Keeping cool, llama-style

Pequena soaking her feet

Llamas like water. They like to stand out in the rain, they like to stand in ponds and if you don't have either, than the water trough will do just fine. Pequena-llama has been banned from the sheep pen for the summer because she wants to stand in their water trough. The best way to help sheep handle the heat is to make sure they have lots of fresh, cool, clean water. Stinky llama feet kinda sully that up.

Llamas are smart, too. We finally got smart enough to give Pequena two water barrels. She soaks her feet in the same one every time, leaving the other fresh and clean for drinking. That's when she has her own water pans. When she is in with the sheep, she'll soak in both troughs. 

Right now we are scrubbing troughs and giving everybody fresh, clean water twice a day. It takes a while, but it is helping them handle the heat. I just hope we don't have to start rationing water.