I think my laptop must be coming to the end of the road as yet again it died. How many more times we can just take it apart I really dont know but hey we will keep trying.
I have been today trying to take photos of our wool that has arrived from the Natural Fibre Company, Pauline (Pipley Court Alpacas) and I have been working together with our fleeces to produce the best possible wool.
We sorted and graded until we could not sort anymore, but it has been worthwhile the end product is lovely.
It really is annoying when the computer will not work, well it died no power to it . no lights no nothing! well we diagnosed the problem and rang round for quotes nobody wanted to repair they just wanted to replace new, obviously megamoney. So we thought we would have a go ourselves, so after trying to take it apart and not being able to get to the bit we needed it was carefully reassembled. New computer needed we thought but Andy said plug it in and try it, hey presto it now works perfectly, how bizarre is that!
On another topic I thought I would just mention the TB roadshows, we attended the one at Bristol, Gina as always gave a great presentation and it was good to see that Animal Health and others were in attendance, perhaps now they will see how important it is to us and the wider livestock industry. We know that we have to carry on and move forward, we have to accept that more questions need to be asked when buying stock and using studs. I do not think the shows should go ahead this year or until much more thought is put into the layout of a show which would give confidence to those showing their animals.
Just a wish for everybody for the New Year for Good Health and Happiness
We have been very busy these past months completing the new barn and getting the drive in a better condition so that visitors did not loose their exhausts or sumps! I will post pictures in the next few days.
All the alpacas are well and we had ten new cria this year seven females and three males all healthy and doing fine.
The best news is that we finally sorted and had our wool processed and it is lovely. It will be on our site for sale soon.
At last our first cria not from the female we though would be first but Aria who was not due for another week. She had shown no signs all day but at 3.30pm decided that now was the time and within the hour delivered a boy all of 8.5kgms. So please will someone rewrite the books that tell you they deliver between 10am and 2pm! It is incredibly windy here so we have put a coat on him just for the next 24hours as it is supposedly going to warm up and the sun to shine. I hope so becuase our hay is being made, fingers crossed.
On Saturday we had organised Val Fullerlove to come and talk to us about how and what we might be able to do with our fleeces, it was a very enjoyable day and I hope everyone went home with perhaps more ideas and knowledge than before. It was great to sort some of our fleeces with an expert.
It has been very quiet on the farm, we are still waiting for our first cria , its like waiting for a kettle to boil.
Today I have become a roofer and its not a job I am considering taking up professionally, the fibre sheets are too heavy,but at least the barn is nearer completion!
I suddenly remembered I had not written the blog for a few days, we have been enjoying the weather and putting up the barn, well I have been holding the posts ( weather permitting as it suddenly got very windy and dangerous) is it straight I kept getting asked, I dont know because I can not doing anything straight everything I always do has a slight slant to it
We were just starting to do matings but it really is too hot and not fair on Tenacity so hopefully it will be cooler this weekend.
The foxes must must be feeding their young now as for the first time in months a vixen showed herself early in the evening making her way towards my chickens, fatso ( Caillie on her pedigree certificate) one of my labs saw her first and started to bark, she stood very still, the alpacas started to group and the vixen then turned tail and ran, why is that you never have the camera with you!
We have been excavating for the new barn and finding all the lovely stone that the land seems to be made up of and so instead of sending to landfill we have been sorting it and by hand! Our friend Roger (Pipley Court Alpacas) then told us that you could get a bucket for the digger called a riddling bucket, well I think thats what he said and it could be done mechanically, DOH! I must admit we still have piles left so we have ordered the bucket and hopefully we will not feel so stiff!
We were shearing on Saturday and Colin was at his best again and they look great, well actually I always think that they look extremely funny afterwards but the weather was warm but unfortunately it has now turned really cold and we have left the girls and weanlings tucked up in the barn behind makeshift barriers, we have had to put up tarpaulins to keep the wind off and to stop them shivering. Where is this hot weather they keep saying we are going to have! Next is to sort and bag the fleeces to have them processed , really looking forward to that as I have dusted off the knitting, needles and found some nice patterns. I only hope that I can do them justice.
This week sees a start on the new shed/barn, the weather helps as the ground is reasonably dry and the clay does not get spread everywhere, Andy is happy as he gets to play on his digger and his £9 99p laser level gets an outing, no sparing the expense on the tools! The building is on order and we expect delivery in the next three weeks. It will be brilliant as this week the spare bay in the other barn has been taken up with the two boys who we had castrated, it went slighty wrong as Bosun had a problem with it and it needed a return visit by our vet to sort it out which meant that they had to stay in until today. We will keep checking him everyday and spraying him with the nice blue spray to keep infection out.
We are going to the North Somerset Show on Monday , our little show team of Blaze, Cinnamon and Cherry so come along and say hello we will be pleased to see you.
Unfortunately not all things in life are alpacas and so the sweet time was a visit from an aunt and cousin who we have not seen for a while, the aunt will be 92 this year and showing no signs of slowing down on life what with her trip in a hot air balloon and her foreign holidays, good on her life is not a dress rehearsal and may she take many more holidays.
The bitter was a trip to Scotland to say our goodbyes to another cousin losing her very quick battle with the Big C. Now I dont like sending flowers to funerals so we plant trees and of course name them so in a few decades we will have a forest with all named trees and the locals will be guessing why were they so named. I think a much better idea.
Now on to my lovely alpacas who are enjoying the sunshine and will be soon glad to lose their fleeces, I have decided only to do one more local show, and then to do a couple of composite shows later on. So must go out and buy my potato sacks ready for the shearer. That of course will make the weather change and it will probably rain all summer again!
About 18months ago I asked my sister for an owl box for xmas, we have an owl that we see occasionally and who sits in our barn and leaves his calling card. We put it up in the large tree some distance away from the barn as we thought that the barn was too noisy with the generator .
Well nothing happened until this spring when we noticed movement and thought great, but the birds that have taken up residence obviously did not read the label over the doorway, as we have a pair of kestrels who have made it their home. I will try and take some photos although do not hold your breath as David Bailey I'm not!
It was a very good weekend after two early mornings up with the lark.
The two Junior fawns, Cinnamon and Cherry were pipped at the post as they were only awarding to fourth place because of the large numbers of entries, but today Mr T or his formal name Tenacity was placed fourth in the Adult Male White Class whch was an absolute dream as the standard of whie males is so high. We arrived home absolutely shattered and are looking forward to a dinner cooked by my son, what a treat.
We delivered Cameron, Crumble and Charlie to their new home today, as per usual as alpacas do, out of the trailer they went and down went their heads to graze. As I forgot to ask if I could mention their new owner I will just say that I hope they enjoy their new home and that the new owners enjoy them! I will say that the cat was looking at them very strangely but I am sure that all will be well.
Now we must get sorted for the SWAG Show at the weekend I have just seen that there is supposed to be heavy rain on Saturday so I think we will be bringing the team of three! into the barn on Friday night.
Yesterday we had 60mph Northerly winds, sleet hail and rain and it was bitterly cold today we have no wind and beautiful sunshine.
So more halter training today, we are showing Tenacity at the SWAG show next week and he has an aversion to the halter and digs his heels in when asked to move, his mouth fills with spit and boy does he look angry, I think it might be Andy who will lead him in the ring and I will just keep my fingers crossed at the ringside. Must remember to put in extra white coats just in case!
What a change from last week although sunny it is a very cold wind blowing. Yesteday we gave the bluetongue vaccinations to the girls, 24 hours on there seems to be no reaction, we also weighed and checked them over only to find the dreaded mite back in one poor girl who always seems to suffer, so I am going to try the newest product on the market, am I allowed to advertise without getting fined! better not until we have given it a fair trial.
Orphelia was at last weaned from her baby and put back across the valley with the others, she seems much better in herself and has gained more weight, the muscles in her back legs seem to be gaining as well, although we do not know yet whether she has still kept her pregnancy. Only time will tell.
The weather has been incredibly good, it has meant that we have been able to carry on with another bout of fencing, I feel that I could now write some sort of manual on it, not very interesting maybe but never the less informative!
The alpacas have started their 'I'm not dead just sunbathing' routine, still after three years nearly giving me a heart attack, but they all look lovely in the sunshine.
Tomorrow is Bluetongue vaccination day, some for their second and some just for their boosters. We have had no ill effects not even stiffness so we must keep our fingers for this next group to show no signs as well, we seem to be injecting and drenching all the time at the moment, but it is that time of year.
Today is a life changing experience for us as as we exchange contracts on our house that we have lived in for 22 years, it is quite a sad day really, many good memories. Great times with all the animals I have had over the years,one memory Andy has is the time I left him to take possession of our first two little weaner pigs who had other ideas than to go quietly in to where they were due to live, they escaped throught the electric fence and proceeded to cause mayhem in the garden being chased by my son who was about sixteen at the time and Andy who had no experience with animals at all. The air was incredibly hot when I arrived home and he said I would not have any more animals, that of course did not happen and we had many more adventures over the years. I hope that the people enjoy it as much as we did.
I have been trying to put Blaze on the stud page and of course since the last time I have to admit that I cant remember how to do it! I know its the age thing and the fact I find them a necessary evil, I can hear my son saying once again 'Oh Mother'. Is it the early onset of dementia or just that I dont find computers interesting enough. I know I know I should as the world seems to thrive on them, but I quite frankly would rather be outside with my animals. Thank goodness animals dont have that problem, only Blaze probably would prefer me to do something if he thought his sex life depended on it!
I have been very busy what with the snow ( we could not get out of the drive for two days) and our second planning appeal this time for another shed ( we won that as well) . We were also preparing for the Alpaca Futurity Show ( the pushing and shoving of young alpacas new to halters and leads).
Well we took Blaze again to see if he could better last years result, Reserve Champion Fawn Male, we held out little hope as there were no restrictions in moving alpacas and we knew it would be very large classes and he had been caked in mud, we had to wash him down to get the mud off and drying him in front of a very large fan only a few days before we had to go. But he did it in style when we went into the ring and we won first place to go onto the championship where he amazingly won the Championship. It was a very special moment, the best thing is that as well as the rosette and sash we were given a very beautiful blue glass paperweight donated by Dartingdon glass that will always take pride of place on my desk.
Congratulations also go to Lyn Pepper (Tai Wind Alpacas) who won 6th place in a very large black class.
Why oh why is it always the alpacas that you choose to go to the shows that always end up looking very muddy or in this case a hayrack.
Cilla our little black female has turned into a hayrack, now the question is do we show her with all the embarassment that entails or do we leave her at home. She is booked in to the Futurity show at the end of the month, now do we try and remove all the debris or do we leave her as she is, anybody out there want to lead a hayrack into the ring? Blaze our fawn male looks like he has not been out of the mud for the whole of the winter oh well I only hope that somebody else is in the same position. Roll on summer.
We had a day of cutting toenails and weighing in, just to make sure everybody was happy and healthy. This meant several trips up and down the valley the last time my phone went and I answered and they asked me if I was alright as I seemed to be out of breath!
Orphelia was weighed and she has lost an extreme amount of weight but she is now standing most of the day and is is eating well now, so we decided to let her out with the weanlings for the rest of the day , but she will come back into the barn at night.
We weaned three more little ones, well not so little now, the only problem was that we left them in the barn while we put the mums back over the valley but Henrietta decided that she was having none of that and turned tail at great speed ducking and diving to sail back past us and back to her little girl. Needless to say that Andy and I at that point were in no condition to rugby tackle her or run back up the valley to catch her! So we will try another day to split them up.
We have been breaking ice off the troughs using a stick then an iron pipe to finally using the lump hammer to break the ice, this final tool to try and save the jarring on my wrists. Hurrah it started to thaw and then more ice and today all day we have had freezing fog. We really must have some snow to finish this winter off as I really want to try and sledge down the hills something I havent done for many a few years, mid life crisis or what.
Orphelia is still in the barn resting, it is very slow progress and scoring out of 10 she was 1 and now it is only 2, she is spendng slightly more time on her feet especially as her cria really talks to her when she wants a feed, I think it is going to be many weeks before she once again ventures out into the paddocks.
I hope everybody had a happy and healthy Xmas and New Year.
We have been a bit busy here especially with frost and ice. We are now having to break the ice several times a day and this morning for the first time take water around to all the troughs, although a lot of work it is nice to have what use to be a proper winter.
Orphelia who damaged her left leg several weeks ago has very badly damaged her right leg now, two days before xmas I found her lying down and obviously in discomfort so over she came , the vet came out and gave her pain killers and antibiotics but after xmas she was no better and indeed a little worse so out came the vet again and examined her as thorughly as he could and declared he could find no broken bones but could not say definately whether it is muscle or ligament damage but sugested complete rest , so into the barn she came along with all the little ones who had been weaned, although they won't stay with her for too long it is company until we think she can manage on her own, luckily she is a very quiet and has settled down well.
As well as all the fireworks on New Years Eve somebody has dumped three cockerels in the wood at the bottom of our valley who are now roosting at least 30' up in the trees who every morning are calling to my cockerels which is making quite a dawn chorus!
After last nights deluge of rain we awoke to the land awash with water, the water is cascading down the bank behind the barn some even going into the barn. Its a river running down the race, and after staying on my feet in the paddocks and managing to put the food into the troughs, thats after emptying gallons of water from them, we made our way down the bottom of the valley ( when I say we I mean grouse and jess two of my dogs) we could hear the roar of the water from our little brook before we could see it, I have never seen it so bad and after wading through myself I would not let the dogs cross because of the strength of the current, luckily Andy was following me and the dogs stayed with him, I like to think that he was following me because he was concerned about my welfare (its our 39th wedding anniversay today ah!) but no he was just being nosey to see for himself the volume of water!
Yesterday we had all the girls over again to check them over and give A&D to the little ones, on checking we found Cameron a lovely little brown cria with a manky ear, it was where I had put his ear tag in, it has gone in a little to far I dont know why and consequently has gone a little nasty, so we had to clean, disinfect and spray I also gave him some antibiotics just in case. I have to say I have been putting in ear tags for the last 20 years in cattle and this has never happened before, we will be keeping a close eye on him and if necessary we will have to take it off.
My son Lee and I did the annual shopping trip to Bristol today, he takes pity on his old mum and does the driving.
First stop Toys R Us to find my grandson something he had set his heart on, no joy, and hardly no people, then off to Marks and Sparks, Oh boy, credit crunch what credit crunch, I have never seen so many people and the queues for the checkouts was absolutley horrendous, now I dont mind queueing if there is a sensible amount of people in front of me but to see about forty people in each queue made our mind up, put everything back and come home, bliss, back to the alpacas and all is well with my world.
By the way we managed to get my grandsons present online and it will be delivered tomorrow!
It was good to see the alpacas all covered in white this morning and it was also good to be able to use the gaitor to get the hay around to all the hayracks and feeders especially to the girls across the valley.
We have had Orphelia with her cria back over because she appeared to have hurt one of her legs whether she has pulled a muscle or it is more serious we will wait and see, we felt it was better for her to rest in one of the smaller paddocks nearer the barn than roam all over the steep valley.
Yesterday I sat and wrote xmas cards as it was so cold here it did not make me feel anymore in the mood perhaps its the age thing, I know what Father Xmas will bring me it will be a new pair of wellingtons boots!
This morning was D Day, we were going to bring the girls back from the other side of the valley, we took the gaitor as we needed to put some more fencing up, thinking we would leave it by their paddock until we brought them back again, but we opened the gate and it was like the Grand National off they went at thunderous speed jumping the small brook in fantastic fashion and then off into the distance I being small dumpy and not very fit puffing like I had run the marathon well perhaps not a marathon, but it seemed like it, running as fast as I could. I then made an executive decision start the Gaitor quick, well we did catch them up and into the barn they came. Weighing came next, much better now that we are on a flat concrete surface, everybody fine there, next toenails, some dont mind it and some most definately do. As Andy was holding and I was doing the cutting I said ooh that was a warm spit yep said Andy nice and green all over my head and back , oh the joy of owning alpacas. We then had to take four of the cria off their Mums, it is amazing how they will try to get through any gap. We left a maiden female, who is so laid back, with them.
Opening the gate off the females went again, without a backwards glance to their young. We then put the young ones in the bottom paddock and they seem to have settled down nicely. Now for a lie down myself!
On days like these it is difficult to find something to do as it is so wet and muddy under foot and wearing glasses the fine misty rain makes it difficult to see. Why has nobody come up with a solution. I know contact lenses solve the problem but I have never found them easy to wear.
We decided to bring the three boys into the barn to do toenails and some halter training. Blaze as usual was quiet and easy, Bosun a little more trying! but Tiny well he is a little b-------! when he is not fighting you he is trying to bite the others ears. We will win and he will walk on a lead.
A break from the alpacas today and a visit to the dentist, just a check up and clean but ooh the waiting chairs seemed so low getting to sit down was fine but getting up made me creak and groan which in the quiet of the waiting room brought some smiles. Next it was to collect my new glasses, after all these years one eye has somehow got better vision, how weird. Getting older does not get easy, I am now waiting for something else to give up the ghost and need attention!
We have just finished a temporary race to the existing barn, where we have set up the weigh scales again, we did have them set up in a pen outside but the extremely wet weather has put paid to that set up. We had hoped that the new barn would have been built, but we have just learned that the hearing appeal will not be until 4th Feb, 2009. no hurry then. Now we can get everybody in several times a week to halter train them, and keep their feet trim without slipping in mud!
With the wind gaining strength we usually rejoice but we have been watching our large wind turbine and it has not been behaving correctly. So yesterday we had to investigate, well Andy had to climb on the barn roof to look while I stood on the bottom of the ladder, for safety you understand. I hate heights. Well after much head scratching and deep thought he thinks we have a fault on the cable which means that we have to take it down, well Andy has to take it down. That will have to wait for a day when there is very little wind and rain, not in the next few days then!
I now have no need for an alpaca herd dog, after a few days of finding their feet around nine acres they have at last ventured to the outer limits of their field. This morning I called them and they all sprinted down the hill for their feed, brilliant, it always makes me smile when Beauty does that springy run, boing,boing, boing , I must take the camera with me to show you.
After thinking it would be so easy to get the girls over to nine acres, it has taken us several days just to put up temporary fencing to do this.
But at last this morning we were ready, as usual Arbois decided that perhaps this was just to much out of her comfort zone and was very reluctant but with a little persuasion she was on her way, they were fine until they came to the little ford that takes the water on down the valley, some just walked straight through, some decided that to jump was a necessity and some did not want to cross at all well not until everybody else went and they were being left behind!
They are now finding their bearings and look like little coloured dots on the hillside from our cabin, but at least they have plenty of space. Now our thoughts are how on earth are we going to round them up and get them back! Does anyone out there have an alpaca herd dog?
I have been absent because of a bug, well a bug with a capital B, I rarely go to the doctors but this time needs must, but everything has settled down and I am now right as rain.
We have been doing the last spit offs and bonks for the year, anything now not pregnant we will sort out in the spring. Mr T has been doing a marvelous job and no ladies have needed a second go!
As usual this time of the year it has been if you stand still at this farm you will get injected with something or other. The girls will go to their winter pastures this week coming and we are looking forward to it, to see them grazing on the other side of the valley is what we have been dreaming of.
The shoot started today with a boundary walk, and it was funny to see the alpacas who were all over the paddock, listen and then walk nochantly to the middle as though if they walked slowly they would not be seen to to be frightened! Two minutes and they were at ease again and doing what they love best, eating!
Pictured Opposite: Cambridge Tenacity, doing what he does best ! Elite Australian genetics are now available at Valley Alpacas from our resident herdsire - Cambridge Tenacity. Now taking bookings !
Video Below: A short clip of Cambridge Tenacity doing what he enjoys down on the farm. He's had a busy few months !
An incredible weekend of sun has brought a smile to the alpacas (well it would have if they could) they have all been sunbathing and the youngsters have been chasing the pheasant who have all ventured out.
All week the balloons have been taking advantage of the weather and have been out nearly every day. Yesterday evening whilst waiting for dinner to cook the balloons came directly overhead and the alpacas were very curious at these large objects in the sky and then as ususal kept on grazing!
Well the birthing season is over, yesterday we had a little female born so that makes six females and 4 males and all are doing well. Now we just have to make sure everybody is pregnant and we can take a breather, well not exactly as with all animals you still have to be watchful. It is really nice to see the sun out and all of them enjoying it. I think this is the first cria we have not automatically put a coat on to keep dry!
Also yesterday when we got up you could smell autumn in the air ( no I dont mean the farmers muck spreading) I always think spring and autumn air has a distinctive scent to it.
Saturday I went to a SWAG meeting with a talk by Gina Bromage which was really informative, she always is and it was great to hear other peoples views on what they feed and do with their alpacas, thanks to Di Davies and Carol Eyres for organising and hosting it.
All was going well this morning, I was keeping an eye on one of my ladies that I knew was due any day, I say eye because I have binoculars and I can only see through them with one eye! It causes great hilarity with Andy.
Well I suddenly caught sight of a head and legs and thought thats not the right one giving birth, it was Juniper and I thought according to my records she was not due to give birth until the 6th October, panic stations, off I went with my kit and watched from the sidelines until I knew she needed a little help, anyway another little fawn girl was born, obviously not premature , so off I went to look at my little red book, and it was blatantly obvious I had put down the wrong month, doh. I just put it down to those Senior Moments!
I love a bonfire, a really smokey and wood smelling one and it is great because we do not have any neighbours to bother. The only downside is that because of the weather all that I have been saving to burn is just wet piles and so there is a lot of smoke. The dogs love it because they always seem to think that there might be something edible around the edge , well they do say that charcoal is good for digestion.
All the girls have been sunbathing today and as a consequence have been trying to sit in the water trough, it would not be to bad but they all want to sit in it together!
We have set up our scales to weigh the alpacas, it has had to be put outside (thank you planning office!) and on a slope which is not ideal but will have to do. So we thought we would combine worming with putting them through the scales. Some of them were very brave! with very little pushing we got all the ladies through, but Blaze, Bosun and Tiny the boys as we call them were real babies, Bosun went through eventually with Blaze trying to come with him he, just does not want to be parted from his friend. Tiny on the other hand was his usual gittish self, lets see if we can jump the hurdles and give them a run for their money.
We were getting really good guessing weights and should have run a book on it. Carrie the prem has put on a good amount of weight in the week which is really good and it was really nice working in the sunshine and not rain lets hope it continues.
Henrietta after having three boys gave birth this morning to a lovely brown girl, weighing in at 9kgs she was up about almost immediately, well she would have been if Henny had not given birth on the steepest part of the corner paddock and the little one rolled about 4ft , the weather was a bit grim so we brought her into the barn with rest of the maternity ward.
They have promised better weather for the end of the week, about time to.
We had only just put Carrie the prem and her mother out in the paddock this morning to get a little air and exercise and we realised Annabel our black female was about to give birth, this time no help was needed as she was only three days early, as she gave birth the cria was looking up with legs outstretched and almost ran as it hit the floor, a very large (9kg) dark brown boy with a white blaze on its forehead.
The weather was again horrible so we decided to bring both back into the barn as the ground is also so sodden and they soon get chilled. Carrie is doing well and has put on weight she now needs no extra bottle as she is feeding well from her mother. Please, please can we have some warm summer weather so that the newborns can have some sun on their backs and not need to wear coats all the time.
Oh what a joy the sun is out but must not shout too loud as the weather guy say there is a percipitation of rain tomorrow, what that means is that it is going to p**** down.
The filming finished yesterday evening with a very unexpected loud bang and lots of smoke all in the line of vision of the girls, Afra took fright screamed like a banshee and ran like the wind to the safety of the bottom paddock crumble her boy running after her, she looked round as if to say right girls we are safe now only to find that nobody else had followed her! She waited a few minutes and decided to go back with a look on her face as if to say ' I was only joking, I am not afraid at all'.
The little cria is getting a little stronger although still not able to suckle very long as her back legs give out so she will stay in until we are happy that she can cope on the slopes of the paddocks.
We have been incredibly lucky, so far as birthings are concerned over the past three years, so we knew it would not last, today we have a had a cria born, a little girl 23 days early, we have brought mum and daughter into the barn because she is unable to stand on her own for long, her feet are not quite sure of which way to go. Her mum, who we affectionatley call stumpy legs does not like to be away from the others so we will bring a friend in to keep her company. We will probably use the powdered colostrum we always keep in the cupboard just to make sure that she gets the best start she can.
More persistent rain so bad that we can not see across the valley. so depressing. Time to sit down and make plans for next year, what shows to do if possible, what outside studs to use if necessary and more importantly who we can get to house sit, who can we cajole into looking after the alpacas and dogs, what bribery is needed!
Ah Bisto! The filming we have found out, and we could not see it today as they were filming to far up the track, was for a series set near a hospital!
As you know we are into our second appeal and have just been to the local parish meeting where I was accused of getting planning by the back door, the planning was a 28 day notification and the local planning office was incompetant and we were allowed to build the barn and for that I was told it was my fault! There is no accounting for jealous neigbours.
The alpacas are bedraggled and looking fed up of all this rain, we are desperate to work on the land and get yet more fencing done.
It was the usual Monday, we did some more matings and spit offs, and are happy to announce another one of our females pregnant to Tenacity. We had noticed a lot of people gathering on a farm track a couple of fields farther down the valley, always curious (okay nosey) I got the binoculars out and saw what appeared to be a film crew filming on an upturned car that had been put in place, later on there were several very loud explosions not near the car behind some trees (drat I could not see what was going on!) but there was a lot of smoke. The alpacas did not take any notice at all. Lets see what tomorrow brings.
This morning we went to give the second bluetongue injection to two of my boys that David from Littlemore Alpacas bought three weeks ago, they have settled in nicely. It was great to see but I do miss them especially Toc who is always inquisitive and wanting to know what is going on. They have sheep for company on one side and cattle on the other so they are kept quite busy trying to make friends.
They also have a nice new field shelter to keep them content through this awful summer weather. When is it going to stop raining.
Will it ever stop raining, the water is now running in streams everywhere, even the wildlife does not want to come out.
The alpacas have become sprint athletes, when the heavy rain comes they can run like the clappers. In to the shelters they go. Thank goodness it is warm or the little ones would all have to come into the barn. Toenails need trimming but we have to get them out of the mud first.
The joy of living in this location apart from the view is the wildlife, the deer in particular, they do not seem to mind us here at all and the other morning when pulling back the curtains we saw this female deer grazing not 40yds away. It was a shame it was not the mum with the twins who mostly reside on the other side of our valley.
We have been spitting off some of the females and are glad to report that Tenacity or Mr T as we call him has performed well and our first female is pregnant to him.
The youngest female cria Cherry has had the squirts and a dose of baycox bovis seemed to do the trick but today she squirting again. We have weighed her and she does not seem to be losing weight and is in high spirits, trying to catch her is a feat in its self, not an athelete myself! it takes patience and cunning but we got there in the end. We will moniter her for a couple of days and see what happens.
Yesterday we went to Baydon the home of EP Cambridge, UK. It was with a little trepidation as the dress code said smart, not knowing quite what to expect we went as smart as we could! Andy has never liked wearing ties and yesterday it was no exception and without tie he went, it was with great relief to find our host was not wearing one either along with most of the other men. I think unless it is a wedding, funeral or a state occasion the tie has nearly had its day because most men look so uncomfortable wearing them.
With two seminars the first hosted by Jane Vaughn on nutrition in alpacas, it was quite an eye opener, I will be seriously overhauling my feeding regime.
The second was by Ian Watt on fibre and follicule testing. It was fascinating and I will have to do more research but I think it is the way forward.
A big thank you to our hosts Matthew and Cathy Lloyd for a lovely day.
Well the birthing season is over, yesterday we had a little female born so that makes six females and 4 males and all are doing well. Now we just have to make sure everybody is pregnant and we can take a breather, well not exactly as with all animals you still have to be watchful. It is really nice to see the sun out and all of them enjoying it. I think this is the first cria we have not automatically put a coat on to keep dry!
Henrietta after having three boys gave birth this morning to a lovely brown girl, weighing in at 9kgs she was up about almost immediately, well she would have been if Henny had not given birth on the steepest part of the corner paddock and the little one rolled about 4ft , the weather was a bit grim so we brought her into the barn with rest of the maternity ward.
This morning we went to give the second bluetongue injection to two of my boys that David from Littlemore Alpacas bought three weeks ago, they have settled in nicely. It was great to see but I do miss them especially Toc who is always inquisitive and wanting to know what is going on. They have sheep for company on one side and cattle on the other so they are kept quite busy trying to make friends. 
The joy of living in this location apart from the view is the wildlife, the deer in particular, they do not seem to mind us here at all and the other morning when pulling back the curtains we saw this female deer grazing not 40yds away. It was a shame it was not the mum with the twins who mostly reside on the other side of our valley.
