SCANNING & CATS

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!!

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

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...