Cal-ILA
Lady Jessika
By Larry Lang of Canyon Creek Llama Trekkers January 25, 2002
We got a call from a friend stating that someone she knew had a large, hard to handle female, which they needed to find a home for. I told them that we would be glad to help in anyway we could, stopped by, took one look at her and welcomed her into our ranch. She led well and loaded without a problem although neither had been taught to her. The owners stated that she might be pregnant, but if she were than she would be due in September, no later than October. We are great when it comes to males, we can handle berserks and take in aggressive males all the time. We are poorly equipped to handle pregnant females at this moment, so lots of calls to people determined that she probably was not pregnant, but we thought we would order progesterone tests just the same. One day, while working with the females I got the weirdest sense. It was as if Rose was saying to me, "I am pregnant, come feel, there is a cria growing in me." I do not believe that people can talk to animals or vice versa with the exception of, come, sit stay, halter, left, right, Ho! etc. I had no idea how wrong I could be.
Luckily October, then November came and went and no cria, it looks like I was wrong in being able to talk to animals. December started out cold dark and wet. Not only in the literal term referring to the weather, but in an emotional way as well. Between being laid off and the death of a very close friend a dark cloud certainly hung over The Canyon Creek Ranch. The second week that cloud broke, and the weather warmed, telling us of good things to come. Wednesday was a beautiful mountain winter day, with blue skies and warm weather (for us). Paula noticed Dusty Rose off to the side and commented that today would be the big day. "Naw, she was due months ago, she is not pregnant. " I took her to work and promised I would come home early and check on them "just in case". While feeding the boys I noticed a fight in the girls pen, A FIGHT ??!!! The girls don't fight! So I ran up in time to see the mom arguing with the aunts about whom this little cria belonged to! CRIA !! AHHH, CRIA !! I am not equipped to handle babies; I have never had one, boil water? Get towels? Tie the belly button, I have books hmm where, oh I have friends I could call, frantic, frantic !! I got some help, and they said the baby needed to be kept warm since the Thermometer was nearing the freezing point. I cut up my favorite sweatshirt wrapped her neck and body as best I could, told the neighbors to keep an eye on her and I was running to town to get supplies. With the help of Tracey Wallace, Norma Stevens, Dave Bartlett and Pat Leighton, who I cannot thank enough, we made it through. I would have paid to see us in the drug store that night yelling across the aisles to the pharmacist, " where did you say the enemas were? Oh yeah and the iodine ?" Llama people can be great, no only did Pat let us call her at all hours of the night, Dave, drove out to our canyon to meet us that night, let us borrow a cria coat and gave us some info, at that point all the info we could get would be helpful.
It was decided that the baby carried the characteristics of Paula's best friend, lively, beautiful, and intelligent, and therefore we named her after her recently departed friend. Lady Jessika.
Three days into her life, Lady Jessika went on her first road trip to Pat Leighton's house. We where unsure of how much milk she was getting. Pat let her spend the night, taught us how to tube feed a baby and gave us herbs for mom to help produce more milk. Pat helped save this baby, and this baby absolutely cannot die. So now she is springing around the pasture, happy, playful and full of energy. Thank you Pat, Dave, Norma and Tracey for all your help.
So, without further delay, may I present, Lady Jessika!
Luckily October, then November came and went and no cria, it looks like I was wrong in being able to talk to animals. December started out cold dark and wet. Not only in the literal term referring to the weather, but in an emotional way as well. Between being laid off and the death of a very close friend a dark cloud certainly hung over The Canyon Creek Ranch. The second week that cloud broke, and the weather warmed, telling us of good things to come. Wednesday was a beautiful mountain winter day, with blue skies and warm weather (for us). Paula noticed Dusty Rose off to the side and commented that today would be the big day. "Naw, she was due months ago, she is not pregnant. " I took her to work and promised I would come home early and check on them "just in case". While feeding the boys I noticed a fight in the girls pen, A FIGHT ??!!! The girls don't fight! So I ran up in time to see the mom arguing with the aunts about whom this little cria belonged to! CRIA !! AHHH, CRIA !! I am not equipped to handle babies; I have never had one, boil water? Get towels? Tie the belly button, I have books hmm where, oh I have friends I could call, frantic, frantic !! I got some help, and they said the baby needed to be kept warm since the Thermometer was nearing the freezing point. I cut up my favorite sweatshirt wrapped her neck and body as best I could, told the neighbors to keep an eye on her and I was running to town to get supplies. With the help of Tracey Wallace, Norma Stevens, Dave Bartlett and Pat Leighton, who I cannot thank enough, we made it through. I would have paid to see us in the drug store that night yelling across the aisles to the pharmacist, " where did you say the enemas were? Oh yeah and the iodine ?" Llama people can be great, no only did Pat let us call her at all hours of the night, Dave, drove out to our canyon to meet us that night, let us borrow a cria coat and gave us some info, at that point all the info we could get would be helpful.
It was decided that the baby carried the characteristics of Paula's best friend, lively, beautiful, and intelligent, and therefore we named her after her recently departed friend. Lady Jessika.
Three days into her life, Lady Jessika went on her first road trip to Pat Leighton's house. We where unsure of how much milk she was getting. Pat let her spend the night, taught us how to tube feed a baby and gave us herbs for mom to help produce more milk. Pat helped save this baby, and this baby absolutely cannot die. So now she is springing around the pasture, happy, playful and full of energy. Thank you Pat, Dave, Norma and Tracey for all your help.
So, without further delay, may I present, Lady Jessika!