Alpacas Truly Do Not Lay Eggs

I feel it is important to tell you that alpacas don’t lay eggs. Greyson whispered in my ear when I delivered his hay for dinner this evening, and told me you should know that. He also wants you to know alpacas are sustainable, and their fleece is warmer than wool, softer than cashmere, naturally hypo-allergenic and wicking. He likes kisses, and company with grain or apples. I told him he sounded like an advertisement. He had no idea what I was talking about, and instead invited me to curl up in the pasture with he and his herd mates and listen to the sounds of the evening.

When you sit with alpacas, as I often do, they eventually view you as one of the pack. They quietly settle in around you as the sun sets and the sounds of the night take over. The gentle munching is mesmerizing. The smell of the hay intoxicating. Slowly, as the sun settles for the evening- they begin- one by one- to create a circle around me as they cush in contentment. If I am lucky, one or two will nuzzle me with their nose or their neck as we wait for the stars to rise. They speak in hushed hums to one another and to me. We watch the birds settle as they sing their various lullabies, and are aware of the chickens slow march home to their roosts. We perk our ears to the not so distant call of the coyotes setting out for the night’s hunt as our noses breathe in the smell of the wood stove keeping my family warm. It’s meditative and peaceful. It brings beauty to the world and the silence is a gift in the cacophony of late. The alpacas only care about four things- food, water, shelter and love. Occasionally, a child will pop their nose out with a question. Sometimes a guest, who knows little about the animals, will ask something silly like, “hey, how big are their eggs?” That was my favorite question recently. “They don’t lay eggs,” I replied, but they do know how to hatch peace.

Rest well my friends with thoughts of grazing animals nuzzling your neck as the sun dips below the horizon with the promise of the morning and a new beginning. Peace.