All breeders have a unique story about how they got started in the alpaca business. Our story began with 7 pregnant females. We had purchased them but were not going to transport them home until they had delivered their crias. This would give us some time to prepare our ranch and ready our minds for their arrivals. Little did we know that we would have a visitor sooner than we anticipated.
Several weeks after the purchase of our first alpacas, Tim was checking in with the former owner to see how things were going with our gals. Some had already given birth. The fellow asked if we would be interested in helping them out by taking in an orphaned cria. He was born earlier that day. His dam was on her way to the vet, and unfortunetly was not expected to come back. This little boy was almost a month premature, and was struggling with simple things like nursing, walking, and defecating.
Tim''s reaction to this plea was that we could not do it. Not because of our lack of knowledge or ability, but because I was not well. You see, I suffer from what doctors call Multiple Sclerosis "Symptoms". We question whether or not I have MS, but the symptoms are there, and they are very real.
I was going through an "MS episode" when Tim was asked to adopt this very needy cria. He told the owner that we really wouldn''t be able to do it, then called to check on me and told
me the story of the motherless cria.
Bottle Baby
I picked up the orphan the next day!
We named him Kokomo. I became his surrogate mother overnight, and Kokomo became my hero. My spirits were lifted as he inspired me, taking my mind off of myself and focusing my attention on someone who was worse off than I.
Within days of forcing him to nurse from a bottle (he didn‚t know quite how to suck), and giving him hourly instruction on how to walk (he was like Bambi on ice), as well as letting him know it was alright to have enemas, Kokomo was doing things on his own and had become a cherished part of the Graber family.
North Plains Alpacas
Tim and Eldonna Graber
North Plains, OR
(503) 647-3519
