The build was progressing very well and we have had a really lovely team of builders working on site, but all has now come to a standstill because it seems the drawings did not allow for proper roof support. So it is "back to the drawing board" until they come up with a viable solution.
Pauline came to stay for a few days whilst the decorators were working at her house. We visited a nearby poultry farm and I bought another 6 hens and she bought 4. On Saturday and Sunday we went to River Cottage with a couple of young alpacas (the last of last year's boys) and our stall to sell the alpaca products which we normally sell in the farm shop. It was a really good event. Tickets were sold out well in advance and as well as enjoying ourselves (Pauline and I manned the stall together) we sold a lot of socks, pashminas, beanie hats and knitting wool, as well as the two alpacas we took with us. They are pictured above. It was not a misty day - I put the camera in the cold box so it was out of sight and when I took it out to photograph the boys and our stand, the lense misted over!!
As well as craft stalls, demonstrations, lovely food and incidentally good weather there was a Poultry breeder!! Pauline fell in love with some fancy chickens and decided to buy them and donate the two black rock hens she had purchased previously, to the Laurel Farm flock.
On Monday afternoon Mike was up on the scaffolding when he noticed this little chap was lying in the grass and seemed to be struggling unsuccessfully to get up. He phoned me and I went to see what was wrong.
He was shaking and obviously in distress. I did not try and help him but called the vet straight away.
He came within 20 minutes and could find no obvious reason for the problem. By this time he had stopped shaking and we had already thought that he must have had some sort of accident. The vet agreed and the best guess is that he was either running around and injured himself or was kicked by another alpaca. Possibly he tried to suckle from the wrong Mum or just got in the way.
The vet gave him antibiotics, metacam to ease the pain and reduce inflammation if any. He told us to contact him after 3 days. There was little improvement so I phoned and JJ, one of my favourite farm vets, came this time. He thought the same but agreed that it was worth continuing to try and get him mobile again. He gave him a steroid injection and thought that we should give it two or three weeks before having to make any decision on his future. I am giving him physiotherapy three times a day. Some days I feel we are making progress and others he seems to go backwards. Today is a good day and we have put Mum and son outside to give them some fresh air and a change of scenery.
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