At Summer Hummers Ranch we also raise Bactrian Camels!  Camels are members of the camelid family which also includes Llamas, Alpacas and Vicuna.  There are two basic sub-species of Camels called Dromedaries and Bactrians.  Dromedary camels are the most common type of camel.  They have one hump and a short curly fiber.  Dromedary camels are the type of camels that you see on cigarette ads and on TV with someone riding them across the desert.  They are native to the deserts of Africa.

Bactrian Camels are by far the most rare type of Camel.  Their numbers are reported to be under 300 in the United States.  The breed reportedly originated in North America but is now only found in the wild in Mid-East Asia in the high desert.  The Bactrian Camel has adapted to this harsh environment in several ways.  They have two sets of eye lashes to help keep blowing sand out of their eyes.  They also have nostrils that they can completely seal to keep from inhaling sand and dust.  Their feet consist of two toes and a large callused pad, much like that on the bottom of a dogs foot.  This pad allows them to walk on top of the sugary sand and also keeps them from causing damage to the environment while they walk and graze.  Bactrian Camels also grow a very long dense fleece to keep them warm in the winter months.  They shed this coat in late spring and early summer to help deal with the hot summer months.  Bactrian Camels are the only animals in the world that can stay warm by raising their blood temperature during a cold evening and then lower their blood temperature during the day to help keep them cool!  The Bactrians tolerable temperature range is reported as being between +140 degrees Fahrenheit to -40 degrees Fahrenheit, although we will never really get to test that in Wisconsin!

"Double Jeopardy" 

"DJ", as we call him, is our white Bactrian Bull.  His sire is Tom Dually from the Al and Terry Deutsch herd out of Colorado.  DJ will be breeding in the winter of '02-'03.  We are extremely excited about him not only because he has perfect conformation and a lovely disposition, but also because he is the oldest white Bactrian Bull with two white parents.  His ability to pass on his presence and white color should be unmatched by any other bull in the world!

"Chinook"

Chinook is a half sister to DJ out of Tom Dually.  She is a very beautiful girl with a mild disposition and a long flowing coat of white fiber.  She is a large girl for her age and her humps are also very good sized and growing every day.  She should be breeding by the '02-'03 winter and we hope to breed her to an unrelated white bull to get that "double punch" of white fiber genes.  Look for great things out of this young girl!

"Cup Cakes"

Cup Cakes is a gorgeous young brown female.  She is one of the last offspring of the late "Brutus the Beefcake".  Her sweet and gentle disposition are unmatched by any Camel that we have ever seen.  Her humps are perfect and getting very tall.  They look like giant cup cakes sitting on her back, hence the name!  Look for her first offspring early in 2004.

"Foxy Lady"

"Foxy" as we call her, is a young girl who has tremendous potential.  She was born in July of 2001 and now at 6 months old is in the process of training.  She is cute as a button, hence the name, and a real sweet heart as well.  Even through the stress of training she continues to be loving and affectionate to us.  She has mastered the ability to lead and follow basic movement commands, enter and exit confined areas and load into and out of a trailer on command.  Not bad for two weeks of training!

"Blue Bonnet"

"Blue", as we call her, was born in June of 2001 and is showing extreme potential at an early age.  She responds to verbal commands and performs numerous movements after two weeks of training.  She is the smartest and fastest learner out of the three young girls that we have on the farm.  Along with her wits she was also blessed with a loving personality.  She will often walk up to us and rub her head up and down the front of our jackets and nibble on our ears (her breath could us a little work though!).