Going away on holiday

Just a quick note before we disappear on holiday for a week or so.

Sadly have now removed all the weanlings from their mums. Most of them were more than ready, but some now have to go it alone because their mothers are getting too thin and need building up.

It is a lovely sight when you drive in the yard now because we have fifteen fluffy youngsters free ranging the top three paddocks and coming into the yare for feeding or just when they are feeling curious. It makes it more convenient for halter training too, as they are all handy.

Tomorrow five of our six dogs will be delivered to their various holiday homes. Maddy, our black and white lurcher, will be staying at home to play with my son's dog and children.

All have been bathed, beds washed, and food bought ready for their new homes.

Taking advantage of the sunny weather I have been photographing all the alpacas which are for sale to go on our website.

The "new" sawbench

The "new" tractor

Latest machines

Mike has just purchase three new machines. An International tractor, which is in very good condition for its age and he tells me that it will complement our other vintage tractor the grey Fergie. He has also brought a saw bench which works from the tractor PTO. It needs some attention - see the photo and you will see what I mean. The third item is a rowing machine which is actually in very good condition. Mike refused to be photographed using it, though.

Halter training

Well at last the weather has improved, albeit temporarily. I can start on my halter training programme for this year.

I always leave the cria in the herd with their mothers largely undisturbed to enable them to learn herd behaviour, which will stand them in good stead as they grow older and eventually reach adult hood.

My next step is to bring the whole herd in or at least into the catch pens. The first couple of sessions I just catch and hold each cria and release it as soon as it is relaxed. Once they relax quickly on catching I start to carry out mock veterinary or show judge procedures such as looking at their teeth, checking their tails and genitals as well as looking in their ears for signs (unwanted of course) of parasites like ear mites.

We are now at this stage with this year's cria. All bar one have excellent dentition, and I think it is probably me being too fussy with the odd one out.

The next step will be to quickly put a halter on the cria and just let them wander around with the halter on for a while until they are grazing or eating happily with the halter on. All of them should be ready for this stage within the next couple of days.

I have now been through the credentials of the herd and selected the animals who will be marked for the sale pen. I shall be keeping the alpacas with the most show successes and a few that I judge are of more value to our herd than the money they would fetch.

I have also entered eight for the Spring show at Bristol which takes place on the 29th and 30th March.

New stock just arrived.

I was worried to see Castel, one of our cria limping this morning. We caught him and I had a good look at his front right leg which he was carrying. I could see nothing in the way of thorns or cuts, although I did think that there was a little extra heat in his joint which could denote some inflammation. I'll check him over again in the morning and decide whether to let nature take its course or whether a visit from the vet is needed.

My son, David, is coming down tomorrow. We are going to spit off the females whose scan was inconclusive. This is where the female is introduced to the male who is immediately in the mood for love. An empty (i.e. not pregnant) female will lie down and invite his attentions, but a pregnant female will spit, run away, kick him, and generally make it clear that he is not wanted!!

Although Colin is coming back to scan again, it will be reassuring if the girls make it clear that yes, they are definitely pregnant.

Frustratingly for the male, even if the females are receptive they will not be allowed to mate as:
1. We reserve specific males for particular females as part of our breeding programme.
2. If they mate in January it means the cria would be born in December or early January next year. Not a good time to be born when you live outdoors all the time. We do bring females and their cria in to the barn if they are born in bad weather, but it is not ideal for the animals and makes a lot of hard work for us as they have to be kept clean and fed and cannot rome as they like to. Daily mucking out as well as the cost of heat lamps for warmth is certainly not a joyous prospect for any breeder.

We have just sold Blizzard, one of white whethers (gelded males). He has lived here with his friend, Ben, for over a year now, so I expect they will both miss each other briefly. Alpacas are very adaptable and I am sure they will both settle down in their new circumstances very happily. Ben lives with six other males (five when Blizzard goes) so he will still have plenty of company.

Excitingly, we have just received delivery of a parcel of scarves, pashminas and squares from Chile. We went to Chile on an Alpaca buying trip in 2005 and met up with the Aymara Indians who tend herds of Alpacas on the altiplano high up in the mountains. One of the farmers we met, Santos, sold us some souvenirs - hand woven scarves and shawls made by his wife.

I later ordered a parcel of them to sell in our farm shop alongside our own hand made products. They are beautifullys soft and each one is finished in an individual pattern. After Easter we find that holiday makers tend to visit the farm and I hope they will appreciate the new craft items which we have for sale.

Colin Ottery - Alpaca Shearer and scanner 01884 38782