Bee's Dorothy

Bee's Dorothy had a very exciting albeit a tad scary entrance into the world. Her dam, Bee's Funcadelick Komotion (see her on this site) had been purchased in the summer of 2022 as the very first appaloosa adult female to come to Windy Ridge Llama Ranch. We had one Appaloosa male, Stonecrest Maximus, so we needed a female! We were not told that the dam had been bred but it was later learned that an elderly llama, Leo's Zeller, had been permitted to join the females' pasture of the previous owner. Evidently Leo's Zeller still loves the ladies!

It was at 9 PM on April 19, 2023, when the barking of Sergei, one of the guardian livestock dogs, drew our attention to the back pasture. Fortunately, the location was close enough to see despite the snow-covered ground. There was the dam, trying to have her very first cria, smack dab in the middle of the snow! Sergei is the protector, and during births, he keeps the other llamas away from the momma, and does not leave their sides for at least the first 24 hours. Our other guardian livestock dog, Nikita (they are sibling Caucasian shepherds) then has the job of managing the rest of the pastures by herself.

Herve went out into the snow with a flashlight and blankets, and he was able to slip a blanket under her just as the birthing process was about to have her drop into the snow. The beautiful little girl was then brought with her momma into the shelter, where they were able to be warm and bond together during the night. What a surprise this was, and a big thank you to Sergie for sounding the alarm!

Bee's Dorothy, call name "Dottie" was named after my mother Dorothy. She had a thing about black and white, and collected little black and white keepsakes, like a little zebra mom together with her baby. So, Dorothy inherited the name! We have watched her black spots take on the brown appearance of her very speckled mom, and we are excited for when her barrel will be shorn to see the black spots again - very unique for a llama! This little girl has been getting bigger and is quite sturdy, and she has done so well with halter training, standing, and stepping nicely into and out of the trailer that she had been tapped to enter the Glacier Classic Llama Championship! She has now placed 2nd in the light wool yearling class!

Though previously unaware, we now have brought all of Leo's Zeller genetics to Windy Ridge Llama Ranch! He has brought some Bolivian influence, and her momma is pure Peruvian, coming from a long line of appaloosa llamas with crazy names - like Bee's Psyched Up Dotts (grandmother), Bee's Psychedelic Dottie (great-grandmother) then back to the imports, we find "FGL Psychedelic Haze" - no wonder Dottie's an appy!

So, she is a youngster, but a pretty confident little girl. Herve said he wishes all our llama were as easy to work with as Dottie. Halter on and off, walks beautifully despite4e lots of distractions, and is super chill. She also steps in and out of the trailer like she's done it all her life. Very impressive for a one year old!