Meet The Herd
Justin
Justin is the gentle giant. He is good natured and low key. He was a beautiful dark black llama when he was young. Sadly, he is graying like the rest of us but he is still quite handsome. He definitely wants his llama chow but waits his turn. The summer in Oklahoma is hot and Justin likes to cool off in the pond. Justin takes nightly strolls through the pond and he is my Loch Ness Llama.
Heyday
Heyday is the grumpy old man, “get off my lawn” llama. He wants to do what he wants to do when he wants to do it. Shearing is not on his list of things he wants to do and he throws a ring-tailed fit every year when it comes time for his haircut. He has a unique look with light blue eyes.
Jimmy Cracker
Jimmy Cracker is a southern gentleman and very low key. He is a white suri llama which means he has long curly locks which become dreadlocks, if not sheared annually. He is a definite sweetheart of a llama. His fiber is soft and silky.
Chloe
Chloe is a bit of a diva. She is the only female in my merry band of llamas and knows it. She wants her llama chow first and will muscle her way up to the bowl, if others get there first. Chloe doesn’t like to be sheared and will avoid it, if at all possible. I think Heyday is rubbing off on her. She has a beautiful cinnamon and white coat which makes beautiful rug yarn.
Kryptonite
Kryptonite was my other suri llama. He was very regal and had a beautiful face. Kryptonite was the most domineering of the bunch and always got his llama chow first. Sadly, he crossed the rainbow bridge last year.
Llamas are members of the camel family. Alpacas are also camelids. However, llamas are significantly bigger than alpacas. Llamas have a more angular face and long, slender ears. They both have very warm, hypoallergenic fiber but llama fiber is not quite as soft as alpaca. Llamas have guard hairs in their fleeces which must be removed during processing to get the really nice, soft fiber.
Yes, llamas do spit. However, my llamas mostly spit at each other when they get annoyed with one another, or someone is infringing on their food bowl. Heyday is another matter. He is not afraid to let me or anyone else have it when they piss him off. There is a lot of nasty, stinky, green goo flying at shearing time. I have learned the hard way not to stand in front of Heyday when he’s mad. Enough said.