- Vying for Position
I may be remiss in getting this posted in a timely manner, but I hope that these photos will be worth the wait.
Spring is so much fun on the farm. The alpacas love it when I close the main gate and open the barn doors. I used to let the girls out first for about 3-4 hours followed by the boys. BUT that changed…
Here the boys are playing King of the Hill.
…When the boys would search for the sprouting cedar trees and other sticky stuff that I haven’t cleared yet and would roll to get those stickers stuck into their fiber. So they have lost their free range prifileges – at least for now.
So now it’s the girls and their crias that get out to play.
They run and pronk around the “yard”.
And one of the first thing they always do is to run up the gravel pile. Playing and pronking are how muscles are developed and strength is built. They are also developing social behavior. It’s fun to watch the dynamics of the herd.
It must be something inherent in their genes, because all alpacas love to be on top of the hill. They will truly play “Queen” or “King” of the Hill and push each other off the mound! Because they absolutely LOVE to be on TOP!
Copperhead made it to the top
In this photo, they are somewhat tired and have decided to share the hill!
- ‘Pacas playing Queen of the Hill
But there is sometimes one that won’t share. What happens when you’ve made it to the top and are holding your ground, so to speak? Well, let’s just say that the other’s do know who is the alpha Queen.
After several hours of play, it’s time to head back to the barn.
We all love Free Range time – including me. And especially when I can enjoy the view from my office window!
Bye for now…
