NEW CRIAS

Last Saturday evening, after our shearing day, I looked out of the window to see a little black head moving in the long grass. Cotton Cake, who was supposed to have given us another grey, had delivered a solid black girl and we called her Cotton Fields, Fi for short. She was a bit premmy but strong willed and managed to get up and feed within the hour and I stayed up til midnight to make sure she got a few more feeds in before I went to bed. I was up really early the next morning and all was well.

We have had to cope with torrential downpours and extremely blustery weather, more like October than mid June.  Our newly sheared pacas were all provided with shelters, I quite like keeping them all in on such occasions, at least I can sleep well knowing that no-ones shivering and miserable. However, I don't much like all the mucking out that's needed afterwards - my what a mess they make in one night!

Beulah, who is one of my favourites, has had a very sturdy, handsome boy, who is also not quite the colour we were hoping for - but then that's alpacas and part of the fun - each birth is still a bit like Christmas for me and even though I might be a bit disappointed I soon grow to love them all. We have called him Bamboozle.

Today I was very keen to get a few farm jobs done whilst we had dry weather, poo-hoovering and cutting grass and keeping an eye on the birthing paddock at the same time, though no-one have any signs of doing anything.  Whilst having a coffee break and chatting on the phone in the garden I happened to notice that the girls in the birthing paddock were intently watching something near the bench ... thinking it was just the cat but but to make sure I strolled over to look. Toffee Apple had gone behind the bench and given birth to her cria, who had managed somehow to roll under the fence and was now the wrong side. Good job I stopped for that coffee then before mowing the drive!  We almost called him Topseyturvey, but seems a bit girlie, so he's "Touch Wood".

Toffee Apple and Touch Wood

And again - dry this time

Cotton Cake and Cotton Field (Fi)

Fi staying cosy under 2 coats - it was awful weather that day

Bamboozle

Beulah and Bamboozle

Mila enjoying the sunshine today