Tuesday 9 July 2019

Manicure Day

Today we brought the male alpacas up to the barn to have their toe nails clipped.  In South America where they originate they live on the plains where the surface is arid and rocky so they natually wear down their nails, but in the lush Devon countryside here, there are no such natural abbrasives.

Most of them behave really well but a few are naturally stroppy and take a little more persuading before they agree to the procedure.  Jon my helper holds them and starting with the left front leg I trim the nails on each foot and take the opportunity to check their condition and in some cases apply a little cream or antibacterial spray if they have any abbrasions or skin problems.

Once they have all been treated Jon runs down to  the field where they are currently kept and waits by the gate - my two collies Dolly and Tedd lie down to block them and ensure that they can only go in one direction.   Usually once they realise they are heading home they start to gallop and it is easy for Jon to shut them in again.   He then shuts them in and sprints back to the barn because he is very fit.

Our shop is now closed for the summer but we are still selling our products online.   There seems to be a demand for bed socks at the moment which is surprising considering the time of year.
www.alpaca-stuff.co.uk/socks/Bed Socks

Click on the photgraph to see our selection of socks.

No comments: