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Thursday, July 19, 2018
We got a chance to take a couple of alpacas, Argos and Cisco, down to a local tv station to talk a little about our alpacas and our store! The boys were ready for their close-up!
https://kdvr.com/2018/07/17/blazing-star-ranch/
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Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Diamond and Elizabeth
People often ask if alpacas spit. I'll let you be the judge. This is a mother/daughter pair that just had a disagreement. Both are pregnant, which definitely adds to their aggravation with each other. Mom, Diamond is the spitter and daughter, Elizabeth is the recipient of the spit!
Elizabeth
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Monday, April 11, 2016
Royal--Judge's Choice!
Just realized how long it has been since my last blog--time flies! Our 6th year in business was very busy and the best one yet. Our store continued to grow and we added lots of new yarns, roving, and fiber equipment. We had 5 babies in 2014 and they hit the show ring the spring of 2015.
At ABR Fall Fest, we took 5 animals and took Royal took a First, a Color Championship, and a Judge's Choice at halter and a First in Fleece! Emmy Lou took a 2nd and a Reserve Color Championship, Patron took a First at Halter and a First and Color Championship in Fleece. Royal, Emmy Lou, and Tiara took 2nd in Breeder's Best Three, and Charlie took a Blue Ribbon in Fleece.
And since then Patron has taken another Color Championship and Reserve Color Championship at Halter. And they were all bred by me!
And so we begin another summer with 6 more babies coming. I can't wait!
Breeder's Best Three
Emmy Lou--Reserve Color
Patron--NWSS Color Champion
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Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Buttercup's baby
We welcomed Buttercup's little girl on 7/14/14 at 12:08. I don't think I have ever seen a stronger cria! She was on her feet in 5 minutes and never looked back! Way to go, little one! Now--a name!
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Thursday, July 10, 2014
Part of the business of alpacas is selling. It's a bittersweet thing! Just sold 2 of my boys--the first that I've sold that I made the breeding decisions myself. One I even delivered myself. So, off they go. I'm sad, but happy because I know they have gone to a great new home.
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Friday, June 6, 2014
Paul Smith & co shearing
Every year, shearing day rolls around. Our great shearers and their helpers arrive and then the organized chaos begins! We had 2 shearing stations going all the time. Several farms were participants in the shearing and in 2 days almost 200 alpacas and llamas were shorn!
I never get tired of seeing all that wonderful fleece come rolling off the alpacas.
Now, on to skirting the fleece and turning it into soft, luxurious yarn and rovings!
Alpacas pre-shearing
Alpacas post-shearing
So much yummy fleece!
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Thursday, October 31, 2013
Iceman and Loreal
On September 6, two weeks to the day after we lost our Shawnee and Moonshadow, Loreal showed us that life does indeed go on. After one of the hardest things that can happen in this business, the best thing happened--Loreal had a little boy. A big, feisty boy! His name is Iceman.
Following him on the 17th, Margarita presented us with a beautiful little fawn girl. A no drama birth--the way it should be. She's our last cria for this year.
The circle of life.
Peaches
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Saturday, August 24, 2013
My Shawnee
We had been anticipating the birth of Shawnee's cria. Instead, tonight, Aug 23, we lost them both around 11pm. It's almost never a good thing for labor to become obvious at night. Tonight was no exception.
She started showing obvious signs of labor around 8pm. When no progress was made, our vet was called just after 9. She got there about an hour later.
At first, it seemed all was ok. Feet and nose were present, so she pulled them out. But nothing else would come. It was apparent something was wrong. Bottom line, it was a bad dystocia. Baby was positioned really badly, with several parts stuck. Shawnee was not contracting and pushing. After an hour and a half of of heroic work by our vet, the baby was out. She tried for quite a while to revive it--a beautiful light fawn boy (whom I had decided to name Moonshadow due to the great big orange moon outside)--but it was not to be.
Then we realized Shawnee was in great distress. Her gums were white. She was bleeding out somewhere internally and it was happening fast. There was no saving her, so euthanasia was administered.
My beautiful Shawnee and her cria are gone--but somewhere over the rainbow bridge, she's pronking with Moonshadow and being the best mom ever.
We miss you both.
Pretty girl
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Friday, August 23, 2013
Day 361--and we're still waiting. This picture of Shawnee is from today. We were spying on her with the maternity run webcam. She is one ornery girl right now!
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Saturday, August 17, 2013
Shawnee is now at Day 356. She's been fooling us for over 2 weeks now. She'll cush and sigh. Then she'll grumble a little. Looks pretty ready--but no, back to eating like a horse. Well, it's gotta come soon!
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