Please also see our other blog at

http://nywildliferescue.blogspot.com/

It is more active than this one. Always check there for updates, too.



Northeast Llama Rescue was started by Wes and Darcy Laraway of Middleburgh, NY.

Several years ago they rescued their first llama out of a tiny horse pen. Since that day, Northeast Llama Rescue has helped dozens of Camelids from several different states.
The primary mission of Northeast Llama Rescue is to educate owners on how to properly care for their animals.

We also offer assistance with a traveling chute to shear, worm, and trim toenails on hard to handle animals. A 'TRUE REPUTABLE BREEDER" should help out the llama down the road that is not being cared for by owners that understand the needs of llamas.

If you know of a llama owner who is no longer able to care for their animals, there is help available. Members of Northeast Llama Rescue will adopt any unwanted animals. Rescue animals will be relocated to farms of members for training and necessary vet work.

If a llama is able to be rehabilitated, he will be available after a careful screening process. All rescues are placed in homes with a contract that says they shall be provided for and can not be sold. In the event a rescue animal becomes unwanted, the llama MUST be returned to Northeast Llama Rescue.

If you share our philosophy and love for the animals, you are more than welcome to join us! There are lots of llamas that need a person to love.

We also rescue farm animals, and are licensed wildlife rehabilitators.

This site is copyrighted by Wes Laraway.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

New Animals

Lot has been going on here at the farm since the last time I blogged on March 4th. I have had 3 new HS Students volunteer to work at the farm. As soon as I get some time, I will get them started. I really don't know what I would do without their help. My current HS crew is great. They know what they need to do and don't require any babysitting. Colin is at the farm now, living in the apartment and finding his niche around here. Was really busy last week between gymnastics, karate, play practice, appt.'s with the kids....etc. My oldest daughter (age 11) and our rescued Golden Retriever Lucky are both in the school musical "Annie". Hannah is an orphan and Lucky is "Sandy"....Lucky is getting her own bio in the program as the only "real" orphan in the play. Hannah is a natural, I loved plays/musicals in school and she is just like her Dad. Lucky just sits on stage and is thrilled to be surrounded by singing and dancing kids. Colins Great Dane Ally got spayed over a week ago. She gets her staples out tomorrow. She has spent the last couple of nights with him which is great. They need to get to know one another and it is tough sleeping with 2 Great Danes sprawled across your bed.
The 17 ducks that came in last week are doing great. I found a great home for 2 of them already. The same woman wants to adopt 3 of our geese also. Friday the 7th was a hectic day. It was the last day that I had Mr. Martin my student teacher in my classroom at school. He did a great job and I know that he will get a job teaching and be an asset to any school lucky enough to get him. On friday, The Rochester Humane Society (Lollipop Farm)brought out 2 donkeys that had special needs and were looking for a permanent home which Ive agreed to provide. I love donkeys, they are easier keepers and they have a home for life. I am looking for a sponsor that will want to cover their costs and hopefully even want to spend some time here at the farm socializing them (they are very shy). Saturday, we got 3 loads of hay and got a bunch of projects done around the farm.
This past sunday we had a great fundraiser and PR/Easter Photos with the kids at Sweet Temptations candy and coffee shop on Main Street Middleburgh. Colin, Gayle and Linda were there. Gayle took some great photos that we will try to get up on the blogs and the website. Linda got our business cards, banner and brochures. I set up a great display. Over a dozen local businesses donated raffle prizes. I had 2 of my students helping out there. Rich and Heather Vilegi, the shop owners were great. Shelly Wood organized the fundraiser and is donating 25% of the proceeds to our cause from the photos she took with the kids with the bunnies and lamb that I brought. Kelly Martin brought down a Great Horned Owl and a Marsh Hawk (Threatened Species) which she showed to the crowd and talked about all day. I really appreciate everyone that came out to support our animals and our mission in the freezing cold....It was an awesome day and one that I wont forget soon. I will blog more about it on the NY Wildlife Rescue Center Blog. Cheryl got sick and we panicked without a lamb for photos (my sheep hadnt arrived yet). Elaine Jaycox was nice enough to provide us one of hers for a few hours which I also deeply appreciate. The photos wouldnt have been the same without the lamb.
Speaking of babies. Ive been putting in some long hours lately. Colin offered to let the horses out and do am chores. He came in this am to let me know that the Nubian goat we are boarding for a COBY College student had given birth to twin females. I was already up and on my way out so I went out and showed him how to dry off kids and get them in a pen where they could bond with their mother alone for a few days. I came home at lunch time and they were nursing and doing great....I love the baby animals. I checked on the goats again after school before I ran Hannah and Lucky back to school for play practice. When I got back to the farm at 945 tonight, I did rounds of the farm. The goats still are nursing and doing well. I went down to the far end of the barn to check my small flock of registered Scottish Blackface Sheep. I use the sheep at Scottish Festivals for my Border Collie demos. We were blessed with triplets....She had just had them. 1 ram lamb and 2 ewe lambs.... Triplets are not usually fun but they were all up and nursing and Ewe #20 was taking good care of them. When I checked my records....It is interesting that she had triplets on March 11th in 2005 also. (Last year we didnt have any lambs because the ram I borrowed from a friend was too old to get the job done). I figured I would kill some time getting you all caught up with a blog before I go back out at midnight, 3am and 6am. "Lambing" is fun but the sleep deprevation gets to you after a week or two. It is really good practice for May when the Whitetail Fawns start coming in and I am feeding bottles every 2 hours around the clock. This weekend I have a wounded Pheasant coming in that has been rehabilitated and needs a soft (gradual) release site. Spring isnt until next thursday but I know it is coming because things are picking up....Spring is always the busiest time of year at the farm and I can't wait to share all of my experiences with you....Gotta go check on some sheep, Wes

(update: for pictures, see our New York Wildlife Rescue blog)

1 comment:

shropgirl said...

Wes,

I am glad to see tha the ewe lamb worked out for your picture day. I was worried that she had not behaved for you. I would love to see some pictures if you have access.

I have to say that lambing is not my favorite time in the barn. The endless trips to the barn and the cold nights, no fun. I love weaning and summer shows, seeing what my ewes have produced and raised is so cool.

How many lambs so you have so far?

By the way cool blog, I should so something like this for the sheep here.

talk to you later,
Elaine

Northeast Llama Rescue by Wes Laraway

The Northeast Llama Rescue was started by Wes and Darcy Laraway several years ago after they rescued their first llama out of a tiny horse pen. Since that day, the Northeast Llama Rescue has helped dozens of animals in 5 states. The primary mission of Northeast Llama Rescue is to educate owners on how to care for their animals properly. We also offer assistance with a traveling chute to shear, worm and trim toenails on hard to handle animals. If owners get "tired" of the daily maintenance of their herds, members of the Northeast Llama Rescue will adopt or buy, if possible, any unwanted animals. Rescue animals go to the farms or members of the organization.

The Northeast Llama Rescue does not wish to compete with other rescue organizations, although any llama or alpaca is welcome. We need to cooperate to help ALL camelids, not just registered or "nice-looking" ones. Everyone has the right to breed and sell llamas, but a true reputable breeder will "help out" the llama down the road that is not being cared for, regardless of its age, sex or conformation.

Our last rescue came from Central New York. A farm had purchased 9 animals from a Midwest auction. Four of the animals had died from natural causes....starvation? The owner had health problems and no longer wanted the animals. After several other concerned people failed to negotiate their sale, I eventually called and within five minutes we had agreed on a price and the deal was done. The next night, Wes Laraway, Kim Scheurerman and P.J. Wagner went to pick up the animals. The owner informed us that the llamas were wild and could not be handled. Within five minutes all were calmly caught, on lead ropes and in the trailer, with us using a wand and some TEAM Training techniques. The owner thought I was the "llama whisperer" because I got those llamas to do things in five minutes that she couldn't do in a year. She unfortunately knew nothing about handling llamas.

Three hours later, we were back into quarantine at Red Maple Farm starting "damage control". The animals were immediately wormed, fed fresh hay and grain, and watered. All were body scored under three by sight and by feeling through their wool. This hands-on inspection revealed barbed wire that needed to be cut out of the fiber. We decided NOT to shear because it was too late in the year and they were too thin.

Another concern was an ingrown halter. One of the best ways to remove ingrown halters is to undo the buckle(s) and cut the nose band with sharp toenail clippers on each side of the nose. Then gradually, over time, the remaining pieces will fall out. With application of an antibiotic cream, any wounds from the ingrown halter will heal quickly. In this particular case, the halter came out of the nose and was added to the "wall of shame" in our barn (along with the barbed wire and ear tags still on them from the auction they were purchased from). The blood stream stopped within fifteen minutes and now, after a month, we can tell that scarring will be minimal. Please tell everyone you know that owns camelids, NEVER leave a halter on a llama! Even in a week, with wet conditions, a halter can embed itself in a llama's nose.

My biggest concern was the 10 month old female that was exposed to her father. If bred, we decided to abort the unborn cria for the safety and well-being of the young female. None of these five animals were over the age of three years. All of them, over the following months, would need intense care and proper nutrition. The animals were all updated on health requirements and gelded. All of these animals would need training before they could go up for adoption.

New problems continuously arose. Two weeks after they arrived, one of the females surprised us with a weak, constipated fourteen pound male cria. Within hours I knew it wasn't "normal" so mom and baby were moved to a quarantine pen in the barn. The decision was made to supplement the cria with goat colostrum and give him an enema. Although the cria was walking, he continued to strain to relieve himself. Around the clock surveillance did not reveal any nursing or defecation. At two days old, I found very small maggots between the cria's toes and by his umbilical cord. After consulting my vet again, the cria got a bath and dried out in the heated office before going back to mom in the barn. My vet explained that crias born on rainy days must be completely dry or flies will lay eggs in moist areas of umbilical fluid. I've never heard of this problem before but I know now to check my newborn crias for maggots every day. After five days of constant care, we lost "Trooper"....I guess it was not meant to be, but we tried.

The rest of the animals are doing well today. Concerned individuals found them, bought them and will protect them. Today is actually a special day, because the vet did fecals on them and all five of them are parasite free and can join our llama herd. After training and further rehabilitation, by Spring 2001 this group of animals will be available for adoption to carefully approved homes. All animals sold or placed by Northeast Llama Rescue will be adopted with a legal contract. The contract states that if the llama ever becomes unwanted or is not cared for properly, the animal will return to Red Maple Farm for a full refund. I used to think I could save every unwanted llama in the world...I know that I can't . It is too great an undertaking for one farm to rescue all the unwanted camelids out there. For this reason, several other farms have joined in the effort with Red Maple Farm to pool resources and save neglected and unwanted camelids.

Any farm that shares our philosophy that every llama deserves a life with proper care is welcome to join us. We are people who genuinely love all llamas and want to make a difference one llama at a time. Eventually we will print an educational brochure to hand out at events with member farms listed. Don't just tell people that you love your llamas; show people by making a difference and actually save one. Always quarantine new animals for at least one month while getting wormings, vaccines and nutritional needs in order. Always do a fecal exam and consult your vet about when new animals should go out with the herd. Geld all males and most of all BE PATIENT. Llamas are very forgiving animals and will learn to love and trust again with gentle care and training.