When the boy parts meet the hose

Alpacas aren't from this climate, and they can get overheated, with all this heat and humidity. Since the breeding males need to keep cool to stay fertile, it's extra important to hose down those boy parts. When it's HOT like it has been, and will be all this week, all the alpacas get some water time, also known as 'tummy baths'. Sometimes they just get a sprinkler to stand in (or sit on, as they often do), but sometimes it's easier to hose them down directly.

Gotta keep those boy parts cool and functioning. An infertile male can't be sent out for breeding....

When we check the pastures after lunch, if it's hot outside, the alpacas know it's 'tummy bath time' and usually come running. They fight like little kids to get to the hose first, and it's quite a display of dominance (both males and females). They spit and huff at each other, and are very vocal. It's quite amusing. Oh, and ALL genders of alpacas get 'tummy baths', it's just the males that get their parts hosed down. The females we just turn on the sprinklers and let them argue about who goes first.

Typically 'tummy baths' are done by the full time staff, but one day I got to do the hose down.

Thankfully, another volunteer had a camera, so I can share with you!

Everyone comes running from the pasture to get their 'cool down' time.

They all stand with their butts to the hose, tails lifted in anticipation.

There's some snippiness when one alpaca feels another is invading his space....

But in the end, all the boy parts get a cool down.