New Llamas!

I've been putting off writing this blog post for awhile, as I just couldn't think of anything to write.  But then it hit me, I haven't talked about my new llamas!

Last fall I made the decision to find Mr. T a new home.  He just wasn't meshing with me or the herd, and I didn't think it was fair for him to be picked on all the time.  Luckily a friend of mine was interested, so she's getting T this spring and I'm getting a breeding to her gorgeous male for Kara next spring!

With T gone, I realized I had room for another llama!  I've been thinking about adding a new guard llama since I moved to New York.  April certainly isn't getting any younger (she'll be 21 years old in a month!), and I'd like to have a replacement sooner rather than later.  So I started the search for a guard llama.  Surprisingly enough, a good guard llama is hard to come by in the east!  A former customer of mine happened to have a few females for sale, two of which seemed to have guard potential.  The dark brown girl caught my eye, and I decided to make her mine!  So I'd like to introduce Colby, our new guard llama!  And the best part, she's going to be bred to Autumn Hill's Rainier in May, for a 2016 cria!  I'm very excited to have one of Rainier's first babies on my farm!  My husband wants me to start a line of guard llamas in my breeding herd, so Colby (and hopefully her cria) may just be the beginning of that.  Since she's getting bred this spring, she probably won't join the herd until August or September.

As if one new llama wasn't enough, I decided to go all out and look for a new show girl.  Kara will get bred next spring, so this will likely be her last show season.  Ralph isn't real happy about being shown recently, so I need someone new!  I asked around at a lot of different farms, but finally went back to a farm I've been dying to have a llama from...Mark Smith Llamas from Indiana.  I've always admired his animals (usually from behind them in the show ring!), and was determined to finally have one of my own.  I love the males that he has (in fact, I bought Kara's mom Bluff partly because she was a Tuna Catcher daughter), and was thrilled to find a young female who is a Mystery's Timone daughter and Tuna Catcher granddaughter!  So I'd like to introduce MSF Regal Princess (I really need to come up with a better nick-name though!), my new show girl and future breeding llama!  I'm just thrilled with her, and can't wait to see her in person next month!  I'm hoping to performance train her this year.  I wish I could get her to more shows, but it looks like its just going to be the NY State Fair this year.  More next year I hope!

I'm Back!

Well, after a very long winter hiatus (due to the holidays, vacation, and lack of a computer), I'm back in the blogging world!

Due to the craziness of the holidays and starting a new job, I haven't really accomplished much in terms of llamas or fiber...  I did get a bunch of new knit items that my mom made listed on Etsy tonight...check them out!

A crochet scarf I made over Christmas vacation...up on Etsy now!

The exciting news from the past week or two is that I'm going to be growing my llama herd this year!  I found a fabulous new home for Mr. T, and in exchange Kara gets a date with a gorgeous part Argentine male next spring.  I'm also looking at purchasing a bred guard llama and a show female (possibly bred as well), so I could be doubling my herd in a couple of years!  Very excited to have some new blood in the herd, and especially babies!

Lamas in the snow.

I'm going to try and be better about posting for the rest of the winter, even though there isn't a whole lot going on.  I do have a ton of knitting patterns to publish though, so if you've been waiting you may just get lucky!

Big E Recap!

Well I was all set to write a blog post last night, and then completely spaced it!  So here you go, just a day late...

The reason I didn't post last week was because we were at the Big E!  This is one of the two llama shows that is relatively close to us, so of course we had to go!  We left Thursday afternoon and got back home Sunday evening.

Our stall display and a very wet Kara.

I was worried about getting checked in late (we couldn't check in at the show until 5 pm) and not having enough time to get everyone washed Thursday evening, so the boys got their baths before we left.  Kara didn't show in halter until Saturday morning, so I washed her at the show Friday afternoon.

Wet llama!

Luckily this fairgrounds was more organized, although we did have to drive about 10 miles away to park the trailer!  Really makes me miss the simplicity of all the Midwest shows we used to go to.

Friday was the first official day of the show.  T and I showed in the very first class (Advanced Adult Showmanship) and got 3rd with some great competition.  A few hours later he placed 2nd in his halter class (Non-Breeder Adult), and personally I think he got robbed!  But oh well, I'm pretty sure he already has all the ILR-SD halter awards he can get.  Everyone showed in Novice Pack Friday afternoon as well.

My handsome boy T.

Saturday was Kara's day to shine.  We started off the day with her halter class (Medium Wool 2-yr-old Female), and she won!  Sure, there were only two in the class, but she looked great and the judge said lots of nice things about her.  I was really hoping she'd get Reserve Grand Champion again, but the championship class was really tough.  We also got to go back in for Best Bred & Owned Female (you have to qualify at this show to enter the class), but they only place one animal and she didn't win.  Not terribly surprised though.  Everyone also showed in Novice Public Relations and Obstacle, but no placings there either.  The performance competition was stiff!  Late in the evening T and I went back for Ground Driving, and he got 2nd!

T and his ribbons.

Overall it was a fun weekend!  I got to hang out with some great people and love on some gorgeous llamas!  I'm sad that the show season is over so quickly!

Kara and Ralph were hot!

Indoor Obstacles!

One of the frustrating things about living in upstate NY is the short training season...  Luckily it is typically cool enough in the summer to do training (not so in IN!), but once December hits the obstacle course is covered in snow.  I decided to fix that...I built an indoor obstacle course!

Actually, I built the indoor course because I had a few obstacles that I didn't want sitting out in the sun all year.  But I quickly realized that there are other benefits!

First up is several unusual surfaces to walk over.  From left to right: a leftover piece of foam insulation, a trash bag, part of a shower curtain, and some foam pool noodles.

Next is a step over/jump.  It is actually a leftover roll of fence.

Last but not least is the tunnel.  After the NY State Fair, I knew I desperately needed a tunnel.  I haven't had one in several years, so even Ralph is unaccustomed to going through one.  Luckily there are lots of posts in our barn, so I wrapped some heavy twine between two posts and the wood cattle stanchions.  Next I draped a tarp over the top.

On one side I attached a shower curtain.  I had to cut the bottom off so it didn't drag the ground, and I slit the curtain in several places.

On the other side I attached a few foam pool noodles.  I need to get some bells to hang on one of the ends too.

Just a day or two after I set up the indoor course I had all 3 lamas going through it.  Their reactions were quite surprising.  For some reason T absolutely refused to do any of it, at least the first time.  The second time (a couple days later) he was only nervous about the tunnel.  We still need to work on that.  Kara was amazing with the tunnel, her issue was the unusual surfaces.  But it only took 2 passes and she was over her fear.  Of course Ralph was awesome about everything!

From now until the next show (the Big E, the last weekend of September), my main focus is ground-driving T.  He has good moments and bad, I may end up scratching but I figure I might at least try!

NY State Fair!!!

If you can't tell from the title of this post, I was quite excited to be going to the NY State Fair last week.  My husband not so much, but oh well...

We set off for Syracuse late Wednesday morning, and then the fun began.  The NY State Fair is one of the most disorganized fairs I've ever been to!  We had to drive all over the fairgrounds (right between the "carnie" stuff to get to the barn.  Luckily it is a tiny show, so there weren't a ton of people waiting to unload like in Indiana.  We quickly unloaded the animals and supplies, and went to park the trailer.  We drove around the fairgrounds a few more times trying to figure out where to park the truck, but we eventually found the right place.

I was lazy before the fair and didn't wash the lamas, so once we were parked and unpacked I washed everyone in turn.  Surprisingly Kara was the best...T did not want a bath!

Wet T.

Wet Ralph and Kara.

Thursday was the first day of the show, and I was in the first class with T...adult showmanship.  We were very much out of practice, and T didn't want to behave, but we still got 3rd.  I was pretty happy. A little while later T and I went back in for adult non-breeder halter, and he won!  And then got Grand Champion!  I was thrilled!  I'm 90% sure that this finishes his ALSA Halter Champion, which means he has every halter award he can get with ALSA or ILR.  Now to start on the performance awards!

T and his winnings.

Such a handsome boy!

Once T was done it was Kara's turn.  We went in for her halter class (medium wool 2-yr-old female), and she was an angel.  Looked gorgeous too of course.  And the judge agreed...she got 1st!  Going back in for grand and reserve I wasn't real positive, but Kara pulled off a Reserve Champion!  I'm so proud of my girl!  We also went in for bred and owned female, and got 3rd behind 2 other females who won Grand Champion in their halter classes.  So not bad!

Kara didn't want to pose with her winnings.

So I had to force her.

Of course, the weekend went down from there.  I've been working with the lamas a lot over the summer, but I have fairly basic obstacles so we weren't quite prepared for the creative performance courses.  Plus it doesn't help with the competition is outrageous (over 35 animals in each novice performance class)!  Ralph managed a 9th place in novice obstacle, but didn't place in the rest.  Neither did either of the llamas.  But the important part is that they improved with each class.  T decided to attempt the very steep and narrow stairs during novice public relations and Kara did the "tunnel" in novice public relations.

T doing the stairs.

Kara under the "tunnel".

Kara wearing the scarf.

Ralph weaving.

Overall it was a great weekend.  Kara loves the public (she was born to be a PR llama!), so it was a lot of fun taking her around.  Even T was pretty good with all the attention.  Ralph thinks it is beneath him.  T also spent the weekend trying to eat lots of things.  Some I let him, others I didn't!

T munching on an apple core.

T trying to eat ice cream.

Can't wait for the Big E in a couple of weeks!

Cute little Ralphie.

Pack Training: Carrying Weight

T is growing up...its time that he has to carry weight for Novice Pack at the NY State Fair this fall.  According to the show association rules, llamas over 36 months of age must carry 20 lbs.  Alpacas used to have to carry 10lbs, but apparently that rule has changed recently.  Ralph will be so happy!

Ralph in a Novice Pack class in 2012.

Luckily T was previously trained to carry a pack, but carrying weight can sometime freak them out.  None of the llamas or alpacas that I've trained to carry weight have cared yet, but I wanted to be careful just in case!

I already had 10 lbs of sand weighed out for Ralph's pack, so I used some leftover gravel to make 2 more bags that totaled 10 lbs.  

Weight bags for the pack.

I decided to be nice, and started T with just 10 lbs in the pack for the first day.  He was more concerned with having the pack put on than he was the weight.  And once he realized that it was just a pack, he had no problems.  The next day I put the full 20 lbs in the pack and again he had no problem.  Other than not wanting to "jump" over the jump, which is understandable.  I'm very proud of my boy, and can't wait to see how he does in at the show next week!

T modeling his weighted pack.  Unfortunately we let the pack sit out in the sun, and the top faded!

Speaking of next week, I won't be able to do my blog post next Thursday, as we will be showing at the NY State Fair!  Ralph, T, and Kara will all be coming, and all 3 will show in Novice Performance!  Luckily Kara isn't old enough to have to carry weight...I'm not sure she would react as nicely as T.

And You Thought Only Spiders Had Cobwebs!

I will admit that I'm weird, I find it strangely relaxing to brush a llama.

At least when that llama is well-behaved!

The NY State Fair is coming up in 2 short weeks, so during my recent time off I decided I should work on grooming the animals that I'm taking to show.

Lucky for me 2 of them are body shorn!

Since Ralph is only going to show in performance, he doesn't need any grooming at all.  I'll wash him right before the show just like the others, but only because I don't like petting him when he's all dusty!

Ralph after being shorn.  Not much left to brush!

T is also body shorn, but he has a hideous-looking tail!  I never got around to picking the burrs out of it in the spring, so it is a mess.  So on Tuesday I took the scissors to it (to cut out some big mats and burrs), and today I brushed out the rest.  He looks a little silly with a very poofy tail, but I think he'll look fine for the show.  He is showing in performance, halter, and showmanship, so he has to look his best!

T and his terrible haircut!

Kara is the big challenge.  Luckily she isn't terribly dirty, and being fairly young her neck and leg fiber hasn't matted too badly yet, but I was really determined to have her spotless and mat-free by the show.  I've now succumbed to accepting that she won't be completely mat-free, but I'm hoping to get most of the cobwebs out of her fleece.  My ulterior motive for doing this is that I hope having less cobwebs will help her cool off, since her skin should be able to breathe more.

Beautiful Kara.

For the past week or so, Kara and I have spent a lot of quality time in the barn...brushing and being brushed!  Luckily she is a sweetheart and accepts it very well!  So far I've done the top of her neck, her tail, and both back legs.  Today I started on a front leg.  Hopefully I'll be able to get done before I have to go back to work next week!

Kara's neck fiber before brushing.

The same spot after brushing.  (I love that she has her dad's curls!)

The lower part of Kara's neck...still needs a lot of work!

NY State Fair, Here We Come!!

The show season is finally getting closer...I just filled out the entry forms for the NY State Fair!

The NY State Fair is held in Syracuse (about 1.5 hours from us) August 20-23 (the llama show at least).

I always feel funny going to shows when I have such a small herd, as I tend to bring more than half of my animals!  This year, T, Kara, and Ralph are all going to be in my show string.  I really didn't plan on showing T, but he is so close to his ALSA Halter Champion, and is showing a lot of promise in performance, so he gets to go too.  Plus I figure if I'm taking 2, it isn't that much work (or money) to take 3!

Ralph and Kara at the 2012 Hoosier Llama Show.

So for this first show, T will be my showmanship buddy, in addition to showing in halter (non-breeder adult) and all 3 novice performance classes (obstacle, public relations, and pack).  As an adult, he has to carry weight (25 lbs) in pack!  That should be interesting, I should start training him for that soon!

T in halter at the 2012 Hoosier Llama Show.

As usual, Ralph is also just doing novice performance.  He has to show against all the llamas, but that's okay since he can definitely hold his own!  Unfortunately the state fair doesn't have alpaca halter classes, and he can't show with the llamas in theirs.

Ralph in novice pack at the 2012 Hoosier Llama Show.

And last but not least, Kara.  I debated about showing her in adult showmanship, as she is currently better looking than T, but she is a lot harder to get squared up.  So she'll just be in halter (medium wool 2-yr-old female) and bred and owned female, in addition to the 3 novice performance classes.  She probably doesn't stand a chance in performance, but I want to see how she does in the ring.

Kara in halter at the 2012 North American International Livestock Expo.

Overall it should be a great show, I'm so excited!!

Llamas: the "Green" Lawn Mowers!

I don't really consider myself lazy, but I guess in some respects I am.  Or maybe I'm smart!

Last year when the lamas grazed their pasture too low, I started letting them graze in other areas, inside a pen made from stall panels.  It was a lot of work to move the panels and walk the lamas out there every day, but they really enjoyed being able to graze.

The gang grazing late last fall.  I'm a firm believer in grazing for as long as possible!

Early this spring I continued the practice, before I would let the lamas back on their own pasture.  I moved them to a different spot though...around my garden!  We'd been having problems with groundhogs, so I wanted to keep the grass low around the garden fence.  Originally I set up the pen on the outside of the garden, but occasionally I moved it to the inside.

The gang in their pen next to the garden fence (on the outside).

Duque and T in their pen on the inside of the fence.

Over time I've begun to realize that it is fairly easy to bush-hog the grass on the outside of the fence, but the inside is much more difficult.  The ground is so uneven that it has to be mown with the push mower (it is also too narrow for the tractor in some spots), which is a lot of work!  Last week I set up the pen on one side of the garden (on the inside), so that the lamas could eat some of the really tall grass.  It has been too hot recently to let them out there, but tomorrow they're going back!  Hopefully they can graze during the day this weekend too.

Kara and T grazing inside the garden fence (within a pen too).

Before we moved to a place that had 2 unruly dogs, we used to stake the llamas out in the front yard to graze.  It is great training, and less to mow!

Duque staked in the front yard back in Indiana.  It is also a great way to dry llamas after washing, but without them getting dirty!

I did start stake training T and Kara this spring, but within the confines of the garden.  If a llama hasn't been stake trained before, you can't simply tie them out and leave them, they must be supervised.  T did really well, and Kara only twisted herself once!  Unfortunately it isn't safe to let them graze on a stake outside of the garden here, too many stupid dogs!

T and Kara grazing while staked in the garden.

Shearing is DONE!!

Finally, after 2 long weeks, shearing is done for the year!  I have a love-hate relationship with shearing...I hate doing all the grooming and I'm terrible at shearing, but I love having fresh fiber and I love how the animals look shorn!

First up was Ralph.  I'm not brave enough to shear him on my own (and my shears are definitely not up to the challenge), so I got a recommendation for a local shearer and called them up.  I didn't want to pay a set-up fee for just Ralph, so I took him down to their farm while they were shearing their own animals.  It has been several years since Ralph was shorn while stretched on the ground (he's been shorn standing at a llama show we used to go to), and he was NOT happy!  Luckily he didn't pee himself this time though!

And now I have 1 handsome burr-less alpaca, and 2 gorgeous bags of fiber!  The best fiber is at the mill, ready to be processed into roving.  The leg and neck fiber will go to another mill in a few weeks, to get made into more insoles.

Ralph's fiber will get processed the same as last summer...it will look like this!  70% alpaca, 20% merino, 10% firestar.

Next up, and first for me, was April.  April's always the easiest for me...she has pretty terrible fiber, so I don't bother grooming her like I do the others.  I just blow the dust out (to save my shears), and go for it.  She always ends up with the best haircut too, since her fiber is so coarse and easy to cut with the shears.

First for a "real" grooming was Duque.  Luckily he was pretty clean, so just a bit of brushing and a bath and then his haircut.  He even got to spend the afternoon grazing in the garden with T while he dried.  Duque's fiber is going to be hoarded this year for a special project...details to come.

Duque and T in their garden pen.

Duque getting shorn.

Handsome boy!

T was next to get shorn.  He took a TON of brushing, and I didn't realize how dense his fiber was!  A couple hours later he was ready to blow out and wash.  He had to stay out overnight with Duque and Kara to dry.  He was not real happy about being shorn, but finally with a bit of a bribe we got it done. He got a complete body shear, and unfortunately I had to toss most of his neck and leg fiber since it was so full of burrs.  He looks a bit rough right now, but hopefully by the time the NY State Fair comes around in August he'll be grown out and look decent.  T's fleece has already been sold.

Last but not least was Kara.  She wasn't quite as dirty as T, but I'm planning to show her fleece this summer and fall, so she had to be impeccably clean.  Luckily she doesn't mind being groomed as much as T!  She also had to sit out for a couple days to dry since her fiber was so dense.  I decided to hand-shear her first so I could get the fleece without any second cuts, and for some reason she freaked out!  Once I started cleaning her up with the electric shears she was fine.  Weird girl!  I really hope her fleece does well at the shows!

Kara didn't want to stand up straight!

My gorgeous little herd of shorn lamas!  Pardon T's stance.