Rudy it is!

Well I was thrilled to be in the barn today...I came home from my school at lunch time to help "nurse" a mom and cria...only to find that the new cria we had Sat. had in fact just started nursing! It is exactly like when you make the appointment at the pediatrician and then realize your kids are better. I had the vet coming in the afternoon and voila..she's nursing and her borderline high temp was lower! We were thankful. While standing there watching one cria nurse, my husband...who is a man of few words...refers to cria # 2 as Rudy. In that moment I knew he was right. It looked like a Rudy...after the movie...little... but mighty! Rudy has made his debut at Angel Tree Alpacas!

Look, look, look...Feliz, Feliz, Feliz!

Translation: Happy, Happy, Happy!

This is the meaning for our alpaca mom's name...and this is how we felt yesterday. Happy...when our cria finally arrived at 5:20pm yesterday afternoon. We have been waiting for this birth from our favorite elderly alpaca (for 350+9 days!). This past year we couldn't resist but give her one last try for a rose grey girl...she came through on half of the gamble. We had a rose grey...boy...so it is hard to complain. (This alpaca pairing has produced a rose grey boy, medium brown girl and now another rose grey boy).He was 9.4 oz and a little small but is doing well. When you have a healthy, nursing alpaca you are a happy alpaca farmer. Within seconds of the birth my family was prodding me to "look"..."look"..."look"! Not only have we been lucky enough to be present for the first two births of the season, we have had healthy crias and they are nursing and on their way! Alpaca owners know about that moment when you are standing over a brand new cria on the farm...time stands still and you hesitate, taking a deep breath...before lifting the leg to look in order to determine if you will call it "he" or "she". Then it is over. The long wait, the anticipation. Then you quickly remind yourself how lucky you are to be a part of this incredible animal, to witness the birth of a magnificent creature that will surely win your heart within moments...whether it is a boy or a girl!

No name yet...forward suggestions and help name the cria!

Dirtiest Jobs? Alpacas? Come and see!

Find out for yourself at our Shearing Day open house May 9, 1-3:00pm!

Angel Tree Farm will have the farm open on May 9th from 1-3:oopm so that our alpaca followers can come and see what "Shearing Day" is all about. Many "alpaca people" have been discussing the edition of America's Dirtiest Jobs show...you know the one...where they feature alpacas/shearing as one of America's Dirtiest jobs! For years now of our visitors have been asking what alpaca shearing is like? We decided to give the alpaca enthusiast an opportunity to see for themselves what shearing day is all about. East Hill Alpaca Farm will come for the day and our two farms will shear our animals. The day will offer an opportunity to see the shearing, bagging of fiber and readying it for the mill as well as the end products. The farm store will be open with handmade alpaca items, such as, felted hats, mittens, scarves, fiber art products, yarn, roving, batting, with many products made from our animals as well as natural items from Peruvian alpaca pelts such as, teddy bears,, slippers and rugs.

It should be a fun day and an opportuinty for you to decide if Alpaca shearing/alpacas are one of America's dirtiest jobs or America's most loved job??

Okay...alpaca shearing is a "dirty job" for that day...but also one full of love and rewards! The reward of incredible fiber grown throughout the year and a special day for the alpaca breeder to reap the rewards of their labors during the year. That of incredible... luxurius of fiber that is yet become an amazing product whatever it may be turned into! Come and see for yourself!

And cria season is off... ATF welcomes cria #1!

Well it was a quiet evening on the farm and while hanging around in the pastures we noticed Kenya laying on her side and being a bit of a stinker when another alpaca came near. She had that "stay away from me...I'm about to have a baby look!" That was a 8:30pm and by 10:30 she was the proud mama of a 19.4 pound baby boy! A night birth is a little unusual. (Births in alpacas usually occur between 5 am and 1 pm so that in their natural habitat the baby cria can be up and nursing before night when predators are out) She is a good mom and we were able to just watch and enjoy the natural birth of yet another beautiful cria on the farm. This was her third and the first for one of our personal favorite herdsires...Black Kilo (for you passer-bys, he's in the pature accross the street). We have owned Kilo for just about 5 years now- ever since starting the farm. He is special to us. The cria...as you can see is a dark black/brown tinged. We are guessing he may end up being a bay black like his father. He has a small white spot over one eye and a white chin. He will be named ATF Kilo's Kolu. Kilo after his dad and Kolu for "night' in Japanese. We had a family member's Japanese exchange student here visiting and we thought we would impress her with the birth of a cria...thanks with a little help from Kenya! Do drive by and see this new little one in your travels...he's a beauty!

Llama Kisses

There is nothing quite like the soft fluttering kiss of a loving llama. Just walk in the barn and wait for the quiet qpproach of a friend. Liberty is that friend. She is a young llama born at Angel Tree last May 25th (2008) from our guard llama Abbey an our guard llama male...Homer. She is a beautiful light blown/grey female with white neck and legs as you can see and that's her friend... Ashley! This, this is what the alpaca (llama :-) farm is about. It's an escape from the busy day...it's a investment...it's a lifestyle... We love the animals and do all the day to day care othselves. Because we love it and that makes our animals loveable and very used to people. Try it...you will fall in love with alpacas.

Angel Tree Farm Alpacas hosts Farm City Day!

This summer he had an event to remember! The co-operative extension contacted us and asked if we would like to host Farm City Day? We of course said yes and were excited to get the field of alpacas out there to the public...well we sure did! With incredible planning and expertise the Co-operative extension enticed approximately 700 visitors to the farm that sunny day. I do recall her saying that we didn't have to do a thing...but that is like inviting 700 guests over and not cleaning your house! We painted, fenced, trimmed and planted (with a little help from "The Plantsmen") in preparation for the day. What do they say? If you build it they will come...well the Co-operative extension really put on a Farm City Day to remember! The sun was shining and the people came to see not only alpacas but spinners, vegetable sculpting, sheep herding, the Dairy princess and her court scooping ice cream and the list goes on. It was a day to remember on the farm!

Mud, Mud, mud!

Some remember as a child...liking mud. I never remember that nor do I think I ever will! This weekend I moved fences so that the animals are confined by the barn door and hay area by the hay bins. They are just trampling down the pastures and we are concerned that the grass will not grow. They don't seem to mind and will just feed off the hay until grass grows. I have a hard time believing that we have seen the last of the snow for the year:-) So for now, whether we like it or not...we will deal with mud. I wish I was an alpaca...not much phases them!