Bruce's Journal

[thistlebloom]

So Bruce, basically what your saying is that an alpaca is a cat in a bigger fuzzier suit?

 

[Bruce]

Kinda, I suppose. But they don't scratch when they are done with you. Nor do they leave barfed up mouse in various places around the house They will occasionally kick, Laddie gave me a glancing blow in the thigh once when I accidentally startled him. Lightning fast those legs!

And while llamas are known to spit (actually it is regurgitation from their first stomach compartment) at people, alpacas are much less likely to do so. They will spit at each other and when really annoyed Laddie has spit near people, luckily has not hit any of us. I don't think cats spit at people.

 

[Baymule]

Animals remember ill handling for a long, long time. One of my horses, Sparkles, at 34 years of age, is still wary and we've had her 20+ years. Once we turned her out, it took 2 months before I could touch her again. I don't know what happened to her before we got her, but it must have been bad. She is the only horse I have ever had that I can't reach. I call her compliant but distant. The closest she can come to actually wanting anything to do with me is when I have a brush in my hand, she likes that. It took 12 YEARS before she would come to me to get brushed.

 

[Bruce]

Hmmm, the boys will be about end of life (and on the old end of the 15-20 years) if it takes 12 years! They have come and eaten their maintenance pellets (ie their "snack") out of my hand but do NOT raise the other hand to try and touch them. Nope, nope, nope, not having that! I can only keep trying I guess.

 

[thistlebloom]

It's all about consistency.
I had a wild colt that came off the Omak reservation 17 years ago. I believe the only handling he had was being branded, twice, shoulder and hip. He wanted NOTHING to do with people. It took three weeks of daily approach and retreat to finally be able to stand next to him. But he was much easier to establish a trust relationship with than Syringa has been. Once he trusted me he was all in. I don't even remember my first ride on him it was so matter of fact.

Of course I have no idea how an alpacas mind works.

 

[Bruce]

Me either!! During the summer when I was hand feeding them they got trusting enough to eat but if I didn't have pellets they weren't interested in being near me. Another thing about alpacas, they don't want you to stand directly facing them. I've heard that as a generalization and it is true of my boys, stand at an angle and they might approach. Now that it is getting warmer I can try again.

 

[thistlebloom]

Standing facing an animal puts a certain amount of pressure on them.An oblique angle is seen as less threatening.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Ya might try playing "find the pellet" with them....put it in a pocket and see if they will track it down....it may take a few tries, but work around them paying them no attention and see if the scent and desire draw them to ya....if it does, be sure to reward them....

 

[Bruce]

I'm pretty sure they won't get near enough to smell a single pellet in my pocket. Even when they eat out of my hand it is at full neck stretch distance.

 

[rachels.haven]

That's why they have those necks, isn't it?