This has been a big week for Machu and Picchu, our new alpacas.  On Wednesday the vet came to visit them, check their health and give them their vaccinations.   Living overseas as a child exposed me to some of the horrors of not vaccinating and we want  the best for our animals.  The vet agreed that the boys should have rabies shots and triple mix shots which incuded tetanus, clostridium, and something else that I can't remember right now.  They boys also needed shots to prevent meningeal worm which is rampant in the midwest and east coast.   The vet and her assistant are very familiar with alpacas and had clothing with hoods to protect themselves from alpaca spit.  Mamma, Shanna, is very protective of her baby and was very unhappy--ears were pinned back and she was humming vigorously--and the professionals were concerned about spit.  Fortunately, there was no incident.  The vet pronounced the boys to be in good shape and went on to the next farm. 

The next evening we came home and the boys had multiflora rose tangled in their beautiful coats.  We knew we had to get those twigs out before they tangled in, and ruined their fiber.  In addition, Picchu could hardly walk because his twig wrapped around his back and then down across the back of his hindlegs effectively hobbling him.  Mack went in to work on them while I took care of the birds.  A few minutes later he came over and said "Now I know what alpaca spit smells like."  Mamma Shanna got him and got him good!  Green slime was dripping off various parts of Mack's face and clothing--I couldn't figure out how Shanna's spit could hit in so many places on the front and back at the same time--and he smelled vile. He backed off for the day, but we knew we had to try again.

This morning Shanna was hanging over the fence waiting for her treat, but pinning back her ears and belching every few mintutes like she was planning another nasty surprise.  We tried a different approach--penning her up, and working on the boys in the paddock.   Mack twisted the twigs and they popped right out, just like hair off a hairbrush.  The boys both seemed to feel much better and are friendlier than ever.  (Amazingly, they have been friendlier every day since the vet's visit.)  Shanna recovered her cool friendly self when we let her out of the stall and back with her baby.  Mack and I have learned about different levels of  alpaca spit and DID NOT have to do laundry this morning before we came to work.  All is well back on the farm.

(Sorry, there are no pictures with this blog--no opportunities to take pictures of green slime, spitting alpacas-things happen too fast!  Nor are there pictures of multiflora rose in coats--how humiliating and embarassing for lovely boys.)