Big Pimpin', 2015 edition

 

This handsome devil is Campbell, future father of the 2016 lamb crop! He's from the same farm as the ewes (and last year's ram), and he's quite the looker! Those horns! So magnificent. And so far, he's so much calmer than Caesar was.

Just like Caesar, though, he was ready to go the instant I let him into the ewe pen after his long car ride! He was interested in Dorrie right away, and she him, so I'm going to bet right now that she's the first to lamb next spring.

Daisy was fairly interested too, and just like last year, she and Dorrie had a few dust-ups over who should get the man.

And also like Caesar, Campbell assured the ladies there was enough of him to go around. It will be interesting to see the differences in lambs next spring given the different father! I'm also really, really curious to see how Lilith and Kilda's lamb(s) will look. Especially Kilda, as her genetics are a bit more diverse than the rest of the flock. Mark your calendars--lamb watch 2016 starts the last week of April!

Meanwhile, since the lambs are still too young to breed, they're currently living with the boy alpacas (oh yeah, the boys got their own pen and paddock in November!). I think Gus is happy to be reunited with at least some of "his" ladies.

Don't they all look so happy and cozy together?

So Long, Caesar!

Well, Saturday I packed up Caesar and brought him back to his home farm. While he is a stunning ram, I can't say he'll be much missed around here! I'm definitely not ready for rams and their feisty attitudes. After he had done his business with the ladies, he got kind of bored. So he started ramming the walls. He busted apart the wall-mounted hay feeder. Thank goodness he didn't bust through a wall or gate while he was here--that was my biggest fear. I would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night panicked about the possibility!

So, yes, fare the well, beautiful Caesar. I think everyone is much happier with the situation. Caesar wasted no time getting reacquainted with his BFF, Narnia Farm's guardian llama, Dahli. And the girls wasted no time getting reacquainted with their alpaca buddies. I know I sometimes have a tendency to project or anthropomorphize, but I swear the ewes really are excited about the reunion. I haven't seen them more than a few feet from the alpacas since I let everyone mingle again. I mean, wouldn't you think the same thing if you saw this every time you checked on the herd?

Dorrie, Jazz, and Dawn greet Josie (Daisy was in the barn loving on the other 'pacas).

Dorrie loves up on Anna.

Daisy and Anna

Lamb watch officially begins April 29, and could go into June. Crossing my fingers for mostly girls, and lots of tan or bicolored beauties!

Welcome, Caesar!

On Saturday, I drove down to Narnia Farm (the same place the ewes came from) to pick up a ram for my girls. Meet Caesar. Isn't he gorgeous?

As you can see, he's quite a bit lighter than my girls. He's what is called light phase (tan), while the girls are dark phase. I'm hoping for some tan babies next spring or maybe even a few babes with both dark and light!

Despite the weirdness of being pulled away from his friends and traveling to my farm, he was rarin' to go the minute he was released from the dog crate I transported him in. I would've thought he'd be tired from his journey, but no! He started chasing the girls around immediately. They were pretty unimpressed at first, but then Jasmine and Daisy started sniffing at him a bit and seeming very interested.

So far, all Caesar seems to do is chase tail and headbutt things (rather vigorously, too! Thank goodness the boards in his pen are all at least an inch thick!). And he kind of stinks. Boys, amiright?!

This afternoon when I checked on everyone, Daisy and Dorrie were having a bit of a tiff, circling and butting each other. Fighting for Caesar's affections, perhaps?

Listen, Daisy. He's mine. MINE. Capisce?

Ladies, there's enough of me for everyone. Trust.

Caesar will be here for about 6 weeks. This should be enough time for the girls to all cycle at least once, so everyone should (fingers crossed!) be pregnant by the time I bring him home again. Lamb watch officially begins April 29; mark your calendars!