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Llamas originated from South America. They can be taught to do simple tasks and are often used for pack animals. Some of our llamas have done some obstacle course activities. Recently, they have been found to be very effective in the protection of cattle and sheep herds. They will kick the predator to death. Llamas are more independent minded and have an easy-going nature. Their fur is called fiber and is warmer than sheep wool. Their fiber is not as readily used as an alpaca’s fiber due to the guard hairs that need to be picked out of it. There is only one llama breed. They typically live 20 years but with good care they have been known to live 25-30 years. They mostly eat grass and lichen. Here on the ranch they like to graze in the pasture and eat hay but also get grain in winter. They range from 290-440 pounds and are about 4 feet tall at the shoulder. When unhappy they will put their ears down as a warning that they may spit.

Alpacas originated from South America. They typically get sheared once a year in late spring. Their fur is called fiber and is warmer than sheep wool. People are rarely allergic to alpaca fiber because it does not have lanolin in it. It also does not retain water. There are two types of alpacas - Huacaya and Suri. Most of our alpacas are Huacaya. Their fiber is crimpy with shorter fiber. There are 2 Suris on the ranch and their fiber is silky with a bit of a dreadlock appearance. Alpacas are more skittish in nature. They typically live about 20 years. They eat mostly grass but have also been known to eat leaves, wood, bark and lichen. On the ranch they mostly eat hay but also get some grain in winter. They range from 110-190 pounds and are about 3 feet tall at the shoulder. When unhappy they will put their ears down as a warning that they may spit. They may also spit at each other when competing for food.

Baby alpacas are called cria and weigh between 18-20 pounds at birth. They will stay right by their mother’s side for 6-8 months.  It takes about 242-345 days for a baby to be born. The range in days is due to external stresses that the mom may experience. They rarely have more than one baby at a time. It is hard to tell if an alpaca is pregnant without doing an ultrasound. They typically are born in the morning.

Donkeys, also called a burro, belong to the horse family. They originated from Africa. Donkeys are very social animals and develop strong attachments to people and other animals. The donkey will bray loudly, when their friends are removed. Colors are typically white to gray to black with a dark stripe from the mane to the tail. However, you will notice here on the ranch, Elli is white with brown patches. They average 3-5 ft tall at the shoulder. Although slow, they are very sure footed so are ideal for carrying heavy loads on rough terrain. “Stubborn” donkeys don’t mean to be that way. They are either afraid or not motivated. A male is a Jack, female is a Jenny, babies are foals. Typically, they have 1 foal and are pregnant 11-14 months dependent on environment or stressors. Here’s a fun fact - a donkey that is breed with a zebra is called a zonkey! Under good care a donkey can live 30-50 years. Donkeys love to spend their day rolling in the dirt.

Mini horses are true horses, not ponies, and identified by their small height of no taller than 38” at the shoulder, originating in Europe. They come in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Despite their small size, they can pull 4 times their weight. They tend to be friendly and make good pets. Some have been trained to be service animals. Here on the ranch they eat hay and mineral. They can live for 25-30 years. Other special needs of mini horses are hoof care, grooming, tooth care and vaccinations. They typically have one foal, baby horse, at a time. I guess we could call the foal a mini mini – weighing in at 20 pounds. Adults weigh from 150-300 pounds.

There are over 300 breeds of goats; fortunately, the ranch does not have that many! Currently the ranch has Alpine, Angora, Boer, Nigerian, La Mancha and Fainting goats. Fainting goats are also known as a ‘wooden leg’ goat. Goats can live about 12+ years. A male goat, also known as a buck or billy, sports a larger beard than the female. A female goat is known as a doe or nanny. Babies are kids. Goats were the first animals tamed by humans and can be taught to come when their name is called. Goats can have no horns, small horns or big curly horns. The nanny goat knows her baby by smell and sound. Contrary to popular opinion, goats do NOT eat everything. They are really very picky eaters. Don’t try to sneak up on a goat – they can see 340 degrees around themselves!

There are more than 60 rabbit breeds. Some days I think the ranch is trying to collect all 60! They originated from Europe and Africa. They can range in weight from less than 1 pound to over 16 pounds. A male is called a buck, female is a doe and babies are kits or kittens. Of course, we just call them all bunnies! They eat grass, clover, wood and seeds. Rabbits are good diggers and in the wild will dig a tunnel for their home. An average litter size is 3-8 babies and they can have 4 litters a year. Wow! That is a lot of rabbits! They are very social animals and love living in large groups called colonies. Here on the ranch there are many colors and sizes of rabbits including Lionhead, Flemish Giant, Holland Lop, Dutch and Mini Rex.

Pictured here are Frizzle Chickens. They are thought to originate from India or China. They get their wild look from their feathers curling up and out from the body instead of lying flat. This is called ‘frizzling’. They can come in any color and tend to be quite social and quiet. They do not mind being handled so make the perfect family pet. Chickens can live 5-10 years, weighing 1.4-8 pounds. They lay the most eggs in the first 2 years. If you visit the ranch you will notice Frizzles are not the only kind of chicken. There are also Cochin, Phoenix, Turken (naked neck), Silkie, Rhode Island Red, Orpinton, Ameraucana, Welsummer, Sebright and Serama.