Meet the Herd: the Girls . . .

Annabel Lee was the first cria born here on our farm, and one of our favorites. She's also a sweetie like her mom Annabel is loveable and enjoys attention and touching. This photo was taken on a very "good hair day!" Of course, for alpacas, every day is a "good hair day" as their topknot is always in style!

Princess Leia came to our farm along with Topaz (below). She is a beauty! Although she is very skittish and won't allow you to touch her, she will definitely take carrots from visitors! We are hoping that eventually Princess Leia will learn to not be afraid of human touch.

Zelda, also Chanel's offspring, has lovely, soft, very dense fleece, and is one of our finest alpacas. She is also known as our resident “diva,” who can be picky about her carrot treats! “No tiny pieces for me, please!”

Miss Sera had fleece two inches long at birth! It continues to grow exceptionally long every year. Sera is very shy, and often averts her eyes when you get close to her. Still, she's right there at the fence getting her share of carrots when visitors arrive! Not too timid for a snack!

Maybelline (born in 2011), was named for her lovely eye makeup! She's such a cutie - unfortunately, she was born with a genetic defect that means she shouldn't be bred. She's all grown up now and has become one of our feistiest alpacas, especially at feeding time!

Michaela (also born in 2011), is Maybelline's buddy. She's a little more timid with people than her friend, but she has beautiful thick fleece, and a rich, brown color. Michaela is the Queen of the Sticky Balls, collecting them by the stems (as many as five at a time!).

Cara Mara (born in 2011), had a little bit of a rough start, as her mom's (Leah) milk hadn't yet come in. So she needed bottlefeeding with colostrum, yogurt, and goatsmilk for a few days to start. She was small at birth (just 13 lbs.), but has grown into one of our most "chunky" alpacas - usually around 170 pounds!

We remember  . . .

Andina was our oldest alpaca, born in 1996 in Chile. She was the matriarch of the females for many years, and possibly the smartest of the whole herd. Andina passed away in June 2017, at the age of 21. It is our hope that she is enjoying grazing and sunbathing in green pastures somewhere over the "rainbow bridge."

Chanel #5 was a real sweetheart. Along with Andina, she was one of our first alpacas. Chanel was a favorite among visitors, often allowing visitors to take selfies with her and pet her at length. We miss her sweet "smile."

Topaz came to our farm in December 2016. She was born in 1996 in Chile. With a sweet personality, and an expression that would melt your heart, Topaz quickly became a farm favorite. She had a quirky habit of taking sticks she finds and "drawing" with them in the sand, using her mouth. :) She passed away just before her twentieth birthday in 2018.

Leah (front) and her mom, Victory (known here on the farm as Tori) have both had lovely girl crias for us (Cara Mara and Michaela). Both of these lovely ladies were sweet and gentle farm favorites, Tori lived until she was a ripe old 20, and Leah followed a few years later at age 18. We miss their easygoing personalities and hope they are grazing green pastures together.