Weaning
Lakota’s mom took off yesterday for a breeding date at another farm. Since Lakota is five months old and weighs nearly 60 pounds, we kept him at home to begin the weaning process. My heart went out to him today! He moped around the barn looking for his mama and moaned his croaky little humm. He even began following me around as I was doing the daily chores - hoping that I would lead him to some sign of his mom. Luckily for him, he did not have to be isolated from his “aunties”. Since mom is the one who left, he was able to remain in the pasture with the other mom’s to be until he adjusts to his new weanling status. He was our only spring cria - so he doesn’t have a buddy to ease his loneliness. Freckled Rose is only a couple of weeks old - not a worthy playmate yet.
I wonder if I will feel such attachment to all of our crias. Lakota was the first to be born on our farm - right into my arms! He is one big butterball now - with the softest, fullest fleece imagineable and a sweet temperament. At five months of age he is easy to lead by just using a “bracelet hold” - one hand behind the head and one hand under the chin. He will still come up to humans and cluck for kisses. I am cautious not to give him too much attention - I don ‘t want to spoil his personality later on. As soon as he gets over the stress of weaning, we’ll put him in with the yearling males, so that he can learn how to be a male alpaca. I want to wait until we are around for a couple of days in a row to make sure that Heli Arc and Crimson won’t aggressively pick on him (Heli-Arc and Crimson) 
