Alpacas and Llamas and Chickens ~ Oh My!
We’ve been long-standing members of the local community, but when my family moved to our urban farm 17 years ago, I had no idea what all it had in store for us! Getting to know our neighbors and putting down roots, both literally and figuratively has been quite a journey!
It all started when my then 8-year old son, Charlie, came to me and informed me "Mama, we need chickens!" Being a fatigued working mother, my response was less than stellar "Whyyy do we need chickens??" Unphased, Charlie went on to inform me:
"They're healthy because a backyard chicken egg has WAY less cholesterol than a grocery store egg!" (Mind you, this is an 8 year old talking about cholesterol so he had my attention.)
“They're green because they can eat our kitchen scraps!” At this point, he paused with dramatic effect and then finished with …
“Mama, they're EDUCATIONAL!"
At that point, I clearly saw the manipulation at play, but appreciated his ingenuity in putting it together. My response: "Okay, but here's the deal:
They need to fit the budget I give you,
we're going to take excellent care of them because they'll be pets first and foremost, and
they have to lay pretty eggs."
At this point, Charlie trotted off to the computer and came back with an 8-year old's version of a business plan! So, we got our first flock of 5 chickens and the rest is egg-story! :-)
Not long after we got chickens, a herd of older Alpacas came to my attention. Their owner, a long-time Alpaca farm owner, had lost her husband and her mother was elderly and ill. (A side note, typically when Alpacas and Llamas need rescue, it’s because something has changed for their owner, health issues and financial changes are often the catalyst for a rescue situation.) I was glad to be in a position to be of help and the first members of our herd came to our urban farm. Over the years, we’ve adopted and rescued other members of our herd including Beau, a miniature Chilean Llama, and Mr. Bingley, a Huarizo. A Huarizo is an Alpaca / Llama mix so his Mama is a Llama and his dad was an ambitious Alpaca!
I volunteer for and raise funds for Southeast Llama Rescue. Southeast Llama Rescue is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization. I also also donate 11%* of profits from sales of our merchandise because it’s just that important!
* Why 11%? Alpacas have an 11 month gestation period. Although we don’t breed our herd, this number is a nod to the wonderful Alpaca & Llama Mamas who brought our herd into the world!
Our flock of chickens is always a delight to watch and get along well with our herd of gentle, curious Alpacas and Llamas. Check out this page for more about our various herd members!