Weeds and Bare Root Willows

In the summer of 2007 when we arrived in Utah, our land was barren, a diamond in the rough. We pulled all the wild thorny tumbleweeds and discovered muscles and joints we didn't know we had. 


 Weeds and bare Root Willows
 www.LittleUtahFarm.blogspot.com

When the cooler days of autumn came, we decided to go out and clear the pasture out back. Having a tractor would have been wonderful. It was on our bucket list for sometime in the future. For now we entertained the idea of hiring out someone to plow a 1/2 acre. We called a man who had a tractor but it would have cost $700 to clear the whole thing. $100 dollars an hour.

We decided to DIY. We grabbed our shovels and set to pulling the big old grey and boney tumbleweeds and cleared the debris that the former owners left behind. Funny, we discovered when we pulled on the weeds we nearly tumbled backwards as the roots had let go of the soil. The tumble weeds just lifted out easy with the tip of the hoe or a scuff sideways with our boot.

We had a good laugh after that. To think of all the work we did on those fresh young weeds back in spring along the pasture road. They had quite a hold into the ground and you got to get it all or they will grow back. There were many such lessons when we first arrived here on Little Utah Farm.



Bare Root Purchases For Beginners

 Have you ever had that planting fever in spring where you want to order everything in the catalogue?

 It is like going shopping when you are hungry. In late winter of 2010 I had this happen to me. The pictures show blooms with beautiful bright colors and the prices are cut in half for the big sales in the mail order Burgess' Seed Catalogue.

 I had ordered a dozen Hybrid Willow plants for a wind barrier behind the llama shed.  I was in quite a hurry to get it going so I selected those fast growing wonders. We also ordered some 6 Poplars Screen Hybrids to go in  front of the garden fence.

As I placed my order, I felt my heart racing with enthusiasm. Dreams of lovely lush green trees passed through me day and night. I envisioned the 3' to 4' plantings and played reruns of it till the day they arrived.

I recall, with a little snicker* the feeling of receiving 40 some shrubs and trees that I ordered from Burgess Seed Catalogue. The bare roots came inside a plastic green bag. All of them. I remember the day they came like it was yesterday. I got a knock at my door  and saw that the post lady was parked out on the graded road.


My hands rubbed together in anticipation as our postwoman opened the back door of her mail truck and brought out a large green sack. "What? Well hmm." I thought , "That sack is probably just the bulbs and small perennials I ordered". She sat the sack down with her one hand and gave me a friendly smile and waved with the other to bid me good day. "Wait, isn't there more?" I asked. "That is all." she replied. As she hurried back down the driveway, my heart sunk into my solar plexus.

 I shook off my disappointment and  ripped open the stapled bag. The smell of glorious earth came fuming up into my nostrils. It was love at first sight as I gazed over the little bare roots of my future trees and shrubs. While gently placing the skinny red- brown roots into a bucket of tepid water, I wondered how long it would take before they would grow into trees. I soaked the roots overnight.


Digging Yourself A Hole In Clay

 

 By the way has any of you ever dug in to the hard pan layers of clay?

The shovel may go in as far as the tip and then you hit what feels like rock. This is the hard pan of clay. Little by little it does chip away with the shovel.  I came to a softer layer half way down, from an ancient alluvial fan, and that made the last half of digging the hole a breeze.

20 holes later....

I successfully planted 20 trees and shrubs. I got the routine down.

Only 20 more holes to go...


How to plant bare root willows in clay:

My holes were 2 feet deep and 1 1/2 feet in diameter. Usually you make the hole twice the diameter of the root ball but I had heard stories of the hard clay stopping the roots and trees dying out of the blue, so I made the holes bigger than the spindly roots.  For the hybrid willow wind brake,  I placed the holes 31/2 feet apart.  

1. dig your hole as much as you can ( it may not be all the way yet) if it is not hard just skip steps 2-4
2.  fill with water to the rim.
3. wait 30 minutes or until the water has soaked in you may dance around the plant for optimum fertility
4.  continue digging your hole ( it will be softer now)
5. mound 1 part soft rich earth mixed with 1 part of manure in the center of the hole
6. lift the tender bare roots out of the water while thinking encouraging thoughts
7. gently untangle the roots and spread them over the mound gently, set her down, then breathe
8. put some of the soil mix on top of the roots, filling the hole half way and tamp the soil down gently to remove any air bubbles. I added some water at this point.
9. fill the rest of the hole with soil tamp down a bit then water really good
10. nurture your plantings like they were your children. Water them regularly especially in dry hot weather. You can mulch them also just not too close to the stem.


The catalogue book was right.

The little branches I took out of the green plastic bag did grow really fast just like the catalogue said they would. they grew 4 feet the first season. Now look at them !

My magnificent graceful willows after 3 years. They are about 15 feet! They are just about to bud into beautiful slender leaves. I watered them faithfully, admired them from afar and every time I feed the llamas.  I stayed in faith during the many woe be gone stories and warnings of my neighbors. " Oh my trees never made it, they died,"  they said. Their efforts or lack there of, produced nothing but dead wood. My story was going to be different. These plants would grow big and strong and provide shade and glorious green in the summer. And they did.

Looking up the willows. Hybrid willows planted from bare root. 3years old.
www.littleutahfarm.blogspot.com

Just wait till they are all leafed out. These are amazon sized willows, are happy as can be. The catalogue says they will reach 60 feet tall. They provide shade, protection, yummy snacks for the llamas and satisfying songs in the breeze.


EPILOGUE

It is almost spring 2014. It has been 4 years since my trees and willows were planted. These hearty plants and trees have given us such joy and greenery and shade. The Siberian Elm that grow here in Utah like weeds have rooted in some bare spots and really filled in some of the bare spots quite nicely. Our willows are now flowering after the cold harsh winter, and the bees will come shortly as it warms up.







The willows are gigantic and tower way above the wind harps ( telephone lines). The hybrid poplars tower way above us as well. We are so excited to see them leaf out this year. These memories bring me so much joy and laughter. I ain't done yet. I am still learning and discovering on Little Utah Farm.

Paul is near 6 foot tall. These willows are giants.
www.LittleUtahFarm.blogspot.com

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Believe in your dreams and appreciate life as it is. Those dreams will materialize.
Until next time,
Deborah Moon Moen

How To Make Your Dreams Come True 101

Dream it-Be It Have It

Pretending Your Dream

Paul and I had a dream of living in the country with the four seasons and the pleasure of having our animals on a little farm where we could love, feed, and care for them. 

We wanted to gather eggs and grow alfalfa hay and enjoy beautiful mountains and wide open spaces. 

Everyday we pretended we had a farm. Yes, that is right. We pretended and created farm projects and chores in our backyard even though we were smack dab in the center of the city. 


The Vision Board 

We played a game by making a dream board or a vision board. 

We bought some white poster board and stick glue and grabbed our scissors 

1. We cut out pictures from our favorite farm and ranch and nature magazines that generated enthusiasm and the feelings of living in the country. 
2. We pasted the pictures on the poster board and hung it where we could see it in the kitchen. Some people just roll it up and forget about it and find years later their dreams had come true without their realizing it. You can display your vision board if it makes you feel enthusiastic otherwise put it away and let go of it.  Let it cook as if it were in the oven. 

This barnyard  picture of the chickens, sunflowers, red barn and garden was placed on the dream board
and used as a screen saver because it uplifted me and increased my enthusiasm.

This farm picture was placed on the Vision Board in the kitchen.
We loved the red barn, lanscape and silo.

This is our view today from our bedroom window on Little Utah Farm. The back yard,
the llama corral, my sunflowers and the red barn is our neighbor's home however it is something just like my pictures in my vision board. We have a barn and it is tan. I can paint it red any day but I like it this way.

Be The Dream

When I first began to raise my chickens in the city, it was a learning process to clean their coop and feed them. Although I enjoyed having my own chickens, I felt a little awkward in the beginning. I knew by experience that with repetition anything gets easier and easier. 

Raising chickens is really fun. this is me in my backyard in
a big city in California.

I loved gathering the eggs. The whole ceremony of caring for the chickens was very gratifying. In time it felt natural. Caring for my hens helped me develop my skills and self-sufficiency. Learning how to raise chickens in the city kept my mind occupied with interest and joy.

We even grew a little alfalfa crop in the back yard..

Gandhi said "Be the change you want to see in the world" 

Even the smallest ideas of how to live on a farm and care for it, was carried out. We began growing alfalfa in a little patch of earth just to get the feel and joy of it. It was only a 2 foot x 4 foot patch. 

Every time I went out to feed my chickens or clean their coop, our farm and the thrill of living in the country was in my mind, and joyfully in my heart.

Doubt Snuffs It Out

We must have faith that our dreams have been acknowledged. Dreams do come true. This phenomenon has been and is demonstrated over and over again as long as certain mental and emotional conditions are met. Once you doubt or worry over details like money and logistics then you keep the precious seed, that you planted with your desire, way under the soil and it never sees Light. 

Be Patient and Have Fun

Struggling, trying, hard work that is getting you down is not required. If your dream is something you love then Be in Love with life and do what you love. Laugh and have fun and the Love will reflect right back at you like a mirror. If you struggle or you are noticing your dream is not there yet, that will reflect back at you as well. 

Life is what you think it is ~ Universal principle

Dreams Do Come True

It took a few years of searching to find our dream farm. We had fun looking for property on our vacations. We adventured into Oregon near the Rogue River and dreamed our dream, then we traveled to Arizona, and New Mexico. We hadn't yet seen anything like our vision board yet, however, it was so much fun to explore. One day in June 2006 our farm was revealed to us. It was in Southern Utah high on the western edge of the Colorado Plateau. 

The little acre of land, the house, old coop and pasture was so like our vision board when our eyes met we instantly agreed silently with big smiles as the real estate agent showed us the place. 

Diamond In The Rough

Our farm was a diamond in the rough and the wheels merrily turned in our minds how we were going to fix it up. The money magically came in to pay for it and a transfer came through for my husbands work and we moved into our dream home in 2008. 

Paul and Deborah Moen standing in their alfalfa field on Little Utah Farm
July 2012

Raw Milk Is So Good !

We had our first experience with raw milk today. Husband was wondering about it and asked around and in a few days we had an address to go to to get fresh raw milk. It was just down the road a piece.





Bottle of raw milk.

We pulled up into the driveway. Paul went and knocked on the door. A very nice woman came out and showed us to the milk stash. Her name was Andrea. She lead us to a stairway that went down into a basement. We ended up in her second kitchen especially for the purpose of handling the milk. We told her we had never done this before and she kindly explained how people wrote their names on an envelope ( she handed us one of our own and a handful of pencils and a pen.) Then she said that this was a self service business and people come in and use the envelop for pay and then just wrote down what they bought. There was a refrigerator with big glass bottles with dates written on them. She says after 3 days they feed the milk to the pigs.

" You may want to skim off that cream on the top" she said pointing to the bottle. We had never seen real cream before. We were wide eyed as we looked at the  heavy cream on top of the milk. Andrea said we could make butter and whipped cream. We could also go buy Rennet and cheese salt etc. to make cheese.





We met her pigs.

Paul and I had seen she had pigs so I asked her permission to take some pictures and she agreed. This was a working farm with cows, pigs and chickens. We met the new litter of piglets.




Just born these piglets were adorable and very healthy.

And we also met her hens.

Andrea's hens.

When we got home we ladled off the cream and shared some milk. It was delicious !

Harley McFarley is a new fan of raw milk.

You can read how we made the butter here. We Made Our Own Butter!

Thank you for stopping by Little Utah Farm,
Until next time,
Believe In Your dreams !
Deborah `MOON`

We Made Our Own Butter !

Today we got raw milk at a farm down the road. You can read about that here. Raw Milk Is So Good !

We ladled the cream off the top of the milk into a glass jar.
Harley McFarley our cat,  smelled the milk right away and he decided he was going to help. he was already smacking his lips.

Harley McFarley loves raw milk too.

After getting Harley down from the counter, we took the jar with the cream, fastened the lid and began to shake it. We made sure the cream stood out for awhile till the temperature got to 66-68 degrees. Paul shook it first for 5 minutes and said nothing was happening. I looked inside and there was whipped cream.  Mmmmm is was delicious! I shook it 10 minutes more and at 6 minutes I could hear and feel a lump in the jar. How exciting !




I had no cheese cloth so I used a paper towel and lined a plastic container with it. I pour in the butter and liquids then strained it. I then gently squeezed the excess liquid out of the butter. It was a pretty yellow color.

Poured butter onto paper towel.

I gently squeezed out the butter milk.

I took it in to show Paul and his expression was priceless.

Butter milk was strained and a beautiful handful of butter remained.

He was so thrilled to see the butter. He asked for a roll with butter on it.

We had bread with homemade butter !

Today we got raw milk at a farm down the road. You can read about that here. Raw Milk Is So Good !

DeborahMoonMoen
of Little Utah Farm

Thank you for visiting Little Utah Farm.

Until next time,

I will share this little story. I loved "show and tell" in first and second grade back in 1959-60. My mom taught me how to make butter and I was able to make butter for my class. Mom packed up some Saltines also so we kids could all taste the butter when it was done. She taught me to make a heart cake too. Here is that story How To Make A Heart Cake. 

A Winter Project~ Luminaria

Luminaria by Deborah Moen 2013

There are times when we would like to light the way, show we're thankful or give a meaningful gift. I have found this luminaria to brighten up many occasions and what it didn't cheer, it soothed. I give it with a battery operated flameless votive candle and some tea lites. The flameless candle is amazing and really is good for leaving a candle a glow overnight for special occasions. I also purchase a glass heart votive holder also. It all makes a very nice and unique gift set.


What you will need:

• wax paper
• gathered and pressed leaves, flowers, grasses
• glue stick
• scissors
• iron set on low heat
• pencil
• ruler
• buy Japanese Washi tape or you can cut about 10 strips of wax paper 12" x 1/2" you will need 6 but it is good to have extra.
• Votive candle holder and candle, tea lite or flameless votive.

 Directions

1. cut 4 pieces of wax paper 9" x 4 1/2 "
2. fold the 4 wax paper pieces in half  so it makes a 4 1/2" sq.
3. open up the folded paper and on the bottom half ( inside), lay pressed leaves in the design you desire.
4. carefully close the top half over the foliage and press with iron on low heat. ( this adheres very quickly so do not hold the iron on the wax paper for too long) 2-3 seconds is enough. Experiment as iron temperatures run differently.
5. Do this with all 4 pieces of wax paper

Apply the Washi tape or self cut wax paper strips to close the bottom of each wax paper square. To do this: fold one strip ( 12" x 1/2") long ways in half . You will have 1/4" on each side of fold.

1.  cut 4- 5" pieces of the folded strip (Washi tape is already cut and ready to stick)
2. On a sheet of paper for protection, run the glue stick down the inside of fold of wax paper strip ( Washi tape is self adhesive)  covering the whole surface of the strip and attach to the bottom to finish the edge on all 4 wax squares. Cut off any overhang.

With remaining flat strips

1. Run glue stick over the back of a 1/2" wax strip and place it  evenly over the  joint of  2 squares together. Fold over excess and cover the back seam cutting off any excess. The last one can be draped over a sleeve board or held off the table in hands to join.
2. Crease each corner to the outside and you are done.

Storage or gift giving.

The Luminaria is fragile like a Chinese paper lantern and must have support inside the box when it is stored or given as a gift.. Use card stock to hold it's shape inside. Cut 1 sheet of card stock down the center long ways and fold each at 4 1/2 " . You will have 2 folds with 3 sections on being only 2 ". Lay the first folded half of card stock inside then lay the second half in overlapping the small section. you can crumple some tissue inside.

I found that a long 12 pack carton of Mountain Dew or any soft drink is a perfect size, about a 5" square box. I cut it 5" up, leaving one side with and extra 7" for a lid ( fold under 2 " of the lid to tuck carefully inside)

These luminarias are so beautiful at night and will give you many days of enjoyment.

I hope you enjoyed this project.
thank you for visiting Little Utah Farm's Journal
Visit us on Facebook, Little Utah Farm
Until then "Let There Be Light"
Deborah `MOON`

The Day Winter Came

The Day Winter Came

Autumn brought such beautiful color and a short cold snap that turn the leaves a beautiful burgandy red, orange and yellow gold. After that brief cold snap, it was mild most everyday. The colors on the trees stayed longer and brighter most of the season. One day a strong wind came through and dried the leaves untill they were crisp which made a rustling sound as they moved up and down. The warmer weather was a blessing for the baby llama, Luna. We took her homemade coat off and she was able to enjoy her infant days much more grazing and playing naked in the sunshine.

We had heard of a storm coming but we gave it no mind as the mild autumn had cast her spell of euphoria and complacency.  I stepped out onto the back deck. A freezing cold wave of wind and snow flurried around my face I shivered all the way down to my feet and followed the snowflakes out to the coop.  I felt my heart race to think of the girls in this cold weather and stepped into the coop to turn on the heat lamps. Click* click...there was no light....nothing... then I tried again...click* and no light came on ... no electricity! * (see note below)

Husband usually takes care of these things but he was at work so I had to put on my big girl pants and investigate the source. Sure enough after testing the main outlet with a hair dryer I found the electricity was off . I tried the reset button but it did not help. Rerouting the extension cords to the house from the barn was a bit dramatic as the snowflakes swirled around me in a white out.  I held that "can do" spirit of a farm woman. As I worked, the snow got deeper. I grabbed the cords to the llama trough heater and pulled them out across the pasture, through the backyard gate, across the lawn and plugged it into the socket on the back porch. The chicken coop and llama trough were connected. Success ! 

The next on my chore list was to sew on some velcro fasteners onto baby Luna's winter coat. That went fast. By now the sun had begun to lower fast and it was dark by the time Paul got home. We went to get that coat on Luna. We turned on the back porch light and could see the snowflakes swirling down and blowing in diagonal sweeping motions like a curtain in the cold winds. 

  I wore a head lamp and Paul held a flash light. We were ah mazed at the snow heaped on the gates and panels and we shivered as the ice crunched under our feet and gloves. There is this metallic crunch like a crystal glass vibration as we forced opened the gates. being from Southern California this is quite awesome to us. We entered the shelter and gently cornered baby Luna. Momma, Gaia, made no mind of it.

Luna, 3 months old, had bits of frozen ice on all over her and I pulled them off with my heavy gloves. She was dry under the ice. She grunted and hummed like a child who was getting her face washed but she stood quite still for me to get her coat on. The new coat fit so well with some room to grow and Luna was now protected from the wet cold snow.  Yay ! Done! That night I slept pretty good knowing all my fur and feather family members were safe and warm.

Within 2 days the winter has brought us minus digits to -7 degrees and then it let up and became warmer.  Highs in the 20's and lows in the teens and single digits for the coming days and nights showed on the weather reports. 

The water at the spigot outdoors had frozen which means the water buckets must be filled from the sink or bathtub indoors then carried out to my trusty wagon.  As I pulled the wagon behind me over the ruts of frozen snow, the water in the buckets sloshed.  I made my way to the corral and emptied the buckets into the big water trough. 

Really, I do love our little farm. It is quite an adventure for me.  Everyday brings another lesson, another joy to experience and another story to share. 

As I write this morning, it is 14 degrees. I will stop now as it is time to feed breakfast to my dear animals outdoors. I will fix a nice meal of scrambled eggs, oatmeal, and fresh broccoli for the hens. The llamas are easy. They love their hay of alfalfa and grass.

I wish you all a Happy and Joyous New Year!

Thank you for visiting Little Utah Farm

Deborah Moen
of Little Utah Farm

We hope you can come again.

Until next time you may like to try my post 

 Pumpkin Seeds recipe:

* [Please note: I was new to cold weather, being from mild Southern California, and unaware that chickens can hold their own in the cold.  As I got used to the cold I have let the girls use their feathers and warm bodies to keep warm. I do have a great coop heater panel which I use in single digits and minus temperatures. It has a timer and 3 settings. It is safe for coops on the ground or hanging on the wall. I got it at amazon. ]

Baby Luna has a New Winter Coat~ How to

Baby Luna's New winter Coat



Look at those eyes.



Luna's uncles were ogling. They couldn't believe what had happened to Luna.

Luna grew out of her coat in 4 weeks. It used to lay just over her little tail. So I am going back to my sewing machine to make another. You can get the pattern here

Coat # 1 http://www.dragonflyllama.com/page14/page43/

 

I originally cut mine on a 4" grid and an adult llama would be cut on an 8" grid or larger depending on your measurements. I measured from the nape of the next to the base of the tail and then around the chest. Oh Luna is so soft and she makes the cutest gurgling sounds "Let me go!"

Here is the pattern and directions:

I used 1 1/4 water resistant fabric. it is nice to know you can cut 2 cria coats out from 54" wide fabric.

Just for enlarging the neck and lengthening the coat the blue lines show my alteration.
But making this coat for an adult is full grown will have no alterations.

My tile floor just happened to be 4" grid so
laid down my wax paper and began tracing.

Cut batting, I used 10 0z.

 

 

Note for lining ( above) I cut on right side of fabric with long edge on the right.

Reverse for the outer shell. For the outer shell lay pattern on right side with long edge

on left.

 

 

 

I  machine quilted the batting onto the lining to keep it in place for
and because. Luna is a wiggle worm.

Pin right sides together ( above)
 

Leave a space for turning

Notch curves and clip inside corners.

Turn inside out. Just stick your hand into the opening and pull out what's inside.
 ( Just fold in the seam allowance of the opening) I top stitched 3/8 from the outer edge.

 It was a beautiful day with snow capped mountain and swirly angelic clouds. I just sewed this on my back porch. The warm autumn sun was soothing and the air was so fresh.

Even though the coat is much to small for Luna, I found out this was great for dogs !

This winter coat fits Kollie perfect and who knows she may need it to stay dry when it rains.Cute huh?

Thank you for visiting Little Utah Farm
I have opened a store on Zazzle.com Little Utah Farm
We are creating many beautiful greeting cards and other things with our photography.
Here is a cup with Luna on it. I love the two tone effect. It comes with many colors for the inside.

Baby Llama Two Tone Mug by LittleUtahFarm
Put your favorite photo on a mug.

Do Llamas Spit? The Truth

Storey's Guide to Raising Llamas: Care/Showing/Breeding/Packing/Profiting

The most frequent question people ask about llamas is, "Do they spit?"

 

 

The answer is yes, they do. Spitting in some animals is a survival response when threatened by predators or mishandled by humans. They also spit mostly at each other during feeding. Here are some amazing facts that may be help the public to understand more about these exotic creatures.

 

Llamas get a bad rap from people who get spit on by walking up to a guardian llama in a field or attempting to cuddle with one in a petting zoo.

• A Guardian llama is used for alternative herd management in guarding sheep. The noises they make and their ability to spit with dead aim for a distance of 10 to 15 feet can discourage predators whether they be animals or human. This why we never approach a llama in a field. it is his job to guard that area and he is chosen ( usually best is a gelded male) for this job specifically for this purpose. Not all llamas are guard animals. 
•  Llamas are herd animals require another llama, sheep, goat, to occupy the same space with them. Llamas generally do not like to be touched like horses or dogs do. They are usually in a survival mode when approached by strangers in a petting zoo because they are in a corral alone. Most llamas unless trained do not like to be touched. They appear aloof. This is their way of survival instinct. Do not take it personally.
• Domesticated llamas are trained to accept the handling for their care such as toenail clipping, haltering and grooming. Ask before you touch a llama. The handler will instruct you how to best approach him or her.
• Llamas are a 4 legged work of art.
• They make fine eye level companions. What do you do with a llama? Well that is another story for next time....

Starbuck

 

Below is a video of our llamas about spitting from You Tube on our new
You Tube Channel Little Utah Farm.


 

There are many animals in the wild who spit for survival.

• The spitting cobra utilizes muscle contractions to squeeze glands in its mouth to accurately shoot venom at possible predators to protect itself. This process gives an appearance of spitting. The spitting cobra has been known to shoot venom for a distance of more than 6.5 feet.
• The archerfish hovers near the surface of the water, watching for bugs. When it sees one, it spits a stream of water out of its mouth to where the bug is sitting on a plant. Once hit by the water, the bug is likely to fall off and land in the lake for the archerfish to swallow for dinner. The archerfish has mastered the angle at which it must shoot water to knock down a bug.
• The male scorpion flyuses spit during its mating ritual to attract a female mate. The sticky saliva is spit onto leaves for the females to devour as a distraction during mating. This distraction helps the male to survive after the mating has completed.
• Spittle bugs wrap their bodies in a foamy spit to keep from drying out when they are young. The foam also insulates them from heat and cold. These spit-covered youth, known as nymphs, can be found along the stems of small plants.
• The mighty walrus spits a forceful gush of water at the mud on the bottom of the sea or ocean floor to uncover clams from hiding. This trick is useful for the walrus, which has limited eyesight. Walruses are also known to spit out water when playing around.
  
  Read more: What Animals Spit? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_8444945_animals-spit.html#ixzz2AKVVD8vR

 

Thank you for visiting Little Utah Farm

Luna Llena our baby llama is almost 4 weeks old

She plays happily with the herd and there is a co-operative community emerging as a result of her presence

Hope you all have a great day !
Deborah MOON

 

 

Born On The Full Moon

Join us on our new Facebook Page: Daily updates

Little Utah Farm

 
I really would rather have Googled this event before it happened. It is times like these I am thankful for Mother Nature's help.

Ricky our grandson, came in and told me to grab my camera and get out back. "Grandpa says to hurry!" he coaxed. "Well... just a minute" I said." "No Gma, Grandpa says to come NOW!" I was thinkin' it was a cute pose with one of the dogs or an egg laid in an unusual place. As I walked across the back yard I felt something quiver in my solar plexus. I saw Paul at the gate of the corral, looking inside. "Deborah,  come look at this" he said calmly.

I looked into the corral and Gaia our new female llama had her back to us and what did I see but what looked like to me shiny black rubber tubes coming out of her. I was blank. I just didn't have a reference inside my brain to figure it out right away. Waaaa ! It finally kicked in. Gaia was having a baby!!! A baby llama was arriving to Little Utah Farm.

I was as shaky as Ricky, Ethyl and Fred on the I Love Lucy show when Lucy comes out of the bedroom to announce "Ricky, It's time." Everyone runs around dropping clothes out of the suitcase and in a state of panic.

This was a complete surprise. We knew not of her pregnancy when we bought her at Ron Harding's Farm. The herd she lived with was wild and free roaming around in 80 or more acres. . Gaia was  very young when we got her last December. She was around a year or or year and a half.. No way to tell. Our 4 boys are gelded and so we had no idea we would ever have a baby. We did give it some thought but dismissed the idea.

Shouldn't she be laying down? Will the others llamas hurt the baby? Wonder if something happens? Waaaa ! Then I gathered myself and called my llama friend, Christina Dunlap, in California. She owns Not Home Alone Pet, Livestock and House Sitting Service. "I need you" I spoke into the phone trying not to scream. She reminded me to take a deep breath and assured me usually nature would take it's course. She is really smart and kind with animals and also teaches first aide for pets. She continued to give me an outline of what to expect. I am thankful and appreciative for my friend, Christina, who by the way, was one of the two women who introduced us to llamas at the Pomona County Fair in California about a decade ago.

• It seems to take forever for the baby to be born. It will present itself usually feet first then head. Whew * This is exactly how it went.
• Llamas do give birth standing or in prone position.
• Check to see if the baby's nose is obstructed by the membrane. Check * The baby was breathing freely and the head was dangling as Gaia walked around the corral.
• We did separate the boys from mother and baby. We easily herded the adult gelded males into the corral. Mother and baby were in the nice green pasture.
• Gaia sat down a few times and each time the cria ( a baby llama) gradually slipped out more.
• Once the shoulders come out the cria hangs at the flank or hips and as she hung we held our breath. Then we all watched in awe as the cria plopped out onto the pasture floor.

In moments the baby was moving and wiggling about and Gaia saw her baby.

• Llamas do not lick or dry off their babies. The babies thrash about to stand and the membrane is rubbed off. In 30 minutes baby was standing and falling....standing then falling... standing.
• In the wild the female llamas all gather around the mother during the birth to protect the baby and mama from the intact males. Llamas are ready to breed once they give birth. After the birth and when baby is standing and nursing the `aunties` step away for mother and baby to bond.
• The placenta was delivered in an hour. it was interesting like a giant hunk of liver. Paul buried it deep in the back.
• Babies need to have colostrum in the first 24 hours of life which they get from the mother's milk.it has antibodies to protect the baby. Udders on a llama are so tiny they are difficult to see. Many people give the crias colostomy from goats milk kept in freezers for this purpose. There is also a wax plug in the teats which some people remove to make sure the milk is flowing. Llamas give only 2 oz of milk at a time.

Our new addition to our farm was born on the day of the Harvest Moon, September 30,2012. We named her Luna Llena ( pronounced loona yena) which means Full Moon in Spanish.

Watch Video:  7 minutes: of the mother, Gaia and the birth of her new cria llama, Luna Llena. Baby and mom had a good experience and are doing well and fine.