Tag Archives: herd dynamics

Food fight!

Posted on January 9, 2012 by cliffhousealpacas

As a general rule, the alpacas are mild-mannered, sweet-tempered animals. The only exception is feeding time. Can you guess which alpaca is the pushiest? Yup! It’s Brittany! And though getting caught in the crossfire between the girls is “all part … Continue reading →

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Bravado is not a good sharer

Posted on December 19, 2011 by cliffhousealpacas

Little Bravado, our smallest alpaca and our only suri (it’s a breed of alpaca), is a man after my own heart. He’s a bit of a worry wart, always on the watch for trouble, and he is not good at … Continue reading →

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Marcello: defender of the ranch

Posted on December 5, 2011 by cliffhousealpacas

Saturday morning was…interesting at the ranch. Mom was cleaning (as always), when all of the alpacas started chirping in alarm. Normally one or two will chirp when they spot something amiss, like deer at the top of the driveway or a … Continue reading →

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Brittany on bunny patrol

Posted on November 28, 2011 by cliffhousealpacas

My brother was warming up his car yesterday when he heard the alpaca alarm call. It’s a loud, high-pitched chirp that we’ve become as tuned to as the alpacas themselves. He investigated and found the girl alpacas lined up in … Continue reading →

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Random alpaca word of the day: “spit”

Posted on November 14, 2011 by cliffhousealpacas

Not long after we got the alpacas, Dad had a uniquely alpaca ranch experience. It was early morning and he was on his way to the office, where he had a class to teach. Like a good (somewhat naive) alpaca … Continue reading →

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Alpaca bio: Tuscany

Posted on October 12, 2011 by cliffhousealpacas

Tuscany, as our first cria, holds a special place in all our hearts. Born to Tulip before we’d even brought the alpacas home to the ranch, Tuscany was adorable from the very start.

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Daddy’s boys are eating out of his hands, literally

Posted on September 30, 2011 by cliffhousealpacas

Dad has had a project recently, trying to teach the alpacas to eat their crumbles (a pellet treat) from his hands. Alpacas as a general rule don’t really approve of interactions with people, so it’s actually quite a difficult endeavor. … Continue reading →

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Big boys meet the little boys

Posted on September 19, 2011 by cliffhousealpacas

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 … Continue reading →

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Herd dynamics

Posted on September 16, 2011 by cliffhousealpacas

One afternoon last weekend, I went out to the alpaca turnout to shoo the girls into their paddock and let out the big boys, and I couldn’t find them. They weren’t at the feed troughs, or grazing on the stubbly, … Continue reading →

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