Seriously?

I need some more good thoughts.

Cain, silly funny Alpaca boy, broke his leg Thursday night. More accurately probably, somebody broke it for him. Maybe a goat. Maybe an Icelandic. I didn't see it happen, but they can both be crazy and a little bit nasty at feeding time. I suspect Cain was an innocent bystander of their craziness.

Our alpaca vet came out yesterday morning and x-rayed it. It's a pretty clean splinter fracture (not sure about the correct terminology) above the elbow. The options are not good. He can stay on stall rest for 2 months and hope it heals, with a sling maybe, to help immobilize the leg a bit. Or he can go to the vet school and have surgically implanted pins. And then be on stall rest for 2 months.

Neither option has great odds -- about 50/50 in both cases. And obviously the surgery is expensive and very stressful and disruptive to him and the companion (Abel) I'd have to take with him. And remember the reindeer at the clinic when Bumbleebee was sick? He had had surgery on a broken leg. I don't know how it turned out in the end, but the last time I visited, he was still there with complications from the surgery. Complications are common.

Cain's fleece is not that great. People are dumping alpacas left and right around here. He has no monetary value at all. But I promised him a good, safe forever home when I took him in, so I need a crystal ball and a good decision here. Not sure what to do at all, but any positive thoughts are welcomed.

Silver linings

Presenting the most expensive exquisite 10.5 ounces of Bluefaced Leicester lamb fleece ever. 

Thank you Bumblebee.

Return to normal

This summer has been a long haul. I'd like to make a list of all the troubles, just so I can look back in years to come and say, See, I really have gotten better at this farm gig. 

But it's embarrassing to never have anything positive to say. So here's a positive post.

After five long weeks, Bumblebee has returned to her flock.

Smile.

She is skinny.

And naked.

But I knew the time had come when she kept scooting under the bottom rail of the corral pen at the pony barn to get to the better grass on the other side.

This morning I plucked the last of the loose fleece off her skinny little ribs (located just above and in front of her fat little tummy) and threw her and Cricket in the back of the car.

Though they willingly allow me to put halters on them, any request to walk pretty quickly results in dead lamb syndrome, i.e., full body flat out on the ground.

Hence, the car.

I drove them around to the sheep barn, opened up the gate, and  let them at it.

Well, coaxed them out anyhow.

Their brothers and sisters checked them out. Zephyr the alpaca checked them out. Then everybody went on their way and they spent some quality time wandering around the pasture nibbling on the grass. Eventually, I put them inside the barn to avoid a sunburn on Bumblebee's pink skin. She's got some fuzzy wool all around, but not much.

Now she just needs to be a regular lamb.

And maybe grow a little.

That would be nice.

Lambs

Beetle and friends