Herd Meet and Greet

As soon as the alpaca arrived, the sheep knew something was up. Instead of spending the day grazing as they usually do, they spent most of the day inside, sniffing the air and listening to the alpacas hum.

So the next day, I set up a temporary small paddock outside the barn, so the sheep and alpaca could get to know each other slowly and safely. The first time the sheep saw them, they must've jumped 2 feet high in surprise! But their curiosity soon got the better of them, and they ventured out for another peek.

Peering around the doors at each other.

Hey, who's that over there? Note the forward-facing ears on all the alpaca, and the high tail on Mal. These are signs of curiosity, and can be the precursor to an alarm call if they deem what they're viewing a threat.

Even closer. . .

Daisy takes a good sniff of Gus.

On the third day, the barriers came down and I let everyone mingle as they pleased. Both groups still mostly stick to themselves, but the graze near each other and occasionally mingle.

Daisy and Gus are going to besties, I think. They're seem to be drawn to one another. I'm so happy I was able to see them touch noses!

The biggest challenge now will be keeping them out of each other's pens. So far they've been doing pretty well, but I did catch the sheep in the alpaca pen twice while the alpacas were out grazing. Thankfully, the sheep didn't leave any beans behind! That's really the only reason I don't want them to mingle in the barn. Alpaca poop in a communal pile, making cleanup super easy and keeping the sleeping/resting areas neat and tidy. But the darn sheep go anywhere they please. And their beans are so tiny, they're sometimes hard to clean up, as they easily slip through even the smallest manure fork. Anyone pasture different species together and have a good answer for this dilemma? I can't close up the barn during the day, as both species need access to shelter and water whenever they desire. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts!