Storms and my Alpacas...

[LadyNai]

We have three alpacas, two unneutered males and one neutered - we may get a female eventually but for now these are our "fiber boys."

Anyway, they are in a pasture next to my mother's flock of dairy goats - there is a barn on one side and the other side is under a canvas canopy that stretches across both pastures (not totally, just partially).

For whatever reason the guys usually prefer to stand under the canopy instead of in the nice dry little barn. We had a NASTY storm last night in the midwest and I came out this morning to deal with the minor aviary issues and then give out the morning hay and grain (The alpacas get a very small amount in the morning - grain I mean not hay)

Ebony, my black 10 month old (Still has cria tips) was shivering, soaked and moaning at me that life was terrible. After he got his breakfast it wasn't so bad but he looked just sad. The others were soaked too but didn't look nearly so bedraggled. I'm assuming with the storm they stayed under the canopy AGAIN.

So how an I coax them to the barn? Is it possible that they want to be near to the goats? (Mom said she's ok to turn them all together as soon as all our girls give birth so it's about a month before all four kid)

It's also possible that Ebony MIGHT be getting bullied by Alex (2 years) and Paul (neutered and age unknown, he was a rescue case - he and his buddy were our first two and the other one got sick immediately upon moving and died the next day so we got the other two to keep him company. Nothing sadder than a crying alpaca)

Anyway if that is the case what can I do?

I'm great with goats and poultry but alpacas are new territory.

 

[ksalvagno]

Is there easy access into the barn? Is it dark or anything? I would think they would have wanted to get out of the storm. But if one is being bullied, then he may have been left out in it. Where do you feed them? If you feed them in the barn, then maybe they would be more interested.

I would not put intact males in with the goats. They will breed them.

 

[LadyNai]

There is very easy access to the barn - it ain't fancy but it's a big three sided sturdy structure that has been there since my childhood.

I feed the grain in the pasture right outside (they have three black plastic bowls that I take in and out) and hay goes in the barn itself. The first three days I fed under the canopy until which point I realized that they weren't leaving the area so I moved feeding areas.

They did go into the barn during the snowstorms but not during the nasty rainstorm of Sunday night. *sighs*

I haven't caught bullying of Ebony but they are still leary of me - they'll come out when I call them and will come and ALMOST touch me but not quite.

 

[ksalvagno]

I know my alpacas don't like to be out in any type of bad weather but I guess your guys don't mind it.

 

[Livinwright Farm]

I would not put intact males in with the goats. They will breed them.

Okay, this may sound completely stupid... but...
I have been reading about the rare cases where rams breed and impregnate does. The does can end up carrying to term and kid a hybrid seep-goat.... Can the same happen with alpacas??

 

[rittert3]

I would not put intact males in with the goats. They will breed them.

Okay, this may sound completely stupid... but...
I have been reading about the rare cases where rams breed and impregnate does. The does can end up carrying to term and kid a hybrid seep-goat.... Can the same happen with alpacas??

No this wouldn't happen, but they could hurt your dairy does. It's worse mixing intact donkeys with does and ewes.