Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Evil Twins & Others

The morning feeding went pretty well.  It's a fairly involved process because all of the animals have special catering needs.  The cats get half a can of wet food sprinkled with a few cat treats, and a bowl of dry kibble.  I rarely see the cats, and even then it's just a glimpse as they run at the sight of strangers.  Any leftovers go to the chickens the next day.

The top photo is Frick (Caspian), he of the gorgeous brown eyes.


 This is Frack (Titanic).  Poor Frack could have used some orthodontist work as a child, and every day is a "bad hair" day for him.  The boys are two different breeds of alpacas, thus the difference in their looks.  Is it any wonder I think of them as a comedy team?


Shadow (on the left) hurriedly gobbled his breakfast and then went over to see what Cricket might have left in his bowl.  Looking like a barrel on sticks, Shadow doesn't need the extra feed.  I need to get a better picture of Shadow.  He goes to the same barber as Frack.

Twice a day, Frick and Frack get one kind of pellet and Shadow and Cricket get a mix of two kinds.  They also get baby carrots cut in half.  The chickens get two kinds of feed daily.  I feel like a short-order cook.

Dinner time is a repeat of the morning and all was going well until the alpacas got into a fight.  They've got strange hooves, two toes with long pointed nails.  It started with just name calling.  (Frick probably said something about Frack's funky teeth.)  Their voices range from a high, pig-like squeal to a deep, low moan.  The verbal squabble progressed to rearing and striking out with those pointy feet and then chasing each other around their pen, yelling to beat the band.  One thing I do not want to have to do is call out a vet.  They settled the dispute before any injuries occurred and I was able to come home and put my own kids to bed.

It was, in fact, a busy day.

1 comment:

Kathryn said...

Oh my..I have never seen shorn alpacas - they DO make an interesting-looking pair. And even though at your Bed & Breakfast you seem to feed quite a variety, you don't have to play short-order cook. Dr. Dolittle, you are a good buddy to add cats, chickens, alpacas, and donkeys to the buffet table.