We’ve been a little nervous about introducing the big boys
the herd, since Marcello has a bit of a reputation. But now that the big boys
have had their *ahem* operations…we figured the timing was right. Besides, when
it gets cold and snowy, we’ll want to be able to bring everyone into the barn.

Mom, being the brilliant stock woman that she is, decided to
let the big boys into the little boys’ paddock, so that the little guys
(Tuscany and Morocco) had the home field advantage. Marcello blustered up to
the feeder, and was promptly put in his place by Tuscany, the most delicate
alpaca in the herd. It’s probably a product of the “adolescent males” still
being *cough* intact, but they did better than hold their own, the established themselves
at the top of the male pecking order.

Now that the politics are out of the way, the boys are all
enjoying each other’s company during the day. Merlin loves to lay down in the
doorway to the barn and look out over the paddock and the turnout. Marcello
thinks looking over the stall door and into the sprawling plains on the south
side of the cliff is pretty much the most awesome thing ever.

After turnout, everyone goes back to their respective
paddocks. We still haven’t put the big boys in with the girls, but that can
wait. The important thing is that everyone has somewhere warm in the winter.