The Time of Day is Important

Saturday morning we did the deworming procedure again. Because we have no studs, we do fecal exams immediately after our breeding females return to Alpaca Shack. This exam revealed tape worms: a parasite which C. Norman Evans, D.V.M in his Alpaca Field Manual ,describes as "more upsetting to the owner than the animal". He recommends a three-day deworming program.

John totally enjoyed the often comical production of squirting the thick white paste into each animal's mouth; a completely different reaction from the previous day. He was out in the pen with "the girls" while his brother gave a dose to our gelding, Kaboom, showing none of the negativity of the previous night.

I am convinced that this is directly related to the time of day. John is less able to handle
unexpected situations as the day progresses. He is much more comfortable coping with stimulation in the morning and being able to choose his degree of involvement in the afternoon.

Often our days are culminated with a visit from our farm neighbors down the road. We sit around the kitchen table and discuss upcoming weather predictions and such. As the day winds down, John welcomes the predictable: dinner, an hour of musical duets on the keyboard, and a bag of popcorn with his Dad before heading to bed.