Karen's alpacas

AN ODE TO A TREE

2012-01-27T14:02:00.000-08:00

Well, the deed is done, the beautiful beech tree at the top of our farm has been felled. For maybe 150 years it has grown and become part of the landscape, overlooking our farm and the valley. In just two days it has been reduced to a stump. It was diseased, had to come down, but as you can probably tell, I feel sad and rather guilty about ending it's life, especially in such a brutal manner. Had it not been so close to a road we would have left it to nature. Now there is just a huge void where it stood. The buzzards who have always used it as their lookout perch will have to find another high place - I hope they don't go too far away. Amazing to think of everything that this tree has witnessed.

Before

During

I was hoping to be able to make a picnic table, with seats, in a very rustic kind of fashion, but apparently the wood will quickly rot away - heck, I'm still going to do it ... I'll put cuprinol on it! This event has led me to reading poems and Odes to trees and I have added a couple here. Now I need to blow my nose and have a stiff drink!

End of day one

Gone

View of the farm from the top of the tree - I wasn't holding the camera!

An Ode to a Tree
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

~ Joyce Kilmer, "Trees," 1914 ~

Think Like a Tree

by Karen I. Shragg

Soak up the sun
Affirm life's magic
Be graceful in the wind
Stand tall after a storm
Feel refreshed after it rains
Grow strong without notice
Be prepared for each season
Provide shelter to strangers
Hang tough through a cold spell
Emerge renewed at the first signs of spring
Stay deeply rooted while reaching for the sky
Be still long enough to
hear your own leaves rustling.

Some hours later .... not believing this state of mind to be healthy, I phoned our neighbours to invite them for a spur of the moment 'toast' to the tree, to celebrate it's long life, with a glass of red, round the bonfire that the tree surgeons had left burning away in the darkness, they readily accepted.. of course, we know our neighbours well - they're a good bunch... even brought the crisps and nibbles with them. Negotiating styles and climbing fences in pitch black not a problem, working our way through the debris of tree felling perhaps a little more tricky, but fun was had by all and we finished up the evening sharing a very lovely chinese meal. Good old tree!! Bless her!

WINTER PROJECTS

2012-01-18T05:04:00.000-08:00

I'm totally knackered today as I've overdone it with the jungle bashing ... so I am really rather relieved to have a wet day to take a break from it and rest my poor bruised hands and aching shoulders. Our boundary is mostly a strip of woodland, nearly all deciduous stuff, some really lovely specimen trees such as cedar and scots pine, some beautiful old beech, horse chestnut, both white and my favourite pink ones, limes, cherry, elder, field maple and sycamour and something called a wayfarers tree which is evergreen, plus a few mystery ones which I haven't identified yet.

Last winter we cleared the ivy and thinned out the small stuff along the North side. For the last couple of weeks we've been clearing the ivy and thinning the woods on the East and South sides. It's really hard work, great on a cold day, and I have to say hugely satisfying seeing the result of our efforts. It's fun discovering bits of our land for the first time!

Ivy, bramble and saplings have done their own thing for decades and so we are now doing battle to try and get it all under control before we are taken over like Sleeping Beauties castle. Peter does the big stuff with the chainsaw and I hack wildly at everything else with my machete thing, loppers and handsaw. I'm a bit of an expert now at chopping down saplings with my machete - it's just a matter of bending them and slashing through the bend, cuts through like butter if you get it just right, very satisfying. Not so good is the way stuff flicks back and whips you round the face or legs, and yesterday I suffered the indignity of falling over backwards when something stubborn suddenly gave way, I don't thin anyone saw me fortunately.

We had an Arborist come and survey the trees, sadly our biggest and most beautiful beech has to be felled urgently as it's diseased, apparently could come down anytime and is close to a road. Monday is the scheduled day for the tree surgeons to take it down, I'll miss all the excitement as I'm studying paca poo under microscopes all day .... shame, I really wanted to be there and I was hoping to get them to take pictures of our farm from the top of the tree before they cut it down as it looks out over all of it. At least we'll have plenty of firewood for a few years.

SEMINARS AT MEON VALLEY ALPACAS

2012-01-11T09:31:00.000-08:00

Now that we're all back to normal routines, may I please draw your attention to some really excellent seminars we have coming up over the next few weeks. Open to all. Please contact me info@mvalpacas.co.uk to get booked on these days, they really they are too good an opportunity to miss. There's something for everyone, from the very new to the very experienced. Gain knowledge and a deeper understanding. The seminars are not expensive, especially when you consider the amount we all spend on our alpacas.

(I did have one query today from someone wanting to know if the Alpaca Evaluation and the Breeders Seminar overlapped - this is the response from Nick Harrington-Smith who is a lecturer for both days.)

"There may be some overlap but that is always the case. The BAS one day course is designed to give a basic understanding of those traits that are of importance in a breeding programme, however it is probably more pertinent to say that its main objective is to make people start thinking about the why’s and wherefores’ in respect of fleece characteristics.

The breeder’s day will cover some of this by necessity, but will focus heavily on issues that are of importance and that can be readily influenced by careful and informed breeding decision-making.

Both courses will only give brief oversight in to trait evaluation and can be but a start in any learning process. Alpaca breeding is complex, understanding fleece even more so, therefore repetition is both necessary and useful, and will always prove beneficial. All the BAS tutors will tell you that we learn something every time we give a course."

Saturday 4th February 2012 "Alpaca Evaluation" with Liz Barlow
We have one of our British Judge Liz Barlow coming to Meon Valley Alpacas to give the new one day British Alpaca Society (BAS) Alpaca Evaluation for Breeders Course. Limited to just 12 places, this is a fabulous days education, not to be missed, all classroom based, so we will be cosy in the training room whatever the weather's doing outside - lunch and refreshments included. Please get in touch to find out more and book your place soon. £60 per person plus vat and including lunch.

Saturday 3rd March 2012 "An Introduction to Alpacas" with Karen & Peter Oglesby
Alpaca management how to look after alpacas day to day and routine husbandry to keep them healthy. We cover vaccinations, worming, toenail trimming, teeth care, nutrition and feeding, shearing, biosecurity, breeding. Learning takes place in the lecture room and on our farm with the alpacas.
Financial considerations whether keeping a couple as field pets or when starting up an alpaca business.
Handling systems - a look around Meon Valley Alpacas to see how we run our herd, discussing fencing, catch areas, shelters, field maintenance, farm set-up and equipment etc.
Fleece and conformation - what to look for when buying an alpaca. Alpaca assessments- a practical session with hands-on look and feel of the differences in conformation and fleece.
Viewing of Meon Valley Sale alpacas.
The course fee of £40 per person £60 per couple which includes lunch and refreshments. The day starts at 10 am and finishes around 4 pm.Courses fill quickly, so please check for availability and request a booking form. We're also happy to give courses tailor made to suit your requirments... perhaps on halter training, identifying fleece characteristics and how to skirt a fleece, or preparation for a show, etc. If you would like a private course then please contact us to arrange a date. Cost for a half day £100 per family.

Saturday 10th March 2012 "Training your alpaca for Shows" with Jay Holland

This is a one day course taken by Judge and Qualified Camelidynamics Alpaca Trainer Jay Holland. Training Alpacas for Showing and Show Etiquette. very much a hands-on with the alpacas and will be fun and fascinating. £60 plus vat per person including lunch.

Wednesday 28 March 2012 "Breeders Seminar" with Nick Harrington-Smith

We are hosting a one day Seminar for the Southern Alpaca Group which is top be given by International Judge Nick Harrington Smith which is designed to help better understand how to select and breed successfully for the bloodstock market and the fibre industry. Gain an insight into the importance and relationship of those traits most important to all markets. £60 per person including lunch.

MORE WEANLINGS

2012-01-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

When it eventually got light this morning my first sight was of our garden bench up-side-down in the fish pond - still very windy then - thankfully it hadn't killed any of our fish in the process or the little fountain thingy.

I had a second year Vet student with me today and after the morning feed round and a cup of coffee we spent quite a while handling the weanlings, getting them used to having their legs touched and picked up which was really useful. Then we got all chubbies from the weight watchers field in to the yard for condition scoring and weighing. The two real porkers Orchid and Medina are still scoring 11/10, I think I'll have to send them to Zumba or invent a treadmill for fat alpacas getting them to produce electricity or something - no wonder I can never get them pregnant. Cassandra is pretty fat too at 9/10 at least she's pregnant though. None of them needed to change groups and will stay on their diet of Camelibra and very little hay and their eaten down field.

New group of weanlings

Midlington - had a fringe trim so he can see out now

All very calm and quiet - no crying for mums in this group

Then we brought in the rest of the females and cria. Most of the cria are now huge and 5 or 6 months, the mums were mostly fine, but a couple of them had lost a bit of condition which settled my decision to wean the rest of our cria right there and then.

We hatched a plan to move the first weanling group down to the yard, mix them up with the new group and put them all back out again, but with the high winds under their tails the first group just wouldn't co-operate so we changed to Plan B which was to leave the new weanlings in the yard with a couple of stables to go in until we have more helpers.

Meanwhile Peter has been working away on our trees, getting rid of the Ivy, all a bit dodgy in the wind - we heard a tremendous crack, like gunfire, as a tree up on the hill behind us came down. I do think we've had enough of this rough stuff now - can we have some calm, frosty, sunny days please?

THE FIRST BIG STORM OF 2012

2012-01-03T08:02:00.000-08:00

The skies are blue now and the wind has died right down but at lunchtime today I thought the world may indeed come to an end in 2012... torrential horizontal rain and very strong winds bashed us about for hours. And then suddenly it was all over and the sun came out. Watching the radar on www.raintoday.co.uk was quite exciting, heavy rain, usually dark read, on this occasion was a line of almost black crossing over us.

We had an arborculturalist (can't spell that) (tree man) come and inspect our trees, I was actually amazed we had any left standing, but they were, even the dodgy looking ones. Thankfully he was delayed and 2 hours late, so we walked the boundary in the dry. He's going to do a survey, expensive, and then recommend we get some taken down, very expensive, and then thin some out, expensive and then lay a hedge ... I don't think so!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2012-01-02T10:17:00.000-08:00

Well here we are in 2012 ... got a good sound to it I think, I prefer years with even numbers - I wish us all a very happy, healthy, lucky, wise and prosperous year.

Not been much going on here over the last couple of weeks, well not unless you count Christmas of course.... Rebecca and I had our usual holiday walk challenge - to take the dogs somewhere different every day, I think we managed it and we even discovered a few new walks, all within 2/3 miles of our village. We're very lucky that we live in such beautiful countryside with lots of footpaths and bridle paths to follow. Not so good is that the inside of my car is now covered in mud and Jazz's slobber - yuck.

One of our Xmas walks - looking out over the Meon Valley from Old Winchester Hill

We've done a bit of halter training on the weanlings, when they've been dry, they're coming along nicely now and beginning to walk after just a few 5 minute sessions. Keen to get the first batch going before we wean the next lot, which may be this week, depending on the weather, as I have to find something to do with a Vet student whose spending the day with us - can't make the poor girl pick up poo the whole day!

First both alpaca (Treasure) and handler (Rebecca) have to be relaxed!

I spent ages yesterday updating our website, always tricky, as I usually get something technical wrong - this time I couldn't understand why some of the links didn't work - only to learn that I had to refresh it's pages on my computer to get rid of the old cache - whatever that means! Anyway, our course dates are up on it - all very exciting - with 3 visiting Judges, Liz Barlow, Nick Harrington-Smith and Jay Holland all giving fantastic training days with us, lots of opportunity to learn masses about alpacas - plus our own Beginners Course - don't forget to refresh the page if you can't see them! www.mvalpacas.co.uk

Bobby Dazzler getting used to his head collar

Yasmina looking relaxed on her head collar

Yasmina learning to walk

Just 5 mins once a day for a week

The Sorcerer waiting for his turn

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

2011-12-24T10:01:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to you all from all of us!

ANOTHER DATE FOR YOUR DIARY

2011-12-17T10:02:00.000-08:00

Whilst you're all adding those course dates to your 2012 diaries - here is another one not to be missed for alpaca breeders before the breeding season gets under way. By International Judge Nick Harrington Smith here at Meon Valley Alpacas, being central to the BAS Southern Alpaca Group, and is open to everyone. contact me for details and to reserve your place soon 01489 878663 info@mvalpacas.co.uk

Wednesday 28 March 2012 One day Seminar designed to help better understand how to select and breed successfully for the bloodstock market and the fibre industry. Gain an insight into the importance and relationship of those traits most important to all markets.

DATES FOR NEXT YEAR

2011-12-15T11:43:00.000-08:00

A couple of dates for your diaries -

We have the wonderful Liz Barlow coming here to give a BAS Alpaca Evaluation for Breeders Course on Saturday 4th February - limited to just 12 places, this is a fabulous days education, not to be missed, all classroom based, so we will be cosy in the training room whatever the weather's doing outside - lunch and refreshments included. Please get in touch to find out more and book your place soon.

Our own very popular Alpacas for Beginners day course on Saturday 3rd March - ideal for anyone thinking of keeping alpacas or newbies... again contact for details.

As soon as I have dates fixed for further courses I'll post them... some very interesting ones I promise!

Been cold today but everybody was dry first thing, so Peter and I set about microchipping the cria - would have got it all done very quickly if the battery hadn't died in the chip reader - took longer to get the battery out and replace it than it did to chip them all. Anyway Job Done and now I must get on and register them.

WINTER

2011-12-03T09:57:00.000-08:00

The trees are mostly bare and so it all looks a bit wintery out there - not as bad as last year when we'd already had a foot of snow by now - but we have had slightly more seasonal weather this week. I hope we get some snow for Christmas - but not too much!

The pacas managed to dry out today and are looking reasonably clean but a bit dishevelled - not surprising given the amount of rain we've had. Yesterday morning they were almost crispy, they'd had a soaking the night before and then the temperature must have plummeted overnight - the gates were frozen shut in the morning and all the raindrops everywhere were solid, as were the outside of the pacas fleeces - shows how well insulated they are.

We had a very large group of students from South Downs college come to learn about alpacas as part of their animal care course - thankfully we were all in our heated lecture room for most of their visit, and then a shivery 10 minutes meeting the alpacas in the field before going back in their mini-buses.

Tomorrow we give the second dose of the season of AD&E and will handle the weanlings a bit, they've settled really well and are enjoying the hard feed with extra goodies - carrots and micronised peas with Readigrass - yum.

WEANING

2011-11-24T09:32:00.000-08:00

Peter and I had a free morning so decided to wean the first bunch of crias - 11 of them altogether and split up the rest of the female herd according to their BCS and winter feed requirements. All went remarkably smoothly and we were just finishing putting the last females out when I saw young Dipper-Dapper make a bid for an escape, squeezing himself under the rails he was back with his mum two fields away in a jiffy.

Swearing slightly, well a lot actually, we decided that herding him back or carrying him across the farm was not an option, so we caught him and bundled him into the trailer and then moved them all along to the next field which is fenced with stock wire, drove him across the fields and put him back in with the others. Completely out of sight from his mum and his previous escape route, he settled down and stayed put with his buddies.

Tonight everyone seems remarkably calm, the weanlings have old Aunty Miel in with them for a bit of adult company and they all tucked into their supper. All but 2 of their mums seem oblivious to the fact that their crias are no longer with them. Moya searched me up and down looking for Monroe but as soon as I was out of the field settled down in front of the hay feeder for a munch. Calico stood and gazed into the distance but not for long.

Weanlings

The Fatties

Females & Crias

Caption ideas?

FIRST REAL FROST & BEGINNERS COURSE

2011-11-23T09:34:00.000-08:00

When I pulled up the bedroom blind this morning there was a lovely Wintry scene of frosted alpacas, on frosted grass... not sure how cold it was but it was definitely very chilly compared to recent weeks. I should have taken a picture because it was all so lovely with the mists here and there and the sun coming up, but I was too busy flying about getting ready for our Beginners Course which was starting at 10am.

Very nice people on the course, some interested in pets and some in breeding females, hopefully they will all become alpaca owners in due course. Our new training room was much admired and felt warm and spacious. I'm tired now, thankfully Rebecca did cooking at school and made a pasta sauce so easy supper and then collapse in front of the telly.

AUTUMN GRASS

2011-11-20T02:36:00.000-08:00

It's well known that an Autumn flush of grass can be deceiving when it comes to nutrients ... but I am sure this year it's different, it's so green, not that rusty yellow colour, growing almost constantly, and the alpacas are not only loving it but gaining weight on it too. Having weighed all the cria who all had very good increases since the last time we then went on to weigh all the adult females out of interest. In 3 weeks all of them had gained, with good condition scores. They're on Camelibra and a tiny bit of Fibregest and when offered hay, they're just not that interested in it. I know this will change as soon as we start getting frosts, but it's great whilst it lasts and we're saving masses on expensive hay and alfalfa.

The woodland path is finished - that was hard work - next time I get a load of wood chips I'll get it dropped the top of the hill - duh! I'm off now to get bird feeders and nest boxes and for xmas I'd love one of those wildlife cameras to see who uses the path and a bench too ....

Treasure

Treasure and Dipper-Dapper messing about!

Bobby Dazzler

FOLLOW ME!

2011-11-18T09:29:00.000-08:00

The woodland path is continuing to grow nicely, another hour or two tomorrow and it should be finished. I really love doing stuff like that, but I do wish I had more strength and stamina... 'cos I'm knackered now. Next project will be the ivy on the roadside trees ... major muscle required for that, and the chainsaw - I can hear Peter groaning and moaning even before I ask him to help me.

I've been playing about with the Blogger templates .. I like the new ones, but just couldn't make up my mind which one, so you may get a different one everyday. Was persuaded to join Twitter this week, I really like it, thought I wouldn't, but I think it's much better than FB - one has to keep up with modern trends and technology you know! Follow me and I'll follow you right back!

WOODLAND TRAIL

2011-11-17T10:11:00.000-08:00

Got stuck into the wood chips this morning ... they're perfect and smell wonderful ... however after just a few wheelbarrows full I came across a fallen tree so that was that! I am forbidden to use the chainsaw - probably just as well or we wouldn't have a tree left standing, and I would probably saw my leg off or something - so will have to wait for Peter to help me tomorrow. It'll be great for halter training the weanlings in a few weeks time.

Took pictures of Bliss and Bruno in the twilight this afternoon - weird eyes from the flash.

Bliss

Bruno

ON THE SCROUNGE

2011-11-16T09:44:00.000-08:00

Our neighbours had a huge beech tree cut down today, so from my office window I have a glimpse of the hill at Soberton through the new gap. The alpacas were fascinated by the whole proceedings, well it's not everyday you see a two-legged up the top of a tree. The girls were keeping a beedy eye out for the tree surgeon's puppy that kept wandering onto our driveway ... completely harmless of course but worth a couple of alarm calls just in case - always makes me laugh when I hear it.

Pixie my VW camper van left us today with her new owners - I was a bit sad to see her go. On my way to the postbox to post off the DVLA form I managed to scrounge a truck full of wood chips from the tree chaps for my woodland path - so that cheered me up.

LONG DAY

2011-11-11T09:21:00.000-08:00

Today seems to have dragged, probably because I have been doing stuff that's boring like the accounts and VAT. Peter always has to help me with the thing where you work out the 20% backwards ... I just can't do it... don't want to try either, so there!

I made a new power point presentation this afternoon, that was more interesting, we have a big group of students from South Downs College coming here at the end of the month.. so it's tailored for them. By the time I'd finished it I was cold, so I went outside and put a load of hay out for the girls to warm up a bit. They're still not eating much hay, we have lots of grass, but they do pick at it, especially on wet days. Tomorrow's plan, if it's dry, is to do toenails and weigh the cria, then move them into the front field which has rested for months and has wonderful grass in it, it's still growing even now. I reckon it'll last the big group of girls and cria a couple of weeks... then come December I will wean the first bunch and move them all again. We rotate the fields more often at this time of the year, then they don't get overgrazed.

LEAVES

2011-11-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

I decided this year that I would keep the driveway and little trailer paddock free from leaves ... so yesterday I slaved for hours and hours with the mower, leaf blower and brush, which works better than a rake, besides which we don't have one. ... I made umpteen piles of leaves all down the driveway, I filled one of those huge tonne builders bags ... must have made an amusing picture with me struggling to stuff the bag with armfuls of leaves whilst trying to hold the bag open at the same time .... made it so heavy that I couldn't shift it and abandoned it on the side of the track with only one pile left over, which I forbade to move and walked away feeling very satisfied with my work but rather knackered.

This morning my feeble aching body was even less able to move the bag, or a single leaf come to that, so I persuaded Peter, by way of homemade soup and promises to help me move the bag and then pick up all the other leaves I had blown into a massive line. We wrestled them into the bags against an ever increasing wind ... some of the leaves were determined to escape, but we got most of the little darlings. By the end of the task I looked back up the driveway which I had cleared yesterday, to see it all covered with a fresh supply of leaves again.

Nevermind, I still love autumn and here are pictures of the remaining leaves still attached to the trees and my beautiful pacas...

Treasure

Midlington

Callista

SCANNING

2011-10-26T08:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had all our girls scanned - very pleased we have 24 pregnant. Only 4 were empty and I'm not surprised as I had guessed as much even though we hadn't done any spit offs lately. If you know your girls you can tell often by how they react when you handle them, but it's always good to have them scanned anyway, just to be certain. We'll repeat the scanning again in March just to make sure they've all held through the winter.

Not much else to report, all very quiet on the farm and making the most of it!

CHANGES

2011-10-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

Moved the females and crias into the next field, which of course was cause of much charging and prancing about. Of course by the time I got the camera everyone had calmed down... anyway here are some pics taken from the last couple of days.

I've started the autumn clear up in the garden, a bit early probably, but I'm in the mood - I tend to get a bit scissor happy with the slash back and a light prune on a shrub can sometimes reduce it to a stump ... but so far I have managed to restrain myself, even so, the bonfire heap is growing nicely ready for Nov 5th. We have a huge paca-poo pile in the woods, thanks to Peter and his poo-hoovering, the 2 year old stuff is looking wonderful, just have to work out how I'm going to get it to the garden without having to use the wheelbarrow numerous times. I would love a mini digger all of my own to play with - would be so much fun, and one of those machines that chop up bits of wood into chips..... highly unlikely that I would be allowed!

The mornings have suddenly become quite chilly and we had a light frost today .... I am definitely an Autumn person ...

Pacas lost in the mist

JOB DONE

2011-10-15T10:48:00.000-07:00

Us 'Girls' were working well together this morning - with Rebecca and Lucy's help all the females and crias were weighed and wormed with Cydectin in a jiffy. All pacas co-operated beautifully, having gone straight through the race over the scales a couple of times to learn the route, they were then very calm when it was their turn to be stopped and weighed. This is where our round yard comes in so handy. Shame no-one took pictures of the proceedings but we didn't think about it at the time. Along with condition scores its interesting to see how they change over the year and always handy to have weights to give accurate dosing, adults varying from 50 to 83 kilos and big Miel at 101.3. I like to see if I can estimate the weights. I couldn't decide which field to put them in, so in the end they went back into the same one .. supposed to be a good strategy for reducing resistance in worms to drugs anyway.

Rebecca and I then went off to an auction and with her encouragement (didn't take much) bought a couple of treasures and a rather nice teak table and chairs - bargains - I love auctions!

COLIC & STUFF

2011-10-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

Not blogged for ages, been really busy doing 'stuff' and most of it only interesting to me.... Fantastic autumn so far, the grass is still growing and the fields look great. The girls are still munching their way through our biggest field and look lovely against the autumn trees. The big boys are now in the same field with Bonami and Wizard, the 2 intermediates with their friend Yerba, the llama to look after them and stop any bullying.

Last weekend we weighed and dosed all the cria with Baycox as a precaution, and they had their first AD&E and this weekend the plan is to worm everyone and do any toenails that are looking untidy. I may decide to wean a few of the older crias soon, some are huge even though they're only 4/5 months old. Bliss and Bruno, the bottles, are doing well, gaining weight at the same rate as the others, but not ready to wean yet.

Medina had a bout of colic during the week, probably a bit bunged up I think, she was down, obviously in pain and not wanting to get up or eat, but chewing the cud a bit, always a good sign. Her poo was hard and a bit dry but everything else about her seemed ok - eyes, membranes, temp etc... so I gave her some Metacam and a large dose of liquid paraffin and some vetrumex and by the afternoon she seemed a lot better. Today she is back to normal, thankfully.

Also this week one of the cria gave me cause for concern as he lay seemingly at deaths door and didn't stir even when I lifted his head off the ground. Checked him all over, looked in his mouth, opened one eye, then the other - then he woke up! I don't know who was more surprised, me or him, obviously a very sound sleeper!

Bonami, Wizard, Ardingly, Goldrush, Sir G and Yerba at the back, on guard.

Autumn colours

A DAY OFF AT THE SEASIDE

2011-09-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

Woke to another stunning morning and a forecast of exceptionally warm sunny weather ... so after doing the feed rounds I asked Peter what his plan was and he said he was going to poo hoover the top field, unless I had a better idea. We could go to the beach, I said... well, blimey he was ready in a jiffy!!

So off we went in Pixie (camper van) to Hill Head near Lee on Solent, not far from us and incidentally, where the Meon Valley River goes out to sea. The beach was quiet, just a few fishermen, some energetic runners and the odd person sunbathing and one even swimming ... the sea was calm, deep blue and very dazzling in the sun and the air warm and fishy. Costa del (South of England) sol. First stop a cup of rather good real coffee (won't be able to sleep tonight) then a walk along on the pebbles for an hour or so. The sea air made us hungry and so we made our way to the Jolly Sailor at Bursledon for a very welcome half of best and a delicious lunch overlooking the boats and gin palaces before visiting a garden centre on the way home - bought a lavender plant to fill a gap in the garden and had a look at some Marine fish in their aquarium, Peter's new hobby.. I fancied a couple of little blue jobs, but apparently the tank is full.... All in all a really enjoyable day out which made a real change and made the most of the Indian Summer.

Some photos from the day and some of the pacas in the field this evening .... and Jazz too.

View from The Jolly Sailor

Hill Head Beach

Cotton Candy

Makes a nice screen saver!

Jazz

Bonaventure

NEW ROUTINE - NEW FIELDS

2011-09-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

I love September, chilly starts and warm sunny days (well today anyway).... had a lovely time just doing stuff with the alpacas. The last spit off of the year and I'm fairly sure we have 24 pregnant, maybe 25 .... out of 27 that's pretty good going. We'll get them all scanned next month and then again in March.

I weighed the smaller crias and then moved all the females down to the bottom of the farm into one big group. There's so much grass down there and I want them to have it whilst there's still some goodness in it. They look great all together, just have to watch out for any changes in behaviour of the females with cria, some prefer to be in smaller groups and get a bit shy when feeding. Just a change in their routine and mine, won't take long for us all to adjust I'm sure - it's a huge field so they should be fine. It's fascinating watching them all get re-acquainted .. and aunties and grandmas meeting the new crias, and crias meeting other crias - I wonder who will be the new leader of this large group... Oh sh.... just knocked my wine over - went straight into the pot plant - I bet I couldn't do that again!

Anyway, seems really strange not having any next to the house, but those fields can now have a bit of a rest whilst the grass is still growing. Dark outside already and only 8.30 something...

CRIA PHOTOS

2011-09-14T11:57:00.000-07:00

A lovely evening for taking photos - here's just a few to share with you...

Bruno and Bliss the 'bottles' doing really well.

Baylee - this boy is so cheeky

Adele (who refuses to keep her collar on) and Baylee

Archer and The Sorcerer

SOME PICTURES OF THE SHOW

2011-09-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

A GREAT SUCCESS!!

2011-09-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

Been like a zombie last couple of days, just so tired after the show. Then had all the catching up to do so forgive the lateness of my report of the show:-

Show Day - after a restless night in the vdub my phone alarm went off at 5.30am (felt like I had only just gone to sleep) disturbing a dream I was having of eating a delicious curry... ?? It was still dark and amazingly quiet on the show ground apart from some mooing from the cattle marquees. I was determined to use my whistling kettle, having remembered the matches this time and with my cuppa watched the sun slowly rise making the clouds all pink -was this the calm before the storm?

Everybody arrived on time - we had 89 entries altogether and just a few withdrawals. Despite the awful weather forecast and rather threatening black clouds from time to time, the rain held off til lunchtime, as arranged of course, and as if my magic it cleared for the afternoons judging. Tim Hey, our Judge, did a great job, as did all the stewards and John on commentary and Nikki Hayton my co-organiser of course. We had a large crowd around our show ring all day and the marquee was packed with the public during the lunch break - alpacas being one of the big attractions of the day.

Our own small show team did rather well - Bonaventure Champion Beige Female, Bonami Champion Fawn Male, Cassandra Reserve Champion Fawn Female and little Andromeda 4th in the same class, we're very happy with those results!

At the end of the day loads of people chipped in and helped put the hurdles away, and we arrived home about 8 pm - fed the rather hungry bottles, stuffed the show team back out in their fields and then I sent Peter out for that curry I had been craving all day ... though I was really too tired to eat it and too wired to go to sleep.. all in all though a great success.

ALMOST READY FOR THE SHOW

2011-09-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

Well this time tomorrow night I will be at the Romsey Show Ground all cosy (I hope) in my little green bus "Pixie" on security duty in the alpaca Marquee, or just outside it anyway ... this will be my second night ever spent in the old vDub and this time I must remember to take the matches so that I can light the gas burner, for the morning cuppa! I have too admit that owning a VW Campervan hasn't quite lived up to my expectations - mainly because of the rubbish summer we've had, but mostly because I just haven't had the time to take off in her as intended... maybe we'll have an Indian Summer and I can get a few weekends in before I decide to sell her..

The forecast for Saturday seems to be different whenever I look, so not going to look any more - nothing I can do about it anyway. Besides, it could be a shopping opportunity, our family motto being "You can never have enough coats!" and I haven't bought one for months! I seem to have so much to take - the car is packed to bursting with show stuff including 6 box plants that Park Place Nurseries, have very kindly lent us for the weekend, they stink of cats pee for some reason???

Meanwhile, on the farm, everyone's had a pedicure and the last mating of the season took place today between Akela and Ardingly, as I was short of time it was a quickie in the field with all the little boys trying to join in ... the couple seemed oblivious... the postman wasn't ... I felt a little embarrassed, God knows why!

Just to add to the fullness of my day, I had to go to B & Q and buy flooring for a little project we're doing, I was in a mad hurry and just couldn't make up my mind, some of it's down now and I'm not liking it much - oh dear.

ROMSEY SHOW - THIS SATURDAY

2011-09-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

Been horrendous weather today, gales and just so much rain, I just hope it means that it won't be like this on Saturday for the Romsey Show. This is the first show for The Southern Alpaca Group and a first for Romsey too. They're really excited about it and yesterday we had their Chairman and Joint Presidents here for a photo shoot with our alpacas... it rained, but we stayed dry in the shelter.

Anyway, we're almost ready for it, though I keep remembering stuff to add to the list - (tubs of flowers just been added - must get tomorrow) - how did I get talked into being Joint Organiser? Whatever the weather throws at us we will have a good time I'm sure - just as long as everyone remembers to bring their GSOH - and their waterproofs!

ALRESFORD SHOW

2011-09-02T03:24:00.000-07:00

Been glorious last couple of days and I've been busy getting the last of our breedings done for the year. All the females have been mated now except one, who refuses to sit, I think she may have retained a CL from watching breedings a few weeks ago, annoying to say the least as I know full well this can happen but thought she'd be OK as it was only days since she had given birth. Anyway, I'll give her a couple of hormone injections and have one last go in a few days time.

We're off to Alresford Show tomorrow, hope it's nice weather - I think the forecast is OK - they look after us very well there and give us a nice big marquee. We're going to take a bunch of boys, as much as I'd like to show off a couple of females with crias, I don't think it's fair on them and they may reabsorb their pregnancies, just not worth the risk.

RELAXING SUNDAY

2011-08-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

Lazy Sunday !

Toffee Apple and Treasure relaxing in the sunshine

Akela and Amaru

View from the train

River walk

Today we had the kind of Sunday I love .... take my time doing the feed rounds and then walk the dogs, a leisurely coffee in the field with the alpacas, taking pics, and then a family trip out in Pixie Lott the camper van to give her a bit of a run, as it was a bank holiday weekend we stuck to the lanes. We ended up in Alresford, home of the Watercress Line Steam Railway.

We walked round the river and then decided to take the steam train up the line one stop to Ropley and back. The driver was a very pretty young lady... she must get through a lot of shampoo! All very nostalgic, though I'm too young of course to really remember steam trains! Still got soot in my eyes and hair from sticking my head out the window - just love the noise and the even the smell. All in all a very relaxing day Here's a little video...

ROMSEY SHOW - LAST MINUTE ENTRIES

2011-08-27T01:04:00.000-07:00

Come on you late comers - the extended closing date is tomorrow 28th August for the Romsey Show - get 'em in!!

What a beautiful morning, sunshine and blue skies, a rare occurrence this week, and a distinct feeling of Autumn, my favourite time of year. Just love those chilly starts, having bonfires, picking blackberries and X Factor on the telly!! Really been noticing the evenings getting darker earlier too - the bottles last feed now at 8.30pm

Lucy, my Saturday helper coming in a minute and we're going out to do the weekly weigh-ins of the cria, they need to dry out a bit first though still looking soggy after yesterdays downpours. Still at least we don't have hurricanes to worry about. Should probably do a few toenails too - noticed last week that some were getting a bit long. ...

COMPUTERS, MATINGS AND A MANGIE CAT

2011-08-25T01:48:00.000-07:00

Been a strange week - most of it on the phone to Apple or actually in the Apple store having lugged extremely heavy iMac (assisted by extremely grumpy husband) to Southampton for not just one "Genius" but many to fix it (again)! It's just amazing how my life has changed in the last decade - previous to that I never used a computer - couldn't see why we needed one and it was only Peters job that led us to buy one! Now it seems I can't function without it .... so much of my daily life, both work and personal leads me to use it....

Anyway out of the office when its not been pouring with rain I have been busy doing spit-offs and matings with the Snowmass boys - all the girls are now pregnant or have now been mated in the last week except for Akela who hasn't been in the mood.... she better hurry up as this is the last week we're breeding here.

All the crias are fine - including the 'bottles' Bliss and Bruno, who are gaining weight steadily and playing with the others. The white crias are all sporting very smart collars for quick identification, actually I think I know them all by sight at the moment but it make it easier when they're all in the pen together...

Jerry, our black and white cat has had a bit of skin trouble - probably mange, as I know he goes down the fox holes in the woods - he's a bit of a git to treat with anything and I had to have two attempts at getting him dosed with stuff on the back of his neck, which you might think was a simple job .. ha.. think again - I got most of it! He seems to be scratching himself less now anyway, so he must have got enough of it and I certainly won't have mange.... I could have bought a whole bottle of Cydectin for the price of that stuff - what a rip off!

NEXT BEGINNERS COURSE

2011-08-20T01:54:00.000-07:00

Having trouble with the computer yet again .. they're great when they work aren't they?! Just so annoying as I am unable to change the date on the website of our next beginners course. Anyway, for those who may be interested it is to be on Saturday1st October. We had a lot of enquiries on the Open Day from people wanting to know the ins and outs of alpaca keeping and breeding and this is just the perfect opportunity to spend a day with us learning all about them, with some hands-on experience. Check out our web page for more details....

Just having a swift cup of coffee now and then I'm back out to do the weekly cria weigh-ins ... most of which are just too heavy for me to pick up now. I bought some identity collars so we can tell the white ones apart - it's ok when they're out in the field with their mums but when they're all in the yard it gets a bit challenging.

Doing just a few spit-offs too. We're coming towards the end of our breeding season - end of August being our cut off date, so keeping up with the spit-offs is really important now, especially as we have the Snowmass boys here at the moment.

SNOWMASS STUDS

2011-08-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

For a brief time we have all 4 of the Snowmass boys here - they are just so gorgeous and make such an impressive sight in the field altogether. After a busy time driving about collecting them and then working them, I put them all out in their field and just enjoyed watching them sort out who was going to be the boss... Quetzalcoatl thinks he is - but judging from the amount of green gunge on him he may be mistaken... I stayed on the other side of the fence out the way! Once they'd settled down I just spent ages taking pics of them but digital cameras are just so annoying aren't they - get it focussed, push the button - nothing happens - moment gone - click - takes the shot - out of focus - out of shot! Anyway I did get a few good ones ....

OPEN DAY SUCCESS

2011-08-14T12:33:00.000-07:00

Our Open Day was a huge success... the weather was perfect and everything looked great. We had between 400 and 500 visitors - with a constant stream of traffic up the lane. We had so many lovely compliments on the farm and on our animals. Loads of serious enquiries and some sales for the future. We sold lots of fleece, yarn and knitted things and a huge amount of tea and cake.

The spinning ladies were brilliant, as were all my volunteer helpers who were either stewards on the gates talking about the animals to everyone, running the shop, or doing the teas - thank you very much guys - we couldn't have done it without you! The pacas were impeccably behaved of course - I can't imagine what they must have thought of all the people in their paddocks .. they were very bemused by the pushchairs.

My biggest thanks goes to my dear husband Peter who has worked so hard getting the farm looking so lovely and making sure that there was hardly a paca-poo left for anyone to step in, but mostly for putting up with me in my pre-open day stressed state! I woke in the night worrying that no-one would come!

Here are some pics of the day..... hope those in them don't mind!! Now I'm off for a takeaway and a very large G&T!!!

Crowds round the spinning tent

Beginning of the farm walk

Just couldn't believe how many cars!

Peter looking very happy - maybe it's 'cos he's taking the money!

I thought I said no pics of me!

Kids taking a real interest in the weaving

What are all these people doing in our field?

That's close enough!

LAST CRIA FOR THE YEAR

2011-08-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Goldie had her cria - a very easy birth, but no sign of any milk. So a bottle of colostrum and a dollop of kickstart was gratefully accepted by the cria who was a bit weeny and needed the oomph, whilst Goldie had a shot of oxytocin ... just an hour later and the milk bar was open and the cria got stuck in. When you see him next to his sparkly white chums he is a definite light fawn.

So the tally on this years crop - 8 girls and 11 boys - and I have to say we are very happy with our Snowmass breedings and can't wait for the next lot in a years time!

Tomorrow the gazebos go up for the Open Day - I just hope it's not going to be too windy...

Goldie & Goliath

Seeing Double

CANDY'S OP AND ANOTHER BOY

2011-08-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

We have been treating little Candy for a few weeks for a nasty eye infection - at first we thought we were winning but by the end of last week it was clear that the eye was no longer viable and that she'd be better off without it, she had already adjusted to having no sight in it anyway. So Friday afternoon Andrew our Vet operated on her on our old kitchen table in the stable yard. I have to say I wouldn't volunteer to hold an alpaca's head still for that one again! Amazingly within half an hour of the operation she was bouncing round the stable and in the morning galloped round the field and jumped for joy. She's a gorgeous female, one of my favourites, she's been so brave and is such a good patient and is very beautiful, especially if viewed on her left!

Yesterday Akela had her cria by Snowmass Incan King - he looks just like him and I have called him Amaru. We seem to have more than our fair share of boys here, lets hope Goldie, who is our last female to birth will give us a girl to finish our birthing season....

ROMSEY SHOW

2011-08-05T03:51:00.000-07:00

I'm trying hard to knuckle down to the paperwork needed for the Romsey Show ... not much left to organise at the moment, the hard work will be needed in the couple of days leading up to the show putting all the penning up. Any help offered with that would be very much appreciated ..... The entries close on 14th August and as usual folk seem to be leaving it to the last minute to get their entries in - so come on everybody get them in now please... it would be a shame to miss out, we can only take 150 altogether and this is a great opportunity to show off your animals to the public, they need only have an inch of fleece being a short fleece show and it's a great venue.

TWO NEW BOYS

2011-08-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

We have two new little boys, sired by Snowmass Invincibly Elite and they are both gorgeous... the first to appear was from BonBon and was a textbook birth, but rather rapid, which must have been painful judging by her foul language and attempts to squash his head with her foot! Luckily I was there and after a few minutes the motherly instinct kicked in and she stood beautifully whilst he got straight up and got stuck into the milk bar. We have called him Baylee.

The next to arrive was from one of the maidens, Medusa, and she took her time ... as she'd been in first stage for 3/4 hours I thought it best to check her out properly and discovered she hadn't dilated much at all so gave her a bit of a sweep and after another half an hour or so she birthed easily to another little white chap... he was less lively, a bit dysmature, and took a little while to get to his feet. A bottle of goats colostrum got him going and he was running around the field in the evening.

Medusa and Midlington

Midlington

BonBon & Baylee

Both mums are very proud of their new sons and I have to say I am very pleased with them too - even though they are boys!

UPDATE

2011-08-01T13:17:00.000-07:00

Not been very good with the blogging lately .. just haven't had the chance. Anyway we have had another cria since Aglaia, last week from Bonita, started with a leg back, but then by the time we got organised to catch her to give her assistance, she'd sorted it out. However, after that she didn't seem to have any further contractions and as she had done this before I decided to give her a hand and I gently pulled her cria into the world - a gorgeous white boy - who she then promptly walked away from! So out with the lines and the penning and within less than a minute she realised that the wriggly bundle on the floor was her baby and not the lines and after another couple of minutes we couldn't get near him because she was so protective...! Keeping to the naming theme of starting with the first letter of the mum and maybe the sound, he is Bond - James Bond (well it amuses me anyway!).

Bonita and Bond

Agrippina and Aglaia

Aglaia, Mystery and Bond

Bond and Adele

OPEN DAY 14 AUGUST

2011-07-25T12:23:00.000-07:00

Suddenly I realise that our Open Day is just 3 weeks away and I have an awful lot of stuff to arrange... that's the trouble with having crias is that they're all lovely but very distracting. We usually have a very good turnout and people come from far and wide to see what alpacas are all about and enjoy being amongst them on our farm walk, have afternoon tea and buy a pair of socks or yarn to knit a scarf with. The kids love it of course and everyone enjoys watching the spinning ladies do their stuff.

Of course we get other alpaca breeders coming too to check out our cria and studs and have a chinwag and those coming to see the stock that we have for sale. The list of things to organise seems endless, and what with the stud work to do both at home and away taking up a fair bit of my time I am beginning to panic ... trouble is I'm not very good at knuckling down to things in the office, especially when the sun is shining.. it's the only part of this job that I don't like! I've done it all before of course, for previous Open Days, just need a bit of pressure to get on with it, well I'm suddenly feeling the pressure! At least I ordered the portaloo today, and hopefully hired the tents and tables, teapots and urns ... got to dig out our party tents, and find the quiz papers, and the information boards.... hose out the field shelter that becomes our shop ... sort fleece ... sorry rambling.... I will be ready - promise.

INTERESTING BIRTH

2011-07-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

Agrippina was being very vocal both yesterday and today, and something about her this morning made me think she was going to birth today. However, first I was to lose Polly, one of our dogs, on our morning walk - being a labrador it must have been something edible and probably disgusting (still waiting for the sick) that distracted her, normally she's fairly quick to come to the whistle (food reward) but she didn't return, even after about half an hour - very enormous field with very high crop of oil seed rape as far as you can see. Having lost one dog to the A32 I was getting rather anxious by now - to cut a very long story short, thank goodness I hear you all say, after phone calls to the police, then the council and then the dog warden, I discovered that someone had picked her up and reported her 'found'... and within an hour this very kind lady delivered her back to me safe and sound. So Polly lives to walk and eat rubbish another day!

Anyway, back to Agrippina - all day she looked a little uncomfortable and then towards the middle of the afternoon more like first stage labour... great ... afternoon birth... usually means trouble. When Peter returned from his flying (first time for almost a week, 'cos of awful weather - now human again!) I got him to hold her for me whilst I had a polite poke about... cervix not dilated at all. So, she'll either get going now or have it tomorrow. She decided now - and after another hour managed to get the head and legs out and then circled hysterically round and round screaming and spitting at her cria hanging out of her backend!

Good job I was there ... but I kept my distance and after a few minutes she calmed down. However, the birth didn't progress, not surprising after all that commotion, so given it was already 5.15pm I went over and gently pulled the cria out. A very lovely dark fawn female, our first from Snowmass Invincibly Elite and I am thrilled to get a fawn from him. Within just a few minutes she was up, feeding well and now cosy in a coat for the night.

Finally, for those who have been following the progress of Bliss and Bruno, our two 'bottles' - today they had their first proper gallop round the fields - a good 5 minutes of real leg stretching, lung filling, heart pumping, flat out fun - just great to see at last.

CRIA GAMES

2011-07-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

Is it Autumn already? I could see my breath when I walked the dogs and fed round this morning ... foggy, damp, horrible.... summer?

Dipper Dapper chasing Monroe

Bobby Dazzler joins in..

Managed to get the mobile matings done in the dry thankfully and back home this afternoon I took a few snaps of the crias letting off steam, and some 'arty-farty' flower pictures ...

Geraniums

Yasmina gets it now!

Missy and Mystery

IT'S A MYSTERY

2011-07-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

After all that lovely sunny weather Missy waited until today's torrential rain this morning to gave birth in the field shelter to a lovely little solid mid brown female, who despite her rather small size at just 6 kg, was up on her feet in minutes and then paraded at top speed around the field by Missy in the pouring rain. Given the weather and Missy's rather agitated state and slight reluctance to stand still for her cria to find the milk bar, I brought them into a warm dry stable and have left them in there for the night with a companion and will put them out again tomorrow. Oh and we have called her Mystery...

We're exhibiting at the Rare Breed Show at Singleton tomorrow, it's a lovely old fashioned country show with lots of rare breed farm animals and wool crafts. I always hanker after a wensleydale sheep or two when I'm there, and the cattle are gorgeous. I have come home with a rabbit before and some chickens once too. It's held at the Open Air Museum where there are some fabulous very ancient houses that have been reconstructed on site, and the views of the South Downs are stunning. I just hope that it's not too windy and wet as we only have our little gazebo at this one. I'll try and remember to take lots of photos.

FALSE ALARMS

2011-07-14T13:56:00.000-07:00

The last group of due females gave me the run around today.. Missy, one of our blacks, pregnant to Incan King, presented me with the classic pose of 'baby coming' by lying flat on her side with her head up and looking at her tummy for 5 minutes or more, so I decided to change my plans for the day as Peter had gone flying. By lunchtime Aggripina was looking uncomfortable. Well come on then girls. But no, it was far too nice a day and they just lazed about in the sunshine instead.

Just been out to give the 'bottles', as they have become known, their last feed and everything smells of hay - wonderful. A fabulous full moon has risen above our trees and it's a beautiful creamy light fawn - does this mean we will get a light fawn tomorrow? Will have to call it moonlight or luna or something if we do..

Anyway here's some pics to be going on with..

Medusa

Bonita

CHICKEN GUARDS

2011-07-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

Another 3 wethers left us today to become chicken guards. This usually works really well, as does keeping alpacas with lambing sheep to chase the foxes away from the lambs. It's very well documented, especially in countries like Australia where they're used extensively for this purpose by chicken and sheep farmers. Not all alpacas are good guards of course - you need those who are a bit territorial and protective, like these boys, who were older chaps. They've gone to live on a smallholding and should be very useful - I've certainly seen them chase a variety of animals out of their field here, including foxes, cats and deer. Good luck with them Nikki!

ONLY THE BEST FOR MY GIRLS

2011-07-12T22:59:00.000-07:00

Nyetimber & Ena

The Snowmass boys have been busy - Incan King and Quetzalcoatl have had a couple of hot dates with my girls each again today and we also have the gorgeous Nyetimber here who is charming the grey ladies ...

We had a vet visit today to see one of the crias, she has a very nasty eye infection. We decided to give her plasma, as she's had a couple of other little problems since birth and could have a compromised immune system. We harvested plasma from our males back in the winter and it was just a matter of getting comfortable on the straw with her whilst in slowly dripped in - shame I don't have a picture of us both dozing off. We had already given her antibiotics and so now we have to just wait and see what happens.

Peter has been topping the grass again - seems such a shame not to be able to make grass pellets or something with it, but at least the pacas eat most of it as it dries out and the rest just disappears. The fields look lovely and the pacas graze far more evenly.

VISITORS

2011-07-11T09:05:00.000-07:00

Well that was a busy few days. Kicking off with Cotton Cake not feeding her cria properly and having to get them bonded again in the stable for a few days under close supervision - which seems to have worked. On Friday our visitors from New Zealand arrived for the weekend which was lovely, we haven't seen each other for 3 years and had so much to catch up on.. much wine was consumed in the process with a fun lunch on Saturday with the old gang of mums and kids.

Bliss is doing very well, but this weekend wasn't so good for Bruno the other bottle fed who went off his milk and became very weak and wobbly on Sunday.. however with lots of TLC and a few potions from the medicine cupboard he has rallied round and is back guzzling the white stuff and up and about again. Managed to take a few hours off the farm between bottles, to take our visitors out in Pixie Lott for a picnic and National Trust visit to Hinton Ampner, which is a lovely old place in a beautiful park setting about 20 mins down the road, followed by a leisurely stroll round New Alresford.

Today Snowmass Incan King and Snowmass Quetzalcoatl arrived on farm, kindly chauffeur driven here by Jay and Hilary Holland from Pure Alpacas for stud duty. It was good to have a gossip over lunch and show off the crias and compare notes, then I had a busy afternoon organising alpaca 'liaisons' - and there will be more hot dates for them tomorrow and the next day until we catch up with our breedings.

TAKE THAT

2011-07-05T11:08:00.000-07:00

Last night we saw Take That at Wembley and I'm so pleased I got us last those last minute tickets, we had a brilliant time!

We got there hours too early, mainly because I don't know my way around the Big City only going there on average once a year and feel I need plenty of time to negotiate the tubes and stuff, for a moment we couldn't even get through the turnstiles because we were trying to go through the 'out' rather than the 'in' - Country Bumpkins -we had to laugh at ourselves! We people watched for ages before we found our seats from where we witnessed the stadium , which is absolutely ginormous, gradually fill up with over 85,000 fans, like a lot of little ants round sugar.

Even though we were up in the gods at the opposite end to the stage we could just about make out who was on stage and the screens gave us close ups anyway. We looked down on a sea of glowing mobile phones, a definite sign of the times and millions of pale arms all waving and clapping in unison, including ours of course. The atmosphere was fantastic and the 'five' were on great form, giving us the old favourites from 20 years ago as well as recent stuff. Robbie Williams inevitably stole the thunder (with not as much foul language as I thought there was going to be thankfully), he certainly took command of the stage, it was a great show.

After a very rushed and quite long walk back to Wembley Central, we were herded gently by police onto the jam packed hot, stuffy tube and just caught the last train home with minutes to spare. Having stopped at every station between Waterloo and Petersfield, we finally drove the last 20 minutes home and crept into the house at 1.45 this morning.

Feeling just a little tired, I have pottered about on the farm, I have seen all of 5 people, Peter, Rebecca, 1 visitor, and 2 in the distance. I quietly went about weighing crias, Bliss is seemingly back to normal now and has even gained weight despite her ordeal. I started our breedings off for the year with Ardingly and Sabrina and Goldrush with Moya, and then I just enjoyed the peace and quiet - lovely.

AN EVENTFUL DAY

2011-07-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

We were all up early this morning to go off to Alton Show. Rebecca was given the job of bottle feeding the crias, whilst I fed the rest of the herd. Upon calling the cria over only Bruno came for his milk ... Bliss was behaving very strangely and Rebecca called out to me to come quickly. The poor little thing was staggering around (Bliss that is - not Rebecca), falling over and screaming out. My immediate thought was that she had been attacked by dogs or something and had a terrible injury, but as soon as I got close enough I could tell that she was blind. She was in a terrible panic and when I picked her up she was trembling and I swear I could hear her heart pounding, I could certainly feel it. We got them into the stable and after a few minutes she seemed to calm down, but was gazing up to the ceiling, but obviously not able to see anything and had a very strange way of standing. We called the Vet and my friend Donna who was going to cria sit ... and I was grateful for the moral support! Peter and the girls got loaded up with the pacas and went on ahead to the show.

The Vet arrived within half an hour and gave her a thorough examination and we discussed the various things it might be, including Septicaemia, though she seemed well, so not likely, a kick to the head - quite possible, or a vitamin deficiency - possible. He have her an LA antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and a multivitamin shot.

I left her in the very capable care of Donna and drove like a luny in Peters car, which is very speedy compared to mine, and went off to the show to catch Peter and Rebecca and her friend Lorna up. Got there too late to get into the exhibitors car park so had to walk the whole length of the show to get to our stand. They had done a great job in setting it all up (I will arrive late again me thinks!).

I phoned a couple of very good and very knowledgeable friends - namely Nick from the Alpaca Stud and Rachel from Classical MileEnd who had both come across something similar and advised Vitamin B1 ... so (sorry I am going on a bit but I need to get it off my chest and may be useful to someone one day!) phoned Donna, who phoned theVet and then collected a bottle of the stuff and injected it at regular intervals. Anyway, to cut to the chase Bliss seems to have made a great recovery, I'm not saying she's cured yet but she can definitely see now and is now looking for her bottle... phew. So can only assume it was the Vitamin B1 deficiency causing something referred to as PEM or CCN (polioencephalomalacia)? Will need to research some more and talk to a few more Vets. A huge thank to all concerned, especially Donna who is a dear friend and has her own alpacas, pigs, turkeys and a vineyard just up the road from us at Poppy Down Farm - great sausages - you must all buy them!

Meanwhile - the show was very busy - lots of interest and serious enquiries - great weather and saw some old friends. Tomorrow night Rebecca and I are off to London to see Take That!

MORE CRIA

2011-07-02T10:44:00.000-07:00

The last few days have gone by in a flash and we have 2 new cria Archer and Cotton Candy, both solid white, a boy and a girl. All's well with the herd, the crias play in a big gang now and the two bottle feds are beginning to join in and remain totally devoted to each other, Bliss being in charge.

We should have a slight pause for a couple of weeks before the rest of the females birth, the rest being from our Snowmass males Invincibly Elite and Incan King over our best white and fawn females.

Archer

Annabelle & Archer

Cotton Candy - very sweet!

Cotton Cake & Cotton Candy (we were kind of hoping for a grey - or something dark! )

YARA AND YASMINA

2011-06-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

Meet Yara's new cria Yasmina who arrived at around 9.30 am this morning ... she's very cute, even if she is the wrong colour!

Yara & Yasmina

Bliss and Bruno are now out the field with some other crias and their dams and have been running about and playing in the sunshine. Both are bottle feeding on the other side of the fence to us, so hopefully will train onto bottle holders very shortly.

PERU TRIP CANCELLED

2011-06-25T13:06:00.000-07:00

I'm so disappointed. News from Peru today that the Alpaca Fiesta 2011 has been cancelled because of their political situation... quite a large group of us were going over for it in November, with all sorts of fantastic alpaca and touristy things planned, I just can't believe it after months of planning. Sod's law I had only booked and paid for my air tickets yesterday can you believe... Apparently they may have one in 2012....

Meanwhile, back on the farm the bottle feeding going really well now and I think by tomorrow we'll be able to put them out in the field and be able to call them to the bottle ... Bruno has been very quick to learn and has really picked up today, Bliss get's in a bit of a mess in her excitement to find the milk ...

Bruno and Bliss

We weighed all the other crias again today and all are piling it on ... this weeks champion guzzler is Bobby Dazzler gaining 4.2 kgs in a week. On close inspection we discovered that Calister has an umbilical hernia, so she is wearing a hernia harness ... fortunately I had one already, never had to use one before and took a bit of working out, obviously made for a smaller cria than her, all the straps fit, except for the one that goes round her chest ... but I think it'll stay in place... a bit odd that just one strap doesn't fit? Hopefully she'll only have to wear it for a couple of weeks.

Bobby Dazzler

And here's a couple of pics of Ena when she was feeding Eros and Bliss ....

PLAN C

2011-06-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

So to bring you up to date .. Ena was seemingly happy to feed both Eros and Bliss whilst being kept in, but as soon as I turned them back out in the field with the other mums and crias she had a hasty change of mind and poor Bliss was again without a regular supply of milk and was getting told off by everyone in her attempts to steal milk. Very sad. So on to Plan C, remove Bliss from everybody until she would accept a bottle properly which now she is, thank goodness.

Today we have taken on another cria, Bruno, who has had a similar poor start and needs bottle feeding away from his mum for just the same reasons and the two of them are getting to know one another and are guzzling goats milk every 2 or 3 hours. Maybe we should get a goat ... maybe not .. I had a couple of goat kids years ago, very sweet to start with and used to come along with me when I took the dog for a walk, no leads just like having a pack of dogs, and my cat too, quite a sight ... but then they grew up and were a total nightmare escaping all the time and eating everything except grass, but I do like them, especially the ones with the long floppy ears, and I love goats cheese!

FOSTERING CONTINUES

2011-06-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

Well so far so good - Ena continues to feed two crias and seems to be enjoying the rush of endorphins or is it hormones that you get whilst breastfeeding .... whatever, long may it last! I am very carefully stage managing it all, keeping them in a stable with an outside pen onto the yard so they get some sunshine. Tomorrow I'll put them out in the little paddock for a few hours and see what happens. Eros has gained weight and Bliss has put on all of .1 of a kilo but it is a gain and she has refused all bottles offered. Ena is happy on her picked grass and increased feed rations. Poor Bettina is still looking for her Bliss but is calming down and grazing with the others again. I wanted a picture of them both feeding but didn't manage to get one but here they are just enjoying each others company.

Eros, Bliss and Ena

We have had around 40 of the Swanmore Guides here the last two evenings - great kids with lots of really good questions about alpacas and fleece - maybe some alpaca breeders for the future?

FOSTERING- A QUICK UPDATE

2011-06-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

Beulah and Bobby Dazzler are just fine.... so thats good. Bettina and her cria Bliss have continued to be a bit of an ongoing saga... yesterday I noticed Ena feeding another cria as well as her own. Bettina has virtually no milk and Bliss refused to take a bottle preferring to suck on mums no-milk teats and was losing weight and energy. So I took the decision to take Bliss away from Bettina and stable her with Ena and her cria and see what happened... with bottled milk as back up too of course. During the course of the day Bliss got more and more confident and started taking the odd suckle from Ena... fingers crossed it may work then. Thought I might try putting the two pairs together in a paddock for the night and maybe Bliss would have her mum for comfort and Ena for milk. I was wrong - she just spent all night trying to nurse off Bettina and lost the weight she had gained the day before.

We learn constantly with these animals.... So, this morning I put Ena, and Eros (her cria) and Bliss in a stable and have left them there tonight too. After just a few attempts Bliss is feeding one side and Eros the other ... sorry I don't have a picture to show you as I forgot the camera, but very cute as you can imagine. I really hope this will continue and Ena will foster Bliss, I will weigh both crias every day and keep a very close watch on Ena too of course. Would be great if it worked wouldn't it?! Have any of you had similar success?

WORRIES

2011-06-18T11:33:00.000-07:00

Whatever young stock you may be breeding you will inevitably get a few problems and worries along the way and alpacas are no exception. The more experience you have the easier it gets, but none the less when the problems come, if you care, they are still a worry. Today I have worried about Bettina and her cria, who have had a good start and been fine until now. I have been busy with visitors most of the day, but every time I looked across at the cria group this little girl was trying to suckle off her mums elbow... what is going on? After a little thought I believe it's because with all the rushing in and out of the shelter with the rain showers Bettina has got all uptight about feeding with everyone else too close by... she has been knocking Bliss over whilst telling off everyone else and the safest place to get close is her elbow - but not very sustaining! She has had a bottle and now that the showers have subsided they are back in the field again and are beginning to settle down..... I hope.

Worry 2 - Beulah and her cria, now named Bobby Dazzler, after the night in they were ready to go out and all was fine, but poor Beulah has so much milk that her teats are beginning to swell to an un-suckable size, so I am having to milk her out every now and then - what she really needs is a nursing bra with savoy cabbage leaves inside - worked for me!!

Hopefully these problems will resolve themselves in a couple of days .....

MONSOON

2011-06-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

Blimey, so much rain! Poor Beulah has been humming very noisily yesterday and this morning, and walking in a very peculiar way, so we knew it wouldn't be long. Being the wise paca mama that she is, she waited until there was a gap in the weather and delivered her enormous and stunning cria, by Snowmass Incan King out in the field.

I prefer to leave them outside for the first few hours if at all possible so that they learn to get up and walk and find the milk bar without crashing into walls and trying to suck off any old dark place they can find. So I put a coat on him and went off to the Chiropractor to be stretched and cracked! Now they're cosy in the stable and his dry colour is beginning to show - wow - he gleams and its a gorgeous orangutang kind of shade under electric lights. Will probably have to get the colour chart out for this one. He hasn't got a name yet as we can't agree on one!

Lunge ring or duck pond?

The multi-talented Dave's been here today with his wonderful JCB and squashed down all the rabbit warrens so I don't have to worry about anyone falling down the holes - bunnies will have to go elsewhere!

AAFT DAY

2011-06-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

Kim Lauko the Technician from the Australian Alpaca Fibre Testing (AAFT) arrived very late last night after what sounded like a very stressful 5 hour journey without a sat-nat from Suffolk...

Today's weather was a soggy mixture of driving rain and drizzle ... nothing like the forecast - thankfully we were all indoors for an excellent Workshop where Kim explained very patiently and thoroughly all the ins and outs of fibre testing and how to analyse the results to assist us with our breeding decisions for improvement in fibre - fascinating. Sadly it was not quite picnic weather, shame but we all gossiped happily in the stable instead.... She then set about testing hundreds of samples, most of the attendees were able to stay to watch their samples being tested and discuss their results with her. I'm looking forward to studying our results and seeing how they compare to previous years.... and using all the added information that the AAFT offers. Tomorrow Kim's off to The New Forest to Faraway Alpacas to do more testing.

Kim hard at work..

Thankfully no cria came today and although it's very wet outside most of them stayed out grazing as it wasn't cold - our little grey boy The Sorcerer is sporting a very flashy blue coat as he is a bit weeny (and a mummies pet) - the others are toughing it out.

SUNSHINE AND A GREY DAY!

2011-06-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

Woke to a beautiful sunny morning with clear skies which was to last all day - and warm too. All the girls came up for their breakfast except Bettina, who was on her own in the shelter field and everyone else had moved into the Holly field... mmm. Sure enough she began, this was going to be exciting as being a black girl we had a bit of an experiment to see if we could get a grey or maybe a black with Royal Vision, given the colour in his background. Did it work - well no as a very white looking bulge started to emerge from under her tail. With just tiny bit of assistance with a stuck elbow she gave birth to a very fluffy and rather whacky white female with a pale fawn topknot and ears - not grey then. We have called her Bliss.

Just as I had finished drying her off and spraying her with iodine I turned to look at the rest of them under the trees and Sabrina was producing something under her tail too! Now again we had been trying for a grey, Sabrina is a brown roan (colour contaminated brown in other words!) with a white face, her mother is grey and her father brown with the odd white spot here and there, more contamination- so we used Ardingly, our grey male over her.... he has produced more grey than any other colour...

Imagine my excitement when I saw this!!

Stunning little boy - very even in colour and very crimpy fleece already... Ardingly has done it again and we will certainly be repeating that mating! We have named him The Sorcerer.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES!

2011-06-12T11:55:00.000-07:00

Shearing went well - the first few were a bit damp as we had a shower the previous evening, but wasn't a problem. We started about 8.15 and were finished by 12 ish... We had two shearing stations going and I skirted the fleeces and weighed them as they come off. Everyone worked really well as a team and we managed to keep up with Mike as he sheared effortlessly through our herd. That's when you know who your friends are - cheers Allison, Stuart and Dave and Lucy - hope you don't ache too much today!!

We had a heavy shower in the afternoon which was a bit of a shock to the poor pacas, but they didn't get that wet as they were sheltering under the trees. However the forecast was for a cold night with maybe a ground frost - in June???? and rain all day today, so we moved all the girls in their 2 groups of 'due and mums and crias', and 'the others' into the fields with the big shelter and put loads of hay in for them. They didn't need any persuading to go in .... the rain started first thing this morning and has just kept on and on ... just what we need, more than an inch and the first proper rain for about 3 months, but not what we're used to!

Two shearing stations keeps all of us busy - is that Peter I see leaning on a brush?!

Cosy pacas

READY FOR SHEARING

2011-06-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

Not much happening on the farm today, I say that from my perspective of course, Peter would probably disagree, as he's been filling in holes on the driveway and poo picking, whilst I've been shopping and baking! We're shearing tomorrow, I'm a bit worried about the weather, but there's nothing I can do about it. We organised the yard in readiness. Two holding pens, two shearing mats, waste bags, disinfectant, fleece bags, fleece room, scales, sorting table, paper work, marker pens, antiseptic spray, tooth wire, towels, hand washing stuff, and food and drink for everyone. We have a great shearing team again this year and Mike Banks and his helper from Shearco will be coming as usual to do their magic on the herd. We have a lot of fun on shearing day, but it's hard work.... if I get a chance I'll take some snaps, but for the meantime pics below of the yard all spick and span and waiting for action! By the way Zumba was brillient (as was the curry and beer afterwards!) and I don't ache at all - bet I will after shearing! No births today and hopefully not tomorrow.....

Girls relaxing in the shade, little do they know what awaits them!

MOYA & MONROE

2011-06-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

Well, it was neither Orchid or Beulah but Moya who presented us with a cria up, dry and fed before we woke this morning ... not quite the right colour, or sex .... we'd hoped for a grey female by Ardingly as he's good at giving greys over grey females, but Monroe is very sweet and cheeky and has been charging around all day stretching those tight tendons!

Moya and Monroe

We had some really useful showers today and it wasn't cold so none of the crias had coats on and were all fine. Peter and I have been back on the clearing out job again, fencing, bricks and tiles today, heavy and very dirty, not quite finished but another couple of hours tomorrow should do it. Off to Zumba tonight .... should be fun!

Ena and Eros

Dipper-Dapper enjoying the rain

MORE CRIAS

2011-06-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

I spent yesterday afternoon at The Alpaca Stud gossiping and admiring beautiful Snowmass crias and brought Dove II and her Nyetimber cria, Dipper or Dapper.... can't make up our minds, home. Dove is a real sweetie and has a stunning fleece, albeit in two colours, and we took the gamble of maybe getting a grey cria from her but it didn't quite work, apart from his little grey feet! He is gorgeous though and those in the multi classes better look out next year! They've settled in really well and Dipper-Dapper has had fun with his new playmates - Calista and Treasure (now being fed properly).

Dove & Dipper-Dapper

When I arrived home at around 7pm I did a check of the due girls and found Ena looking a bit uncomfortable and showing signs of being in the 1st stages of labour.... kept an eye for a while and as she was very calm and quiet left well alone. I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't have noticed anything but I am very in tune with them and can spot things early, usually. At 9.30pm we decided to check her out and she was barely dilated and there was no sign of a torsion... I thought she would either get going in the next hour or wait and have an early morning birth. Went to bed at 10.45 all quiet ... alarm on for 5pm ... woke at 4 and peeped out the window and she was sat quite happily chewing the cud. Next thing I knew it was 6.45am, I had turned the 5am alarm off earlier having woken from a ridiculous dream of riding a horse up scaffolding.... opened the blind and there she was, feeding her cria! Clever girl.... went out to see what we had - a boy, oh well, he is rather lovely and a beautiful mid fawn, our first Snowmass Incan King and she is totally besotted with him. Who's next - maybe Beulah or Orchid (she doesn't even look pregnant, but thought I could feel something??...)

Ena and Eros

Being born is soooo tiring!

Meonstoke School Visit

2011-06-07T05:07:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite group visits this morning ... 22 children and their teachers from the Reception class of Meonstoke Primary School came for their annual trip to our farm. We know the school really well as Rebecca went there and they come every year and really love the experience. They were extremely well behaved, as always, and asked loads of really good questions ranging from how long are the babies in their mummies tummies, to how much do they eat, what are ear tags for etc. Of course there are a few tricky questions to negotiate such as how do the babies get out... (under their mummies tail) and how are they made ... (you need a mummy and a daddy) and the inevitable giggling when the pacas had a visit to the poo pile - how much do they 'go' they ask - alot I replied! One little boy asked me how old they were when they got married - cute! After a good run round one of the empty fields, then a drink and a biscuit they had their painting session, amazing pictures given it was so windy. They went back to school with lots of alpaca postcards and fleece to make fluffy pipe cleaner alpacas of their own ... here's some of their pictures...

SNOWMASS CRIA

2011-06-05T11:18:00.000-07:00

Hurray, yippee.... we have a Snowmass cria - a white Quetzalcoatl female, out of Calico and I am thrilled with her! She is so soft and dense and you can already see that she's going to have a fabulous fleece.... born just one day short of 11 months she's a 10 kg, strong and lively person with slightly wobbly legs... but they'll soon strengthen up and then she'll be racing about the field with her playmate. We have called her Calister. She has a coat on because the forecast was heavy rain .... (some hope) ..

"Calister" attempting her first steps - her Mum looks like she's smiling!

On the down side Toffee Apple isn't being a particularly good mum for some reason, not allowing her cria to have full feeds.. and although little Treasure is still lively, she isn't gaining weight, in fact she had lost some today, so we have taken them in for the night hoping this will concentrate her mind on being a more caring mum (usually works). It does go to show how important weighing regularly is especially in the first week. However, although she doesn't want to feed her properly she is devilishly protective and in the process of getting them in, weighing the cria and then settling them in for the night she screamed the place down and spat for England! Once covered I just had to carry on until the job was done ... then all the clothes went straight in the washing machine and I went straight in the shower.... yuck! No pictures of that!! Can't say I'm looking forward to handling them tomorrow - will have to plan ahead and make a spit mask for her tonight out of one of Peter's old socks!

Royal Bath & West Show

2011-06-02T06:34:00.000-07:00

We had fun at the Bath & West Show, though I have to say that we won't be camping again in a hurry, well not there anyway, so noisy all night with all the quarry lorries thundering up and down the road, and it was very chilly...

Anyway enough moaning, Bonami came 3rd in his class of Junior Fawn Males and Judge Val Fullerlove was very complimentary about his fleece and commended the density and length of it as well as the fineness and structure - so all in all he has had a good show season. Bonaventure wasn't placed this time, but she behaved beautifully for Rebecca who took her into the ring for her class and for the Junior Handler. Rebecca was a star, she won the older section of Junior Handlers and then after many questions from the Judge about all sorts of Husbandry things such as birthing and cria care she took the Champion Junior Handler too. I have to say Isla May, who she was up against did really well too - well done to both of them - alpaca breeders of the future!

Helen did her usual display of ring procedure as an alpaca, led by Rebecca, and even dressed up for it - what a laugh! Not sure I will ever think of chocolate raisins the same again!

The Judge Val Fullerlove seems a bit hesitant with checking conformation!

Rebecca with Bonaventure receiving her Champion Junior Handler sash

The girls being quizzed on alpaca care and management

Back home now and it's a lovely warm day - little 'Treasure' is doing really well, but needs a playmate, though not today it seems.......

NEW CRIA

2011-05-31T05:21:00.000-07:00

I looked out of the bedroom window this morning just before 7am to see Toffee Apple (345 days) obviously in 1st stage labour by the way she was lying .... here we go then. Got on with my chores and fed everyone and just kept an eye on her. By 9.30 she was beginning to push so wandered a bit nearer with my camera and birthing box to watch from a discreet distance. All was well and feet and legs emerged quick quickly, I managed to take a bit of video and a couple of pictures, handy for the courses. She got to her feet and said hello to the cria and then lay back down and pushed the rest out so quickly that I had to abandon the camera and go to the aid of the cria who was being turned into a walnut whip under her tail, if you know what I mean - kind of all crunched up and in danger of suffocating!

Anyway, all was well and I carried the cria into the sunshine and away from the fence ... very happy to see we had a female, from Tulaco Centurion - a little cracker .. weighed in at 8.5 kg.

Up and feeding within a couple of hours, by this time with a cria coat on as although by now she was dry there was a very keen wind and it was threatening to rain and she was shivering a bit.. She's so cute and I always forget how tiny and scrawny they look when wet... We have called her Treasure.

Must get busy now to make ready for the Royal Bath & West Show, we're camping (must be bonkers) and going down later this afternoon. Taking Bonami and Bonaventure who were both wet and covered in mud this morning after the showers yesterday.

Peter could be busy there's another 6 due any time now.....

Toffee Apple & Treasure

Everyone saying Hello to "Treasure"

AUSTRALIAN ALPACA FIBRE TESTING 15 June 2011

2011-05-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

We took fleece samples from everyone today ready for testing on 15 June... it's always easier to do this before shearing as you can take your time, be accurate, bag and label it properly. We always keep half the sample for reference .

Evereyone is invited to bring their samples here for testing at a cost of £3.50 per test including printed data sheet. There's also going to be a workshop which will run from 10am to 12.30pm and will cover an explanation of test data and how to use the it and a presentation/demonstration of the OFDA2000.

Let me know if you would like further details and if you would like to come so that I can book you in for the workshop and get an idea of how much testing we're going to do on the day. Do please feel free to bring a picnic lunch with you so that you can have a good gossip after the workshop - teas and coffees will be available. You may be able to watch your samples being tested.. however if we're really busy then they might be tested a few days later and the test data sent to you.

see their website

Still no crias ... ...

HUGE TUMMIES

2011-05-25T11:14:00.000-07:00

And still we carry on with the clearing out - massive bonfire and another trip to the dump ... but we are beginning to see the benefit now, another day I reckon and it'll be done.... anyway thats all getting boring now so here are some pics I took this evening of some of our expectant girls... some have huge tummies - they lost their figures years ago, and some are just cute..

Ena - due 02.06.11 to Snowmass Incan King XXX

Beulah - due 03.06.11 to Snowmass Incan King XXX

Sabrina - due 13.06.11 to Meon Valley Ardingly

Toffee Apple due 19.05.11 to CME Tulaco Centurion

Calico II due 06.6.11 to Snowmass Quetzalcoatl

MORE OF THE SAME

2011-05-24T07:44:00.000-07:00

The clearing out still continues - another trailor full of junk, found some ghastly turquoise and orange paint from when we had a colourful downstairs loo ... strange how one's taste changes?! Spent hours digging out a deep litter shavings bed from when we kept the horses in all those years ago ... yes, I know we should have done it before but just never got-a-round-to-it.... at least it's burning in this wind ... the poor neighbours must have thought it was volcanic ash!!

Got a group of mature students from Southdowns College coming this evening to learn about breeding alpacas - shame we don't have a cria to show them but the girls have gone right off the boil now.

So Windy!

2011-05-23T08:55:00.000-07:00

I feel like I've been sand blasted ... it's so windy today and noisy trees too! Peter and I have spent the day clearing out rubbish that we've managed to hoard down the stables for the last 14 years - why do we do that? The more space there is available the more stuff we collect? I suppose it's a matter of putting off going to the tip ... anyway we managed to fill the stock trailor with unwanted stuff and took it along to the dump. They don't let you in with a 'horse box' "it's not a horse box" I pleaded, but to no avail.... and we had to park outside. Actually, I knew this would happen and we had stuffed in a couple of wheelbarrows for the job. Interesting places tips, people act so weird at them don't they - all looking at what everyone else is dumping but not wanting to be noticed! One of the things we took was a huge gazebo that we bought for our open day some years back... we hadn't taken it down straight away and we had a really windy day, like today, and the whole thing took off and smashed to bits ... one chap at the dump spied the poles and nabbed them - good for him! The skip police were sharp, I got told off about the cardboard box I threw in household waste... tut tut.... anyway thats half of it gone and I left the trailor on the car for the next load tomorrow....?

Meanwhile, the due girls are still keeping us waiting. They're spending the days lounging about in the very pregnant way that they do, resting their bellies on the ground with their front legs stretched out in front of them. They're also doing the standing staring thing alot ... what are they thinking about when they do that? I did think for a while this morning that Calico was maybe going to birth, but she just took her time at the poo pile - a false alarm.

Auction

2011-05-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

Now that's my idea of a fun day out - off to the Westways Auction in Dorset with a buddy, catalogue marked up with ticks and circles, done late last night before turning out the light ..... Arrived in plenty of time to have a good look at them all, and get a bacon roll and coffee, obligatory on these occasions and a quick catch up with old friends.

There were some very tempting lots, but I held fast and waited for my definate tick... and I got her .. a lovely white pregnant female - she was a real bargain, and I'm very happy and looking forward to seeing her cria due this summer and to breeding with her in the future. Then it was Donna's turn - her first auction, so much excitment - with a bit of encouragement and the odd nudge she started to bid ... yep she got her bargain too! Then in a bit of a flurry of bids, 3 of us made a joint purchase on a very promising young male for the future. I love auctions - I love alpacas - what a buzz! Cheers!!

Boys leaving home ...

2011-05-13T12:39:00.000-07:00

Delivered some more boys today to a lovely new home about half an hour from here ... congratulations Tony, less grass cutting for you! I'm always a bit sad to see our homebred youngsters go, but there's no way we can keep them all, they just have to go. Still won't be long and the next crop of youngsters will be playing about in the fields ...

Missy

Three of the blonde bombshells!

SOME OF THE GIRLS

2011-05-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

Aggrippina - 2 years old

Andromeda - another daughter of Akela from 2010

Bettina 11 years old (stood) and her daughter Yara - 6 years both in the due field

Medusa - 2 years old

Ena - 2 years old - lovely spotty girl whose actually grey when sheared

Orchid - 12 years old - dam of Sir G, Goldrush ... and lots of other lovely boys!

Toffee Apple - 4 years old

SOME MORE GIRLS & BURIED TREASURE

2011-05-11T10:31:00.000-07:00

Not much happening on the farm today, but we did have John come over with his metal detector and he showed us the treasure he found last time - a 14th (ish) Century horse harness mount with gold leaf and enamal .. .. he's taking it to the Museum to get it identified properly - really pretty, I took a picture of it, but was too fuzzy as I used my phone.... he's very excited about it, one of his best finds. What is amazing is that he found my little gold ring that I lost about 8 years ago, I felt it fall off my finger when I was feeding the pacas on a very cold morning ... couldn't find it and assumed I would never see it again, believing that it must have subsequently been hoovered up with all the paca-poo. Gave it a bit of a scrub and its as good as new, so now wearing it again - behind a tighter ring!

Off to Devon tomorrow to pick up Collabear Issac from Dave & Elaine .. he's a rather lovely white male and a son of Collabear Albert .... Got the paddock ready ... just have to make up my mind who's going to keep him company.....

BONITA - 6 YEARS OLD - DAM OF BONAVENTURE

BRETTA - 8 YEARS OLD PERUVIAN - DAM OF BONITA

AKELA - 12 YEARS OLD PERUVIAN - DAM OF AGGRIPPINA AND ANDROMEDA

SELENE - 10 MONTHS OLD

GOLDIE - 2 YEARS OLD

National Show

2011-05-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

We added to our rosettes at the Nationals with our two Juniors coming 2nd and 5th ... I was pleased, getting placed in shows these days means you're doing well with your breeding, the competition is very tough, thats a good thing - keeps you on your toes! I decided to enter them for the Bath & West, Rebecca loves that show and we usually meet friends there every year, just hope it's not too hot then. We shear the next week, can't wait to get them back looking sleek and elegant again.

We had some very complimentary remarks on our Snowmass boys over the weekend, and they too were in the ribbons... really looking forward to seeing their progeny at the shows next season...

I have to say that coming home last night the fields looked lovely and green again after the rain ... and the cracks in the ground have gone... just need a bit more.

We split the girls up today - those due in the next 4-5 weeks in front of the house and the rest staying where they are at the moment. First cria due on the 18 May .. and some are beginning to look heavily pregnant now. The maidens as usual not showing much and the older girls, who lost their figure years ago look the biggest.

Bonami (5th Junior Fawn male) and Bonaventure (2nd Junior Beige Female) - enjoying the show!!

Rebecca waiting to go into the Championship with Bonaventure

Bonaventure back home - apparently being told off by her Mum Bonita!

QUACKERS!

2011-05-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

Meet the ducks ... Quakers, Daffy & Drakey Lakey... they started visiting us about a month ago and now they fly in every day. The dogs are highly suspicious and do their best to chase them away when we're not looking. I think they're rather cute, apart from the quacking at 5 am outside our bedroom window....

Been applying stop-it-all on the pacas who seem to get sweet-itch, my it stinks! Used on on Strawberry Shortcakes' udder too, as her daughter from last year keeps trying to suckle off her even though they've been apart for 4 months - it worked!

We're off to Stoneleigh tomorrow for the BAS Nationals - taking the same 2 - their last show, their fleeces have had it already. Peter's on cria watch - first due on the 18th.

Castrations

2011-05-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

Spent the day catching up having been to the South of England Show all weekend. It was a good show with lots of time to gossip - I took Bonami and Bonaventure, the latter came 2nd in her class and was Reserve Champion Beige Female - what a good girlie... It was incredibly windy in Sussex and after 2 days of it I felt like I had been sand blasted. They lost the power for a few hours and poor Liz Barlow our Judge, was struggling to be heard over the din of flapping canvas and rigging... they also lost the flush to all the toilets - I couldn't work that one out! Fortunately I was able to 'hold on' til the power came back on!

This afternoon we had a couple of the 09 boys castrated - always such a hard decision on the really nice ones, but after much consideration we decided that they just didn't quite make the grade. We persuaded our vet Andrew to 'do' them balanced over a couple of straw bales - it was so easy and they didn't need to be knocked out or have any sedative, just a bit of local. With their feet just off the ground and their middles resting on the bales they stayed very relaxed - Andrew seemed very pleased with the technique and we will certainly do it again like that in the future. Come to think of it - there may be a few other tasks on some of them that may be easier that way! Anyway in a very short time they were back in the field munching away as if nothing had been done, just a little lighter!

Bluebells

2011-04-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

We took Pixie Lott, our VW camper van out today and had a picnic in a National Trust parkland full of new born lambs playing in the sunshine. On our travels we came across a stunning bluebell wood - at their best now despite being so dry, the pictures just don't do it justice.

Seems like we might get some rain at the end of this week, we certainly need some as the ground is so dry and cracked. Peter topped our front field this morning, first time out with the topper (his favourite toy!). The paddock had been rested for a few weeks, so the grass was quite long in places, looks lovely and tidy now, and he went round the patch of bluebells and daffodils as per instructed!

He's been spot spraying the weeds too, not a nice job as the knapsack wrecks your shoulders. Although it's safe to put the alpacas back on after a week, we don't normally have to as we have enough paddocks to leave them another couple of weeks. At this time of year we rotate fields frequently, that way the alpacas get all the lovely fresh new grass and we can top them regularly which keeps the grass in tiptop condition.

Hand shearing

2011-04-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

My interview last Sunday on BBC Radio Solent's programme - The Good Life .. went well and can be heard again on their website if you wish to listen.

Rebecca and I went to Devon on Tuesday and enjoyed the lovely weather on some of the beaches on the South and North Coast and had fun with our friends Chas & Rachel from Classical MileEnd Alpacas, a bus-mans holiday, but always good to have the opportunity to

talk 'alpacas' for hours on end!

I decided today to shear our Llama "Yerba" by hand, actually went very well only one small blister and a slightly aching arm, he stood very patiently whilst I reduced the two years worth of very heavy fleece by a huge amount and then he spent the rest of the day in the sun, whilst everyone else sought the shade..... looking somewhat chopped but feeling cool & smug! I will however leave everyone else for the Shearers to do properly!

News

2011-04-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

Just could do with a few more hours in the day, and days in the week .... but all good fun! Had one of our Introduction to Alpaca Courses today, very well attended by 18 keen students, who all listened very attentively as I burbled on.. at length! The new projector worked really well and hopefully by the time we come to do our next course in August our new lecture room will be finished.

Along with Chas & Rachel from Classical MileEnd Alpacas we have made the difficult decision to sell CME Tulaco Centurion. We wish his new owners, Houghton Hall Alpacas, the very best of luck with him - he certainly did a great job for us and we look forward to seeing crias from our Snowmass boys over his progeny.

We've had to change the date of our Open Day to the 14th August, which will soon come around... there'll be lots of Snowmass cria running about by then.

Tomorrow I'm off to the studios of BBC Radio Solent to be interviewed on our lives with alpacas, I confess I'm rather nervous, but hopefully won't turn into a complete stuttering wreck....

Spring Show

2011-04-11T10:07:00.000-07:00

Back from the SWAG Spring Show ... good fun, great company, and lovely warm weather. Bonaventure our Beige Junior Female was placed 5th and Bonami went into the ring with 28 other Junior Fawn Males and was placed 4th - I was happy with that and with the Judge, Cathy Lloyd's comments. I'm hoping their fleeces will hold up for the Nationals and the South of England. We really need more shows in the winter when they all look their best.

Spring in the air

2011-04-07T10:21:00.000-07:00

Glorious weather - 21 degrees and wall to wall sunshine for last couple of days... pacas are feeling it, they're climbing into the water troughs for a cool down.... I gave the girls a new field today ... they went bonkers, charging about and rubbing themselves on the holly bush, and jumping for joy .... I dashed in to get my camera, but the battery was flat.

The swallows are back so its officially Spring. All the daffodils we planted down the drive have come up, so that was well worth the effort .

Thought I'd get Boris the Morris out for a drive, poor chap's been in his garage all winter. Covered in paw prints - how did a cat get even get in there? We always have to jump start him the first time and then he's fine all summer, but today he was stubborn, apparently something to do with the starter motor thingy .. Peter said he'd fix it for me. I have to say poor Boris is in a rather sorry state, I think he's now beyond shabby chic and just plain shabby!

Off to the Spring show this weekend, not sure how many I'll take but Bonaventure and Bonami, who are now both covered in moss will be going and probably another couple to keep them company.

By the way - does anyone know what this tree is - really pretty blossom ?

Karin Mueller Course

2011-04-05T06:46:00.000-07:00

We had a brillient training day with Karin Mueller, Camelid Vet from Cambridge University on care of the pregnant female, birthing and care of the newborn cria. Here are some of the pictures of us all practising on dead lambs and birthing 'boxes' .....

SCANNING & CATS

2011-03-31T02:32:00.001-07:00

Busy day yesterday, what with Marmade cat to the Vet for castration, then getting all the girls in for scanning with Alan. All pacas lovely and dry as we still hadn't any rain at that point, always a bonus when holding them for scans, but by the time he arrived it had started.... Anyway, great news all the ones he scanned pregnant in the Autumn still are, and of the two he thought were reabsorbing back then, one is definately pregnant afterall - Orchid, who is Sir G's mum, who we haven't had a cria from for 3 years, so really happy with that, and Medina possibly, but not definately ... she is spitting off so hopefully its a yes, and not a retained CL, and she too has lovely cria and both were put to Incan King.... fingers crossed then for 19 crias - starting with Orchid and Toffee Apple, who is pregnant to CME Tulaco Centurion both due end of May. Rain then got a bit serious, which was great as it watered all the fertiliser in - the fields have changed colour already.. whilst moving whole load of 8' feed troughs on a wheelbarrow, 3 at a time, the wind caught the gate I was going through and they all fell off on to my foot, much swearing! Peter took Jerry cat for his little op this morning - apparently he was a little reluctant - literally climbing the walls - should be fun when they come to find a vein!!

Spring!!

2011-03-28T09:47:00.001-07:00

What amazing weather we're having - I've certainly made the most of it - been outside enjoying the sunshine and even took time to sit out with a magazine and a coffee and just absorb the rays... all that lovely Vit D! We have just finished all our Spring-time husbandry on the herd. The last ADE shot, wormer and heptovac... lots of injections, but thats it now for 6 months apart from the crias when they arrive. We don't have any due til the very end of May and the rest are all June and July, if all goes according to plan. We've had half of our fields fertilized and now we need a drop of rain to wash it in before we can swap everybody around and do the other half - hopefully we'll get rain on Wednesday - I just hope it knows when to stop, but we are desperately dry here, only having had 1 days rain in the whole of March so far. We have Camelid Vet Karin Mueller from Cambridge University coming here on Sunday to give a course on Crias, Birthing etc for Members of the Southern Alpaca Group - should be an excellent day. Our course with Jay Holland went really well and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it - the pacas behaved impeccably and were led around the obstacle course by the end of the day.

Futurity

2011-03-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

Back home and still tired despite going to bed at 9pm the last 2 nights! Hangover lasted all Sunday morning but thankfully I didn't need the bucket that was beside me as I drove home - never again - but good fun at the time!!

I thoroughly enjoyed the show, despite my disappointment over "Bonami's" lack of success, well he came joint 7th anyway! Our Beige Junior Female "Bonaventure" did well coming 2nd in her class, shes a real cutie and grand daughter of our Supreme Champion female Bonita, a great line for us to be breeding to the Snowmass boys - can't wait to see her Dam and big sisters cria this summer....

Rebecca won with her picture in the art competition, so she was very happy. I'm still trying to decide wether to buy a faecal egg counting kit at huge cost?

Its been 15 degrees and sunny here today, but much to my frustration I have been indoors for a lot of it on the phone to Apple trying to resolve computer problems ... 3 hours later and still not fixed. Peter had a much better day outside and started the spring harrowing on the empty fields, ready for fertilising next week. It's all beginning to grow now, just needs a bit of encouragement.

We have toad and frog spawn in the pond, though I haven't heard the frogs at night yet, probably because I was sleeping so deeply!

Next event our training day with Jay on Saturday .... pictures to follow...

Husbandry Course

2011-02-12T09:27:00.001-08:00

The sun shone beautifully today for our Introductory Course, quite a relief after yesterdays miserable rain and tomorrows too I think.... luck was on our side again. What a really lovely group of people, lots of questions, most I think I managed to answer, the whole day was a pleasure. The pacas behaved beautifully, of course, and the weanlings benefitted from lots of handling. I'm always a bit nervous about cooking for so many people I don't know, but the food seemed to go down ok ... but it was a bit of a squash round the table... must get on and build our lecture room.

I fancy a change of scene tomorrow, so going to take Pixie Lott, our rather old and very green campervan out for a spin, weather permitting - the roof leaks - got all inspired by One Man and His Campervan on telly this week, may even make a cup of tea in her and a bacon roll... lobster next week.. won't be doing any camping overnight in her though, not til the summer, no heating, will need my alpaca duvet even then... shame she won't pull a trailor, would be fun at the shows ....

Halter training versus website?!

2011-02-01T04:01:00.000-08:00

1st February already and I can think of loads of excuses why I haven't been blogging - from new computer, and all the hassel that it brings, to projects on the farm, to just feeling lazy actually...

Why is it that I forget so easily what I have to do to upload images on my website? I must have spent about an hour and a half trying to do just that this morning and then suddenly I did something right and it worked ... I must write it down somewhere! We've set the date for our Open Day - 7th August, so put it in your diarys.

I've been halter training the crias as we've weaned them, most have got the hang of it. Also selected those to go to the Futurity next month, of course they're the ones that have been the most reluctant to stand still and lead quietly... always the way. I was going to do a bit with them this morning, but as its cold, grey and damp outside I decided that I would catch up in the office instead with a nice cup of coffee, biscuits missing as I'm trying to reduce the flab I collected at Christmas.

I'm also waiting for our builders to turn up to finish the shelter extension ... looks really good now. Another project that's nearly finished is the clearing of the drive... all started with a bit of pruning and I decided to be more drastic and got Dave with his digger in! Peter and I planted 3 sack fulls of daff bulbs, a fantastic bargain from SCATS, (I love that shop). The idea is to plant it all with grass and keep it mowed ... we'll see, got to be better than it was... anyway, now it provides a more noval walk for the weanlings in and out of the trees.

Happy Christmas

2010-12-24T08:54:00.000-08:00

So, the pacas are all tucked up in bed for the night, extra, extra rations of hay so we don't have to do it tomorrow on Christmas Day... water tubs all topped up for the same reason. I told them to put their stockings out and they may be lucky to find a carrot or two in them tomorrow....

It's been bitterly cold the last few days, but today we had some lovely sunshine. We have ice everywhere, especially on our drive which caught me out the other evening when my usually fantastic 4 x 4 slid down the drive at an alarming pace, bounced us off one bank and ended way up the bank on the other side, only stopped by the bushes, left me sat almost on my door rather than my seat and rather shaken I have to admit- but thankfully no damage done!!

This week we've had the big shelter updated to offer even more shelter - quite a job wrestling with large sheets of clear polycarbonate in a stiff northerly wind with a chill factor of -5! But now they have windows so they can see see out but the wind and the rain shouldn't blow in... nothing but the best for my girls... if these hard winters become the trend I may have to have a barn...

The weanlings have got the hang of their new routine and now wait at the gate to come in for the night - only another 5 to wean in the New Year and then we can re-group the females til the Spring.

So signing off now to get stuck into all that food and drink we have in the fridge ... we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year!!

MORE SNOW!

2010-12-18T08:04:00.000-08:00

I'm so pleased I work from home ... I was even more ready for it this time ... remembered to put all the feed troughs upside down one end up on the fence, that alone saved me about half an hour this morning! Plus I took masses of hay out yesterday, so only feeding and ice breaking this morning. The weanings are cosy in their stables and everyone else making good use of the shelters. I can never resist taking masses of snow pictures, when I come to look at them on the laptop they're remarkably similar to the ones I took last time! I do love the trees - its as if they're ready to go to the ball!
Centaur, Bettina, Akela and Andromeda

Snow

2010-12-03T05:03:00.000-08:00

So - here we are again surrounded my the white stuff. For a moment there I thought we wouldn't get any - a sprinkle on Wenesday and then woke the next morning to almost a foot of beautiful dry powdery fine snow, perfectly coating all the trees and furnishing the outdoor benches with perfect white cushions - so beautiful, I love it .... it does make life a little difficult I know and I feel very lucky that I don't have to drive to work.

The pacas have been fine, still wearing the bit of snow that they haven't shaken off, they're so well insulated with their fleece ... they're all on double rations of alfalfa nuts with sugar beat, peas and oats for the cria group - getting up to half a kilo each of hard feed and ad lib hay of course. The water troughs need de-icing 3 times a day as it hasn't managed to get above freezing for days. Just come in now and the high for today has been -1.5 mad!!

Filming and lunching

2010-11-16T09:47:00.000-08:00

We had an interesting day yesterday ... we were approached by a Masters degree media student who wanted to come and film a short article on an alpaca business and how it was faring in the recesssion ..... thankfully it was the most perfect day, sunny and still, first for a while, and the alpacas behaved impeccably, bribed most of the time by food! Our clients Ken and Liz also kindly came and were interviewed on their views as new owners. We're looking forward to seeing the end result, if its not too embarrassing I'll post it on the website.

I've joined the Hampshire Farm Womens Club, they came to us on a visit to learn about alpacas a couple of months ago. It's very interesting to talk to these ladies - many have been farming all their lives. They meet once a month and go to all sorts of different venues, today we had a christmas cookery demonstration and then tasted it all, yummy and such a complete change for me I actually found it very relaxing... I may even try out the recipes at home - I'm looking forward to the vineyard visit!!

Very wild weather

2010-11-09T09:41:00.000-08:00

For the second morning in a row we have woken to torrential rain and strong winds ... most of our trees are now bare of their stunningly colourful leaves, the best I can remember in years, and it feels really cold in the wind too. The pacas were all hunkered down in the middle of the fields when I looked out at them first thing - do they think the shelter is going to blow down maybe?! We can always tell how much rain we've had by how flooded our lunge ring is - looked like a duck pond this morning - 27 mm last 24 hours! They haven't wanted much hay the last few weeks, the grass is still lovely and although not as nutritious as spring grass it seems to have kept them all in peak condition, even fat in some cases. However, with all this wet stuff arriving I am offering them all extra hay as they need the dry matter, (remember to renew it every 3/4 days - think of it as bread - it goes stale) and of course their daily ration of camelibra. The lactating females are also getting alfalfa pellets and as soon as the frosts start to arrive some sugar beet too, this really helps with milk production and helps keep them warm. The crias love it too and as some of them will be weaned soon its good to get them all eating the hard feed.

Really noticing the dark evenings now - short days means I have to be more organised to get it all done, not a bad thing and rainy days means I can catch up in the office and surf ebay looking for VW Campervans!!

Scanning

2010-11-02T12:02:00.000-07:00

Where does the time go - not blogged for ages. It's been a busy day and it's still going, but at least I have a glass of wine beside me now! We had our trusty scanner Alan Fillingham round this morning. 28 females scanned, I knew that 2 were empty as they'd sat again recently on spit offs, but another two I wasn't sure of also scanned empty, but looked as though they had been pregnant and were reabsorbing - hense the slightly confusing spit offs.... they probably had a good reason, and it does just happen every now and then, but not what we wanted and I'm a bit disappointed, they'll have to wait til next year now. However, 24 positive which is brillient. Five of those go off to their new homes this week and so it gives us 18 cria to come next summer - just can't wait as apart from 2 they're all to the Snowmass boys.

Meanwhile all the cria are growing really well, some getting rather big and could be weaned, but as the mums are holding good condition we'll let them stay on til they're six months old or so

The Autumn colours are just fabulous this year round here, the pacas look lovely, as if they're joining in with the trees, always gets me in the mood for taking loads of pictures .. thought the pumpkins were fab and its been my screen saver for ages.

WET WEATHER

2010-09-23T02:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the most glorious day, clear blue skies and wall to wall warm sunshine.... today, however is very wet indeed, with warnings of heavy thundery showers. We don't get much rain here so it's quite a novalty for us and at least I won't have to water the garden for while. I do hope it's going to be dry on Sunday for our Beginners Course ..

The grass has been growing well and looks lovely and lush, rain will help to keep it going. The farmers are still making haylege near us, I don't think there'll be as much of a shortage of winter forage as was first feared, got our hay in off the field back in July and ordered some haylege, so we'll be ok.

We have a vet visit this afternoon, we're taking blood from some boys to harvest plasma, they're keeping dry in the big shelter, got them in first thing before the rain started, wondering why they're in there I expect. Makes me think of that wonderful Tony Hancock sketch - "very nearly an armful" I'm going to see if I can find it on the internet.

Got to go outside later and get some freshly dropped paca poo to give to the vets to sample for parasites - we usually worm the whole herd in October - and its good to see what's going on in them now and after worming. We gave all the cria their first AD&E vitamin jab the other day, and will repeat it every other month til April to prevent rickets. We weighed them all at the same time and they had all put on stacks of weight over the last 2 weeks, some that are around 4 months could be weaned but as their mums are doing ok we'll leave them on for a bit longer. They all had baycox too, as a preventive measure against coccidea and they'll get another dose in a few weeks.

Lovely Day

2010-09-09T12:31:00.000-07:00

Woke to the first thick mist of the Autumn this morning, my favourite time of the year, I just love all of it, the early mists, long dog walks, the warm sunny days, chilly nights, bonfires, blackberries, the heavy showers, stormy rains .. we had it all today. The swallows are still here, masses of them, the last brood fledged a week or so ago, I worry that those won't be strong enough to fly all the way to Africa. Life here's taken on a completly different take, so much more leisurely and relaxed, I even had time to ride "Reg" my horse today, quite something as I haven't ridden him in months and not regularly in years, he was very good, amazingly responsive and light, I really enjoyed it, and I think he did too, I even cleaned my tack afterwards, must do the same tomorrow. Did loads of gardening too, lots of hacking back the summer jungle and I put in loads of violas to add a bit of colour, another trip to the nursery to buy more plants tomorrow, I've got a bit of a theme going on with deep purple and lime green ... My back is aching but it's a good ache if you know what I mean...

The pacas are all well, looking fabulous with a good inch of fleece now, the crias are full of beans and getting into mischief, they came into the little paddock by the areana when I was riding, I think they were trying to work out what was going on, as normally their equine neighbour doesn't trot around in circles and figures of eight with the one who feeds them on his back!

Breedings finished for 2010!

2010-09-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

Well that's it, we've finished our breedings for this year. Our cut off date is 31st August and we start at the beginning of June, we like to have a short birthing season. If any females are still empty after that then they're carried over to next year. We'll scan them all in October so we know who is going into the winter pregnant and then again in March.

The Snowmass boys have been very busy and we gave Centurion and Ardingly some of the action too. We hope to have around 25 pregnant females and we just can't wait to see the crias next year

This years crop of crias are doing really well, the new flush of grass has really boosted their growth and its great to see them all develop.. We're resting half of our fields now and the grass looks gorgeous, so green, lush and new, there's plenty to go round - all I have to do is keep Peter away from the topper!