a real liking to Lillith the Llama. They would neck wrestle and he would follow her around, and even nurse from her. Rick said if a cria sucks long enough, milk will appear. How crazy is that? More about Llamas and crias later...
Emma also had a darling little black boy in April, followed by Smokey surprising us with a perfect little black girl last Saturday. Not to be outdone, Priscilla waited to deliver her, cutie pie, medium fawn little girl on Mother's Day. It was pretty funny at the ranch last Saturday. Rick and Pati had moved Priscilla in to a field with only 2 other Alpacas. There was every indication she was going to deliver that day. All of us kept walking around the house to look in the field to see if it was time for the blessed event. Pati left and Rick and I continued the vigil. While standing there, watching Priscilla, Rick glanced over into the next field and saw a new cria rolling in the hay. Smokey had popped out her baby, with no fanfare. She was so quick, Lillith hadn't even noticed yet. A perfect little girl, 21 pounds, jet black and healthy. Priscilla also delivered a 21 pound perfect little girl the next day. If you don't read Rick's updates, he said that when the nose and toes were showing, Priscilla started spinning around like a cat and spitting at the cria hanging out her back end. Rick was concerned she may not be a good mom, but nope, she's a great mom.
Mid April was shearing time again. This year was a fiasco as Ken, the shearer, was having problems with his equipment. That delayed the job getting done in 2 consecutive days. The first day, he did about 40 Alpacas, then could only do about 4 the following day. He couldn't finish the job until the following week. Diane bagged and tagged the fiber, I helped with herding, some holding, and walking boys back and forth from Boy's Town. Rick blew out his knee so wasn't able to hold the animals. A friend of theirs, Dave from Raisin Bred Alpacas, did most of the holding of the animals and did a fantastic job. He really had a way with them. Pati held quite a few of the animals also, which is amazing, considering she is so tiny. Who gets the prize for being the most unruly Alpaca??? ALLAA Perseverance 291. Yep, little Percy, that weighed 7 pounds at birth, was almost 2 months premature (the youngest gestation to live)was tubed, bottle fed, wore diapers, stayed in the house, and was handled a lot by adults. She threw Pati, Dave and Ken around like rag dolls. She's a real firecracker. I would say a close second would be my girl, Princess. I can see she is quite predicable at shearing. Once again, projecting from every oriface, and yelling the whole time. No, she wasn't being hurt. She was MAD! Once again, shearing was like unwrapping presents. I think the biggest surprise was Lilly Belle. She had sort of a marble look to her fiber. After being shorn, she is a pattern of light and dark fawn. She's really pretty.
I know I've talked about Alpha's spots before. Well, now that he's been shorn, he has lots of little silver spots. Spots he didn't have last year. It could be my imagination, but it looks like he's getting more and more spots every week.
Speaking of my first born, Alpha, he has recently had a growth spurt. February 16, he weighed 89.1 pounds; March 1st 88.1 pounds; April 5th 97 pounds, and May 10th (after shearing) 107 pounds. Considering he shed 2 pounds of fiber, that means he gained 12 pounds in a little over a month. Go Alpha! He's so sweet. He, now, will eat tree leaves and weeds from my hand. Alpha helped halter train Tonto, who will be going to the Nationals in Utah. They have a very special bond and are really cute to watch together. Felix helped halter train Sonny and Majik, as they are going to Nationals, also. So is Paris Hilton. I am so excited that I get to Pacasit while Rick and Pati attend the show. I know they'll be bringing home lots of ribbons :)
Back to shearing for a moment....at the end is when the Llamas were shorn. It's pretty easy to handle them by short tying them in the shed. Rose and Lillith are Rick and Pati's. KoKo is a border that came last July. She had been barrel cut last year, so she looked really big and fat.
When Ken started shearing off her fiber, there was lots of movement going on in her belly. Yep, KoKo is pregnant. KoKo is pregnant by an Alpaca. Where she used to live, they would put the herdsire in the field with the girls (obviously, Alpaca and Llama girls) for the day. Oops! Considering their gestation is the same as an Alpaca, and she's been at Rick and Pati's since last July, she should be due pretty soon. Watch, she'll have her cria while I'm Pacasitting. Actually, there is a possibility of a few crias, maybe, being born on "my watch". Nala, Summer, Gwen and Toni (Star's mom) are all on baby watch. Today, we went over what I need to do in the event a cria is born. I've been very fortunate to witness several births at the ranch, which will be helpful. I can do it. Plus, how helpful is this? Two weeks ago, Rick held a seminar on cria births. It was very informative and I learned a lot. There were about 20 people there and I know everyone walked away much more knowledgeable than when they arrived.
Wow, this is too hard, trying to catch up for 2 whole months. I think I'll end this with a list of my "herd" (which is now up to 8), and what's been going on with them:
Princess - bred to Fred in December, due in late November. She's doing great, has been a wonderful mom to Pati Cake and is starting to get a belly.
Alpha - the jury is still out on him. Although he didn't do well in the shows, I am not ready to write him off as a pet male. He is so sweet, has great confirmation, great bite, impressive testicles and is growing well. Plus, the spots intrigue me.
Vanilla Sundae - bred to Mo in December, due in late November. She is doing great and looking more like her dad, Vivace, every day. She is mellow, just like her mom, Carmel Sunday.
Felix - my sweetheart. He is doing great, has incredible fiber with lots of crimp and has a personality all his own. I actually feel he gets jealous if I halter a herdsire for breeding before I go in his field and spend time with him. He's the oldest in his field and seems to get along well with everyone. His roommates are Alpha, Merlin's Majik, Deja Vu, Luther, Patron, Sonny and Tonto.
Star - bred to Fred in late August, due in early August. Yes, Star is pregnant!! She is huge!!
I am so pleased with her. She is a beautiful girl, and her coloring (light rose gray) is magnificent.
Meg Ryan - bred to Fred, bred to Fred, bred to Fred. Is she pregnant? Don't know. She is so hard to read. Rick said now that she's been shorn, we'll put her in the chute in a few weeks and he'll ultrasound her. He did say he thinks her belly looks lopsided and she has a "don't even think about it" stance when boys are around.
Pati Cake - my baby girl. Oh boy, is she black! She's growing like a weed. She'll be 7 months old next week and will be weaned from mom, Princess, pretty soon. I'm hoping to show her in the Fall, depending on how her fiber looks when it grows out.
Norma Rae - Who? You've never heard me talk about Norma Rae? Probably because I just added her to my herd :) She is Felix's half sister (same mom, different dad). Although their mom, Paloma, was the Wicked Witch of the West (and has been sold and left the ranch), she has really nice babies. She's a big girl for her age, and we expect to breed her on her first birthday. This is pretty weird. I, actually, named her. She was born September 1, 2007 (Labor Day weekend). She has some pretty hot shot names in her ancestry, so I have high hopes for her. I think she'd like a date with Mo on her birthday.
I won't let so much time pass without writing. Not only do I enjoy writing for people to read, but I find myself going back to my blogs to remember certain events and when they occurred.
I promise to write about my Pacasitting experience :) Stay tuned....
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