Science & Health

Baby Alpaca In The Kitchen: Waiting For Florence On The Farm

By Madeline Gray

Published September 14, 2018 at 11:20 AM CDT

(Top) Tiffany Breindel, program director at 1870 Farm, prepares to put an identification tag in calf Romeo's tail the day before Hurricane Florence hits Chapel Hill, N.C. (Left) Luis Morales catches chickens to put them in the coop before they board it up. (Right) Breindel attaches an identification tag to a horse's mane.

As Hurricane Florence hits North Carolina, Amanda McKee's only concern is for her animals at 1870 Farm outside Chapel Hill. McKee and her husband, David Schwartz, transformed the nearly 150-year-old farm, and another in Durham, into an agritourism destination that now houses horses, donkeys, a cow, alpacas, goats, sheep, chickens and a host of other animals, including a baby alpaca named Xanadu that lives with the family full time.

Before the storm, McKee says, she could tell the animals were acting more alert and skittish than usual as they sensed the storm in the air. "They just seem much more aware of their surroundings," she says.

Despite numerous offers to take the animals to facilities out of the storm's path, McKee is keeping them on the farm. She says she is determined to keep their routine as normal as possible, especially because most of her animals are rescues. She and her team launched a "monumental" effort to prepare the farm and the animals.

McKee, who was a practicing veterinarian for over 20 years, takes a holistic approach to caring for her animals. "If we put them in the barn, they'd freak out," she explains.

Breindel (left) and Sharron Payne take a momentary break from preparations.

McKee (left) and Breindel discuss preparations for Hurricane Florence while Xanadu tags along.

Although the animals have often traumatic pasts, McKee continues, "they have become very, very comfortable here and are stressed when they leave." Part of the animals' routine includes having a neighbor come to the farm to feed them twice a day, which will happen even during the storm. McKee will head home with Xanadu in tow to wait out the hurricane with her family.

McKee and her staff worked nonstop to ensure the farm is prepared. They microchipped many of the animals, put identification tags in their manes and tails, ordered a two-week supply of food, have geothermal water troughs that refill automatically, have removed any additional debris from around the farm and made all of the animals' shelters more secure.