Bank Holiday Weekend

Mike is still suffering with his bad leg and the antibiotics don't seem to be helping so he was not up to competing with Jake at the weekend.   I took 4 dogs (Millie, Romie, Charlie and Dolly) to Dordale Show held near Bromsgrove in the Midlands.   The puppy was really good despite having to spend much of the day in the van with just quick walks to stretch her legs.

Unfortunately we were not very successful but both Romie and  Millie performed very well with only minor glitches.  On Bank Holiday Monday we went to the North Somerset Show and Millie got 3rd in Grade 5 Agility.  Romie could easily have won her class if I had not lost the plot half way through.   The good news is that she did not knock a jump down all day.  Again, Mike was not up to competing so stayed at home.

I visited the alpaca show which was being held and chatted with fellow alpaca breeders and even bought a young male from Lynsey Skinner.   We are trying to sell Alario at the moment as he has so many daughters on the farm now that we really need to move him on and get some new blood in the herd.

In the meantime back at  the ranch Mike mowed the lawn, planted all our strawberry plants and partially made a set of new agility jumps.  So much for taking it easy.

On the way home from the show I stopped at Sedgemoor services and when I got back into the van it would not start.  Apparently the battery was flat although it had started easily when I left Wraxall.   The nice RAC man came in much less that the original three hours, and amended hour I was told to expect.   He found that the alternator belt had been thrown and was able to fit a temporary one to get me home.   It made it a very long day but apart from the breakdown it was all very enjoyable.

This morning Mike and Nick dragged out an old pig ark which was left on the farm by a previous owner.   They sawed it in half and renovated some of the rotten wood to make a second shelter for the goats.   The buck needs to have separate quarters whilst the females are kidding to avoid the mums or kids being injured (accidentally I presume).   He will also have a part of the paddock sectioned off.   I expect he will have his nose put out of joint as he is used to living with his harem.

When I fed them this morning the puppy thought she would have a go at chasing them.  Nick says she is a natural herder but I felt she was a bit small for the job and threw a bucket to distract her.    It worked  and she stopped luckily.
We had noticed that he was walking awkwardly and I thought he probably needed his toe nails trimming so I got Nick to have a look.  I caught him by his big horns and he was really good whilst Nick cut his nails and looked much more comfortable afterwards.

Bono is looking sorry for himself again and still has not put on any weight.   I got the vet to give me some more Antepsin which lines the stomach and helps prevent/cure ulcers.  He is going to have 4 doses a day.
I feel that when the grass grows really well (it has improved but is still well behind normal spring growth) he might fatten up a bit.  He seems to be eating all the time but at the moment it is not having the desired results.

Nick and I dosed him up this afternoon and gave him some Total Solutions tonic.   We also gave some TS to the other boys and checked them to make sure they are in good condition.

Tomorrow we are going to a farm sale so apart from a few basic jobs we will have an easy day.