Our decision to put animals on our land was based on the need to keep the grass down. Ten years previously I had fallen in love with alpacas and as we had no interest in small cattle or sheep, off we went to purchase "our boys". First we selected 4 suris and 1 huacaya - purely based on colour and with not a clue on fleece or conformation. This was followed up by 3 more huacayas from a different breeder - we really wanted a grey and the other 2 "just had to" come too. Then, when we thought our herd looked quite substantial I saw a picture of a little suri called Picasso in the window of an alpaca products shop. A month went by and I could not get Picasso out of my mind so we went to the property where he was bred and he "just had to" come home also. (He was called Picasso because he was multicoloured - brown saddle on white with some grey. Breeders like single colour for fleeces, so Picasso was never going to be kept for breeding.) We initially thought we would buy 4 or 5 alpacas and now we had 9!One thing I have learned is that each animal has his own personality - some kick, some won't look you in the eye, some run ridiculously fast, some are incredibly curious and one just walks at a snail's pace everywhere he goes. There is an heirarchy and if there is a standoff, the result is a spitoff. This is how disputes are settled and the one who gets the other's spit in his mouth is the loser. He hangs his bottom lip and dribbles for about 30 minutes - the taste must be terrible. The smell certainly is. One point to clarify - my alpacas don't spit at me. The only times I have received the treatment is when I have inadvertently been caught in the middle.
Getting close is no mean task as alpacas don't really like humans. You can stand a metre away and all is well as long as you don't put your arm out to touch. This presents a problem when you want to halter train. I have read a few books on this and have now developed my own approach. At the moment we are trying to halter train Picasso. (See images before and after shearing.) He is small, but extremely spirited.
First I bring him into an enclosed area and then encourage him into an even smaller enclosed area. This allows me to talk to him and move slowly around him until I can stand sideon and put my arm around his neck (best not to get near the rear end). Camelid necks are like iron bars and they are extremely strong. The aim is to put your arm out and not have a struggle accompanied by trodden on feet. Picasso is getting there. Then you must hold the animal and let him see the halter and slowly get it over his nose - degree of difficulty depends on how the animal feels that day. (Picasso is a jumpy animal and can turn in an instant.)
Finally the lead is attached. It may take several attempts over several days to just get to this stage. This is when the animal either decides to buck, rear up, put his head on the ground, lie on the ground or a combination of all manouvres. We have been haltering Picasso over the last two weekends and yesterday Picasso and I took a walk around the house and back to the enclosure. I was particularly pleased as he walked quite nicely and did not try to escape. Today we walked again - this time a little further around the house and shed - and once again he was very well behaved. The aim is to be able to take him walking with the llamas as at the moment, Seve is the only halter trained alpaca. (See the image of Seve who walks like a little pony.)So as for halter training, soon it will be 2 down - and 7 more to go.....
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