In my last post, I mentioned that I'd met a man with a thermal imaging camera, who was assessing some high-sustainability houses next to the paddock which four of the herd are currently grazing. Well, I suggested it would be interesting to look at the alpacas, and here are some of the results:
Given that an alpacas normal internal body temperature is 37-39deg Centigrade, the figures aren't so surprising - the air temperature was probably around 8deg., and the sun was just about to set.
As the temperatures plummeted this week, we were a little concerned about Moira, our ten-year-old maiden - she has a very short fleece, but very fine - she was shorn last summer but not the year before. We had thought about a coat, but realistically, we wondered about her accepting it - could
you persuade your grandmother to change her ways? So I opened the double doors of the hay shed, put down a straw bed, some tempting buckets of alfalfa, and set up a mirror for encouragement - they all cautiously looked around, went in, and tucked in. At 11 o'clock, I went out with a torch...there they were, all sat on top of the hill - it was around about minus five - and that's where they spent the two coldest nights!
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| Don't I know you? |
In the afternoon, had a handful of carrot chopped into long lengths, which Moira and Autumn Gold happily take from my hand - Camelot however, is 19 days into his weaning, and sniffed at the carrot but wouldn't take it horizontally, so I slowly turned it upright, resembling a teat perhaps, and he quite happily went underneath and took it into his mouth!
Interesting stuff - never seen thermal imaging carried out on 'pacas before. Certainly shows that their fleece keeps them warm. Shirley & Robbie
ReplyDeleteVery intersting Dave, shows that they just aren't bothered by this cold dry weather.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's strange isn't it but ours too choose to sleep outside on frosty nights. I suppose it's part of their inheritance as the alti-plano gets bitterly cold at night. Love the idea of a mirror...!
ReplyDeleteGreat blog Dave. I think that we are all in agreement; alpacas don't mind the cold at all...but rain that is a different matter.
ReplyDeleteMirrors are always popular here...we have acrylic mirrors (used in stables for bored horses)
I realised quickly, that I should have had an image of me taken for comparison (yes, clothed!). Thanks to Chris for the images, who is happy with anonymity.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the camera can't 'see' their body heat beneath their fleece just goes to show how good an insulator it is, and hence why they're so content to sit out in freezing temperatures!
ReplyDeleteFantastic. I have a thermal camera and it never crossed my mind to try this. That's the weekend sorted ! Sleeping out in the frost is the norm here. But they are all in for breakfast. We are providing water at around 30c as its also very dry after long frosts and dry food diet. (picked up the hint from the Muller article in bas mag ñ it works, they love it with breakfast)
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