The Beginning

On Saturday December 10, 2005 our first Alpacas arrived at Bramble Wood Alpacas. The girls, as I soon started calling them, were a white Peruvian born female, Majorette, her 2005 daughter, Mikala, also white and a black two year old, Velvet.

Heather and Norris of Brier Run Alpacas delivered the girls for us. Due to a recent snow fall we where unable to get the truck and trailer any place close to the barn. No problem! We’ll just put the halters on the animals and lead them to their new home.

There was no problem putting the halters on, in fact Majorette didn’t even stand up when Norris haltered her. My wife Calista chose to lead Velvet as she had handled her at Brier Run when we visited there. I would take Mikala and Norris would bring Majorette who was still sitting in the trailer placidly chewing her cud.

Mikala made a little fuss after which she was willing to come along with me; the same was true of Calista’s charge, Velvet. Majorette, on the other hand, saw no reason to leave the trailer or for that matter to even get to her feet. She lay there chewing her cud in spite of Norris pushing on her in an attempt to encourage her to rise.

After a great deal of pushing and prodding this seasoned female finally got to her feet and was pulled and shoved out of the trailer. At this point Majorette must have decided that this was some sort of a slaughterhouse where they tortured you to death as she began screaming for her life. She stepped off of the trailer onto solid ground ---- and immediately lay down again.

Now both Norris and Heather were attempting to get Majorette to her feet. They alternated from Norris pulling on the lead and Heather pushing on the animals rump to rocking the reclining Alpaca back and forth side ways. At one point Norris lifted her clear of the ground and she kept all four legs tight against here belly. All of this tugging and rocking no doubt kept the animal from falling asleep as did her screaming, but had little effect on getting her to stand.

Just about the time that I was considering the front end loader Majorette decided that she would get up and head for the barn following her daughter Mikala and Velvet bringing up the rear. Through the gate with no problem we were half way to the barn when this female of the species plopped down on the ground again.

More pushing and shoving and rocking and giving verbal encouragement and we were again moving to the barn.

Eventually we got all three girls into their new accommodations.

This day I learned something. There is more than one way to resist doing that which one does not wish to do. You can buck and jump around like Velvet and Mikala or you can just lie down and passively refuse to budge as Majorette did.

Since bucking and jumping around requires that you use a lot of energy you will eventually tire and give in. Just lying down and not moving requires those who wish you to do something to exert their energy. Perhaps I will try this the next time my wife wants me to do something, just lay down on the couch and not move. It is my opinion that this will last about as long as it takes my wife to get the broom---or a pail of ice water.