Sinatra is beautiful. He is social and enjoys having attention and his neck massaged. He is six months old now and continues to nurse from Mom. I allow my Mom's to wean their own crias and have never had an issue with lack of milk production. Most Mom's will wean at 7-9 months on their own as they are anticipating another cria soon.

I discovered Revielle with a rectal prolapse. I immediately phoned Dr. Sullivan (our veterinarian) only to find he was out of the office the entire day for a root canal. Filled with worry as to the outcome, as I had "googled" "alpaca rectal prolapse" to find only dismal outcomes and poor prognosis, I called the Ohio State Veterinary Hospital. The vet informed me that this prolapse was most likely the result of young Revielle coming of age and staining himself while breeding. I wanted to intervene in an urgent fashion, however, we decided since the prolapse was the size of a golf ball and the tissue still healthy, I would go to Dr. Sullivan the following day and have him suture the rectum in place. It took Dr. Sullivan around an hour to place a purse stitch to hold the rectum in place. He gave Revielle an epidural and a local block and Revielle cooperated in an exceptionally calm fashion. It has been 5 days now and the rectum and the purse string are still in place. Revielle is still straining with the suture and swollen tissue giving him the urge to stool. I have been administering Banamine and an antibiotic everyday by injection. The healing process will take time and I plan on removing the purse string in two weeks. I am so happy that this is a great outcome so far with the help of Dr. Sullivan. Revielle and I have been very close. His calmness and personality and that face...oh that face.... are the components of happy alpaca rearing.

Today Rosamelia gave birth to a boy weighing 17.8 lbs. I named him Big Wigg. Every time another cria or curious alpaca comes near he "squeals like a pig". I have not heard that sound from another alpaca before today. He is shy and staying very close to his Mom. He has the brown and beige marks of this other siblings.