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2014 crias

As old age relentlessly marches on we determined 2014 will be the last year we should take on the responsibility of being able to properly care for our moms and new born crias. It turned out to be a very bittersweet year, as have some in the past. We have always maintained breeding llamas delivers both the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows. This year bore that out. The first 3 crias were textbook easy, then for number 4 Poka delivered Vaughn, a beautiful 34# stud to be by 6-3-0. They spent the night in the barn and were turned out to graze the next morning, returning to the loafing area about noon, Poka grazing her way in. Fifteen minutes later she was tipped over on her side, dead. We rushed over to Josh and Lindsay Gunderson to borrow Pauline for an adopted mom. The next morning while dealing with bottle feeding an orphan, B’Elanna went into labor. Noon came and went with no progress so a call to our vet Susie Blaha. At 2:00 the verdict was torsion!! Off to CSU (6 hours) to the waiting wonderful staff led by D. Andy Lear. On the phone they let me come directly to the clinic and unload her before checking in at the front desk. By the time I got back the torsion was corrected and Dr. Lear was straightening out a head that was turned back. A few minutes later a fighting, kicking 34# boy was on the table. With all of the adversary in this birthing process it seemed a fitting name would be Kahless, the founder of the Klingon  Empire.  Freckles finished off the year with the sole little girl Francine, and with 5 older brothers she is one tough cookie.