Friday Creek Farm Chanterelle
ILR # 265808
female b. 7-11-2005
Sky Rocket x Snake River Dallys
click on the photo to see more pictures of Chanterelle aka "Peanut" on flickr®
When Dallys returned to us, Chanterelle, aka “Peanut”, came along. When she stepped out of the trailer, we were stunned — ungroomed from winter, she looked like an exact clone of her sire when he’s not combed out. After combing, we were even more impressed with the conformation Chanterelle had inherited from both parents, and the lively, athletic demeanor she frequently displays at pasture. We weren't impressed with her almost complete lack of training (she could be haltered and dragged ... if you want to consider "can be dragged" as constituting training) and the fact that at nearly three years old she STILL was not weaned, but we addressed all of that promptly and successfully.
Chanterelle is a stunning, but typical example of the incredible improvements that Sky Rocket is capable of with the wide variety of females he’s bred to. Chanterelle has also inherited her dam’s attractive proportions, and has done reasonably well in the show ring despite our refusal to show her in “full jacked-up strut mode”. We are continuing to show her to support the recent (2008) changes that created a separate halter division for Classic llamas.
Unfortunately, we are realizing that, despite many very desirable attributes, Chanterelle may not turn out to be suitable for breeding: Her maternal granddam’s skin condition skips generations to appear in intense colored descendants (although we have noted a mild, passing form in every dilute colored carrier to date), and maternal half-sister Finys first birthed a dysmature cria and then aborted her second. To top it off, the entire female line, as far back is as known, refuses to wean their female offspring, allowing them to nurse into adulthood (which, as those who handle llamas know, is a recipe for spoiled, barn-sour brats). Thus we are going to evaluate at least one offspring before deciding whether Chanterelle should remain a breeding female or should just do the career thing.
A chanterelle is a spring-fruiting species of mushroom, usually a beautiful golden color. And we all know what color a peanut is (and how little they are). For reasons that frustrate her breeder and (frankly) everyone except Gwen, Chanterelle prefers to be called “Peanut”. So her registered name is Chanterelle … and she goes by Peanut.