|
|
|
|
|
|
From Rags to Riches! - Socky's Story
Socky was the first llama to come to Twin Maples Farm. We were readying the place for four other llamas that we had purchased for breeding purposes when fate brought us in contact with Socky. Socky’s owners were moving and needed to find him a home. Not having any experience with the animals and armed only with what we had picked up from books and lore from the llama folks we had met we debated whether or not to bring him home. He wasn’t registered, we didn’t know his background, and he needed immediate attention with shearing and toenail trimming. All things we had no experience with. We decided to take him and at least practice with Socky while continuing to prepare the farm for the other arrivals.
We didn’t know that Socky was starving, and had a serious birth defect. For the first few weeks he was relatively passive because he was so weak. He soon became a behavioral nightmare as he began to get regular feedings. Although he was difficult to handle, he never attacked (other than getting mad and biting at our clothes) or appeared to express berserk behavior. We learned from visiting friends what was acceptable llama behavior and what wasn’t and we soon began rewarding him for good work and scolding him for bad.
After shearing his matted hair, it was very obvious that the animal was at least 100 lbs underweight. We began feeding him as much as he would eat. However, because of his wry face and what we believe is a cleft palate, Socky tends to aspirate his food and contract serious sinus infections. We thought he was going to die the first winter we had him. But with treatment and care he came out of the worst of his episodes.
He found his inner llama when we brought the boys home (Pegasus and Silver Grae). After first, defending against them, he began to look wistfully after them. I turned them out together when I saw that his interest had changed. There wasn’t a fight, or an objectionable look from any of them. They became a herd and Socky became a real llama.
Socky is now one of the most loveable of the group. He’s a staunch guard of the entire herd and just like “Black Beauty” he has a home for life where he’ll be taken care of despite his wry face. Someone asked at a show why his face looked that way, and I commented, “Because he’s always smiling now.” We hope he has a good long life with his llama buddies and owners.
