Final weaning

It got a little bit whiney around here the other day. With shearing completed early last week, it was finally time to wean the last 12 crias (8 males, 4 females) from the 2012 birth class! Fitting, I suppose, that they should leave the confines of the Arena just prior to the arrival up there of the first birth of 2013? Next year we may not be lucky enough to have quite that same symmetry, though that’s a story for another day (nothing says “Merry Christmas” like a 6AM maternity/cria check?).

Though all of the new weaners will eventually join the larger groups of male and female juveniles that are already out living and grazing on some of our outer paddocks (read: sans any man-made shelters), we had no desire to compound the already stressful experience of taking them from their mothers for the first time ever, by then also throwing them to the proverbial wolves all in one move. As such, each group of little guys and gals is getting several days — and perhaps even up until we do herd health around the first of next month — to acclimate to their new existence as semi-grownup alpacas while living out of a pen at the Main Barn.

Collectively, it’s a pretty snazzy bunch of pint-sized alpacas out of many of our top foundation females. This final group of weaners includes everyone from Gabanna’s full sister (Fortuna), to Gabby’s own Matrix Majesty son, Praetor, to Orange Blossom’s little Majesty boy, Kona, to Flirtatious’s Sub-Zero daughter, Dalliance. Not too shabby. I wouldn’t be surprised in the least were several members of this group to make an appearance on the show circuit later this year, though for now it’s just time for them to enjoy some sunshine and munch on the suddenly lush spring pastures!

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