Misfitmorgan's Journal - That Summer Dust

[Bruce]

Their feet are actually completely different i was not thrilled to learn that lol and man do they kick hard. No feet trimmed yet the kicking was just while being caught and loaded..DH limped for two days. Anyhow sheep and goat hooves are the same for all intents and purposes when trimming is concerned i.e. hard outer hoof wall 360 degrees around and softer inner sole/frog area...llama and i assume alpaca feet are a thick leathery pad and just on the front half is a "hoof wall" which is aka nails....yes camelids have toenails not hooves so that should be interesting.

.....

Generally i would assume you can trim teeth, shear and cut nails all on the same day so labor intensive one day a year lol. i know some Llama only need sheared once every other year..alpaca no such luck though lol. For nail trimming its as needed and varies by diet to im sure as well as ground like Bruce said i'm guessing every 3-6months??

All my info is from research lol no real life experience with these critters yet.

My alpacas were delivered yesterday morning, the chickens are still wigged out. The boys had their pedicures and ivermectin shots before they were loaded up at their prior home. Teddy was born there, first time he had ever gone off the property. Laddie was purchased but I don't think he travelled other than to get to their place. Kelly said Teddy's front toenails didn't need anything, already on the same plane as the pads. She also said the girls she had (given away earlier in the year) that had white toenails needed them trimmed more often. I had also read that, no idea WHY that would be. I have to assume llamas are harder than alpacas simply because they are so much bigger (the SMALL adults run about 300 pounds and a BIG alpaca is under 200) and stronger. Since they need their nails done now, I think you'll need to get them pretty well immobilized so you don't get kicked. Maybe you can do a quick and dirty squeeze chute for them.

Find the videos; basically it is: clean out the packed in dirt if present, trim off a bit of the tip then trim down one side then the other, repeat until done but take care to not get down to the quick. The goal is that the bottom of nails (2 per foot) are flat and in contact with the standing surface at the same time as the pad, one plane. Like I said, I haven't done it yet but it looks pretty easy ASSUMING they aren't totally screwed up from lack of attention.

Alpacas are SUPPOSED to be sheared annually. The guy that the people on my road use didn't come by and didn't return calls until late in the summer and then he said it was too late, they wouldn't have time to grow enough back for winter So there they sit with a year plus growth of fiber. Must have been miserable during the summer. When we were tending them for 2 weeks while their owners were gone they would come out of their barn for their pellets (in feeders on an outside fence), eye us warily while they ate then head straight back to the barn. I was expecting they would be REALLY standoffish once here based on being moved and their prior behavior but they are being more interactive than I expected. They come over to see what I am doing as long as I don't pay too much direct attention to them.

 

[Baymule]

Alpacas sound like interesting animals to have on the farm. How do they get along with sheep?

 

[misfitmorgan]

I hope the llamas can settle in and become your beloved pets. As caring as you are, they should warm up to you in no time.

Thank you @Baymule very kind of you to say and i hope that they do...i have been able to get every other wild critter we got handed to love me and wanna be with me so we shall see.

 

[misfitmorgan]

My alpacas were delivered yesterday morning, the chickens are still wigged out. The boys had their pedicures and ivermectin shots before they were loaded up at their prior home. Teddy was born there, first time he had ever gone off the property. Laddie was purchased but I don't think he travelled other than to get to their place. Kelly said Teddy's front toenails didn't need anything, already on the same plane as the pads. She also said the girls she had (given away earlier in the year) that had white toenails needed them trimmed more often. I had also read that, no idea WHY that would be. I have to assume llamas are harder than alpacas simply because they are so much bigger (the SMALL adults run about 300 pounds and a BIG alpaca is under 200) and stronger. Since they need their nails done now, I think you'll need to get them pretty well immobilized so you don't get kicked. Maybe you can do a quick and dirty squeeze chute for them.

Find the videos; basically it is: clean out the packed in dirt if present, trim off a bit of the tip then trim down one side then the other, repeat until done but take care to not get down to the quick. The goal is that the bottom of nails (2 per foot) are flat and in contact with the standing surface at the same time as the pad, one plane. Like I said, I haven't done it yet but it looks pretty easy ASSUMING they aren't totally screwed up from lack of attention.

Alpacas are SUPPOSED to be sheared annually. The guy that the people on my road use didn't come by and didn't return calls until late in the summer and then he said it was too late, they wouldn't have time to grow enough back for winter So there they sit with a year plus growth of fiber. Must have been miserable during the summer. When we were tending them for 2 weeks while their owners were gone they would come out of their barn for their pellets (in feeders on an outside fence), eye us warily while they ate then head straight back to the barn. I was expecting they would be REALLY standoffish once here based on being moved and their prior behavior but they are being more interactive than I expected. They come over to see what I am doing as long as I don't pay too much direct attention to them.

They do say Alpacas and Llamas are very curious critters. THe closest the llamas get to me is the male came and smelled my head...thats it lol and i had to stand like a statue and look at the ground to even get that. The female is a freak and high strung but i think she is pregnant and ready to give birth soonish so that might be some of her issue and move stress. the two llama and the two rams stay together as their own herd and i have never seen them in the barn for more then about 60 seconds so i am worried about their water and feed. DH said leave the water in the barn so they are forced to come in but im less concerned about forcing them to do anything atm and just want to make sure they are eating and drinking.

Alpacas sound like interesting animals to have on the farm. How do they get along with sheep?

Well the llamas seem to get along just fine....and by get along i mean so far dont really seem to notice their non-herd sheep lol.

i mentioned we had piglets born right? i dont remember if that was this thread or another one but we had 6 piglets born on saturday morning....two appear to have been DOA...we have 3 boys and 1 girls. I claimed the girl for a breeder depending how she grows. Sarah has the best attitude ever for a mama, calm, relaxed, not stressed when we go in her pen or play with her piglets. i believe my pet gilt Eva is also bred and due very soon as she is forming a milk line. She also has a good attitude though a lot more vocal then Sarah, she comes up to me and grunts and carries on until i give her some attention or dinner. Sarah's piglets so far are very quiet like her, she does make quiet grunts to them esp while they are nursing but otherwise not much noise. Atm Eva and Sarah are both locked in stalls, Sarah doesnt care cause she has her piglets but Eva hates it and lets me know it.

We also ended up taking the doberdoodle Issac went to have a playdate with. She was up for adoption and they got along to well not too. Her name is Kora and she is 1 month younger then Issac, already spayed yay. They get along fantastically and Kora is very well behaved, we really like her a lot. She seems to be bonding to DH which is nice for him because he has not had a big dog bonded to him since his dobie died. Poor Kora did have to get a embarrassing hair cut already though....her legs from the "knees" down got shaved. It took one trip to the barn to see that her legs will need to be kept trimmed.

Kora and Issac on the trip home

Here is Kora and Issac...Issac was trying to get her to play(ignore my messy floor)

Very excited they get along so well esp only meeting saturday night. They are like best buddies already. Sunday night we put Issac in his kennel and left Kora out to see how she was gonna do overnight(without the Issac tornado). DH and i went into the bedroom and Kora and the small dogs came along and jumped up on the bed, as soon as the light went off Issac started carrying on. I understand we left one of the "pack" in the other room but he know hes doesnt always get to sleep in the bed/bedroom. So anyhow Issac was carrying on so Kora got out of bed and i was like where is she going now so i waited about 10 minutes and snuck out there. I found her laying on the floor next to his kennel "keeping him company"...i think i smiled so big i about broke my face. It was one of the most affectionate things ive even seen a dog do for another dog she met less then 48hrs earlier.

 

[Latestarter]

Dogs are just the best! So glad Issac has a companion and I imagine Kora is super happy to have Issac and a new loving home!

 

[Bruce]

They do say Alpacas and Llamas are very curious critters. THe closest the llamas get to me is the male came and smelled my head...thats it lol and i had to stand like a statue and look at the ground to even get that. The female is a freak and high strung but i think she is pregnant and ready to give birth soonish so that might be some of her issue and move stress. the two llama and the two rams stay together as their own herd and i have never seen them in the barn for more then about 60 seconds so i am worried about their water and feed. DH said leave the water in the barn so they are forced to come in but im less concerned about forcing them to do anything atm and just want to make sure they are eating and drinking.

Any reason the llamas SHOULD go in the barn? Why not put feed and water outside? Less messy that way My "new" guys seem to prefer to be outside. They slept out last night and it went below freezing. They can come and go from their end of the barn at will. So far they have not decided on a place in the barn for their bathroom (yea! less work for me) and they apparently started their outside latrine wherever the first one to go was standing at the time. It is just in the approximate center of the barnyard. The grass will grow really well there until I decide to clean up because I'm not running my mower through it and I doubt they will eat the grass there.

Both took alpaca food from my hand through the fence this morning and yesterday morning but that is as close as they want to get so far. I can get near them as long as I am talking to them as I go BY. Stop to chat and they get nervous. One of my White Rocks is hell bent to lay out in the weeds by the pond. All the hens are freaked by the boys but this girl must have snuck by when they weren't looking. I saw her down by the water then she started around the pond. The boys noticed and wandered about halfway to the pond and stopped. They had chickens at their prior home so no big deal for them.

 

[misfitmorgan]

Dogs are just the best! So glad Issac has a companion and I imagine Kora is super happy to have Issac and a new loving home!

Oh yes Kora seems very pleased with herself and her new home...it is working out so well i have this small fear in the back of my mind that they are going to get in a massive fight and need stitches. So far so good though...Kora has had a small tussle with our little dogs twice now but the first time the litle dog started it and the second time Kora just knocked them over and growled but didnt hurt them. THe biggest problem there is my now 13yr old chihuahua mix things she is queen of the castle because she has been able to be Dom to Issac his whole life and she is figuring out Kora is not gonna take that. Kora is dominant over Issac but Issac has always been a submissive dog so that works. Yesterday i took Issac and Kora out into the hay field to get a good run in and have some play time...Kora is a tad chunky but im sure she will slim down with the play regimen they have which mostly consists of running and chasing each other.

Any reason the llamas SHOULD go in the barn? Why not put feed and water outside? Less messy that way My "new" guys seem to prefer to be outside. They slept out last night and it went below freezing. They can come and go from their end of the barn at will. So far they have not decided on a place in the barn for their bathroom (yea! less work for me) and they apparently started their outside latrine wherever the first one to go was standing at the time. It is just in the approximate center of the barnyard. The grass will grow really well there until I decide to clean up because I'm not running my mower through it and I doubt they will eat the grass there.

Both took alpaca food from my hand through the fence this morning and yesterday morning but that is as close as they want to get so far. I can get near them as long as I am talking to them as I go BY. Stop to chat and they get nervous. One of my White Rocks is hell bent to lay out in the weeds by the pond. All the hens are freaked by the boys but this girl must have snuck by when they weren't looking. I saw her down by the water then she started around the pond. The boys noticed and wandered about halfway to the pond and stopped. They had chickens at their prior home so no big deal for them.

They will have to go in the barn to eat and drink because we have no outside feeder, even if we did make one atm the hay would be destroyed im thinking unless we had a rather large roof and at least one wall on the north side to stop the snow. I live right by the edge of the state and the great lake so it is always always windy here esp in winter and the snow drifts get huge. Aside from the hay feeder problem even if we made one(this is imaging we had time to do that) they would still need to go in the barn for water because we have no outside waterer it gets to cold to have anything short of those fully insulated heated waterers out there and those start at over $300 plus the material to run the water line outside and how we would keep it from freezing i have no idea. Stocktank heaters dont have enough melting strength to keep up with the wind and cold here, we tried that for several years we just ended up with a solid block of ice with the heater sitting on top. Then when the trough got full of ice we would have to start a second one. So most people here keep waterers inside the barn for winter, they do still freeze without a tank heater but dont freeze up into ice blocks with it. i hope that all made sense. So basically yes they need to go in the barn lol. The entire herd was locked in the barn all day yesterday including them....because they took out our fence. We have a big solar powered fencer and they tested it so many times it died and then they walked our woven fence down and were loose on the property. So we have to re-do about 80% of our fence this weekend..fun fun. Apparently Llamas push fences...a lot On the plus side since they were locked in the barn they are mingling with the rest of the herd, eatting grain, plenty of hay and lots of water. The male also came up to me last night and let me pet him on the neck for a second. They did however decide the poop pile should be where the main waterer inside the barn is....so we had to empty/wash and move that over 8ft.

We lost one of our young goats yesterday, one of our future milk goats named Casper she was around 6 months old. We are not sure what happened but DH found her laying in the gutter inside the barn very wet, dirty, and hypothermic. He brought her inside and i stuck her in the bath to warm her up but we were to late, i got her warm and dry but she starter aspirating some kind of clear fluid and having trouble breathing and bloating. She was quite sick when we got her and always small so i dont know if she had some underlying problem we couldn't see or something happened to her from one of the other barn animals. Very sad to see her leave us.

 

[NH homesteader]

So sorry about Casper

 

[Hens and Roos]

sorry about Casper

 

[frustratedearthmother]

So sorry about Casper