Llama Crias and Alpaca Bath Time

All the llama crias are doing well in their lead and halter class.  Cumberbatch was a late starter, but is now the star pupil :)

Cumberbatch is an huariso (alpaca x llama) and he has the prettiest colouring (with or without the pink Chloromide spray on his neck!!) combined with a lovely fleece, very much a llama in his head.

Bianca is not keen on having the halter fitted, but once its on, she walks perfectly :)

I don't know why she doesn't like putting it on, she looks so good in pink :)

 Jade was 3 months old yesterday and is thriving.  She too is doing well at lead and halter class, but steadfastly refuses to co-operate if I want a photo of that!!

Azzura's son Rhys is a handsome little fellow, and like the others doing well in class.

I thought this piece of farm infrastructure was a drinking trough, but Tiana Rose begs to differ, she sees it more as a bath!!

It was a balmy 16 degrees yesterday, but Jemma was not to left out of the action.  She is day 390 today, and still shows no sign of giving birth, though plainly she huge and uncomfortable!

Maggie, showing off her new fascinator ;-D

And finally, in the garden... I have ONE white nerine, small but perfectly formed..... Canberra was awash with pink ones when I was there on the weekend.

And some purple chrysanthemums:

Carter has a Rubbish Day, Kiki, Sunsets and Cria Updates

Yesterday Carter had a day that was absolutely pants, vet Will Lucas from Crookwell Veterinary Hospital and vet student Jock made a farm visit to check out the progress on Carter's corneal laceration.  Unfortunately what they found was that it had progressed to a melting ulcer and the eye needed to be removed.... erky perky.  They had the devil's own job getting Carter to succumb to the IM anaesthetic and eventually added some IV drugs and still nothing... Carter was literally asleep on his feet and refused to go down.  We decided to secure his head to the yard railing and go from there with a bucket load of local anaesthesia, just as the grizzly op got under way, Carter collapsed!!  Rush to undo the ropes and let his head go down with him, and he was in a gate way... open said gate and have to move Totem away... again!!  I absented myself while Will and Jock got on with the job - too much for me!!  Today he is looking OK... although not so much from his side!!  He is getting around OK, and has his appetite back, so we are hoping for a good recovery.  He is now a Pirate Pete llama!!

Cumberbatch is growing up, he is a lovely looking cria, and very much a llama in his head.

You can see that he is quickly catching up to mum, Wia, in size.

Wia is supposed to be pregnant, so I wasn't so pleased to see this conversation between her and Mandrake, however nano seconds later it deteriorated into a spitting match... all good!!

Paris and Pierre are now well integrated into the group and thriving :)  They both learnt the morning drill very quickly and are at the front of the queue each morning to leave their paddock and head into the yards for muesli!!

Winter sunsets are spectacular, this one on May 28th was no exception.

Kiki and her favourite toy - Mr Ted.  Kiki is seen here, with Mr Ted, doing the famous 'do-it-yourself belly rub', this involves lying on the carpet and pulling yourself along with your front legs.... with or without Mr Ted!!