Heavens Gate Alpacas ... thawing out

Well, we have certainly had our share of snow this year .. and although the alpacas don't mind ... we are so READY for spring!!   Here are some pics to share with you.

The first one is our uncle Raphael (gelding with buttery soft black fleece) and his buddy Warrior (our friendly public relations paca who is GREAT at obstacle courses).

This is Zechariah (with such soft, dense white fleece and some gray background from his mama Faleeen).  He has such a nice disposition, good confirmation and overall charm.

This photo is of two of the pups from last August (about the same size as their mom now), and

just as sweet in demeanor as she is but great protectors of the herd.

Hope spring is arriving soon at your home.  Stop by and visit us again soon!

Spring is here?

Some photos for your enjoyment . . . taken 03/21/09

Shiphrah after a roll in the hay . . .






Warrior disgusted that Noah is getting more attention than he is (Noah giving kisses in the background to Bonnie)





Kelly with Noah . . . awww

Amber


Ariel, Warrior, and Noah watching our min pin on the farm (look at their attentive stance)

Crias Then and Now . . .

Okay, yesterday I posted the crias in review from this past year, and their photos were mostly the day of their birth or within the week of their birth. Here are some photos of the crias now. :)

This first one is really blurry (sorry for that). It was bright and sunny outside of the barn roof area, but dark here underneath. This is Noah from early January. He is now over with the "big boys," and picks on them now, although not quite as much as he did the smaller crias. I think he was kinda put in his place by Warrior and Rafael's grumble. *wink*

This one is a picture of Nevaeh. She is getting quite a bit bigger than she was just a few short months ago. Hard to tell she was a preemie now. She is actually quite a bit taller than Zack, and she looks to be a little bigger than Joey (but the fluffy fleece can fool you). When they are shorn late spring, we will be able to really tell their size better.

Here's our little Shiphrah. When she gets out, she runs and runs and runs circles around the pasture getting everyone riled up. :) It is really funny to watch. Of course, you see she is more interested in the camera than where her mom is going.













Here are the "partners in crime." Well, not too much they can get into really, but where one is the other is sure to follow. This is a photo of Zack and Joey who were probably just nipping at one another's feet, if I know them.







And lastly, I just had to show you a newer photo of the "pups!" From left to right, Sophia now weighs in close to 90 lbs and Ariel is about 20 lbs behind her in weight. They are really doing well with the alpacas, bonding with them and learning they are there to protect and guard them. Sophie does her rounds around the perimeter while Ariel sits back and seems like she says, "I got your back, sis. Howl if you need me." lol They are sure beautiful dogs when they aren't wet from the snow, and Sophie can stand right up on her hind legs and put her paws on your shoulders, she is that tall already (although this is not encouraged for obvious reasons).

Hope you have enjoyed the newer photos of the little ones. I am sure there will be more photo opportunities in the spring when the frozen "tundra" we call Tioga county thaws out a bit.

We are also looking forward to another alpaca show towards the end of April in Harrisburg, and we will keep you informed if/when we go. Thanks for stopping by!

Feels Like Winter on the Farm

Although the calendar doesn't say it's winter . . . the chill is definitely in the air in Tioga County! We have had snow off and on for the past month, and as you can see some is still lying on the ground. The pups (Sophia and Ariel-- left to right) have really gotten big (about doubled in size since we brought them home), and they are wanting Cody to come in and play here in this photo.

The alpacas don't enjoy being kept in the barn much, but they have a little bit of space to move around out in front of the barn.

Next you can see Bonnie lovin' up on Amber who usually is right by your side come feeding time and any touching, petting, or sometimes kisses from Amber herself are free for the taking. She looks like she was thinking, "okay, okay where's the grain?"

Here you can see them at feeding time when everyone was getting in their "assigned areas" for feed.
There are two females who like to get as much as they can from the others(Angel and Amber), so they are penned up alone, and then Honey and Shiprah are separate because Shiphrah is still little. Another spot is for two of the other females, and the bigger crias get to eat together as well. This seems to be the best plan to keep everyone fed well without too much spitting or squealing at the dinner trough/pans.

Last, I leave you with a "Got Milk" photo of Joey after he rinsed down his oats and grain from a trip to the milk bar. *wink* See the milk under his lip? It was all white and drippy. So cute! :)

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you too are staying warm.

Shiphrah take 2

Here are a few more pictures of Shiphrah from the farm. Kelly had the pleasure of helping with this little cutie this weekend and was able to get some photos to share with you on line. Shiphrah is doing well and is seen here with her mama, Honey. She has gained almost a pound since Thursday, as she weighed in at 20 pounds 10 ounces this morning (10/25/2008).

She is really looking forward to playing with the other crias, as she is very curious as to what goes on outside of her stall. She has been out off and on, but it was rainy and nasty here today, so she and Honey remained inside all day. Hopefully sunshine will help to dry up the mud, and tomorrow will be a more enjoyable day for everyone.

Thanks for stopping by, and leave us a comment if you would like on our newest addition to the farm.

Busy week

Wow, it has been busy at the farm. Leonard has shoulder surgery. Then while he was recooperating, we had our last birth of the year last Thursday when little Shiphrah was born. Here is a picture of her, but the color is off quite a bit, as she is really pretty dark (like a bay black). She was rolling in the dust/dirt earlier with her mama, Honey, so maybe that made her look more brown than black as well. We are planning for the Empire Alpaca Show in Syracuse, New York this weekend, so things are still quite hectic. We hope to be back with pictures soon of some ribbons from the boys again (say a prayer for us, as this is a bigger show than last) :D