Fly-strike?

At the weekend, I noticed a damp patch on Bramleys' right shoulder - now with the recent weather it's been difficult to find a dry patch, so it wasn't surprising, but it wasn't the usual knee or elbow joints, so at first I thought it a bit odd, but perhaps she'd rubbed or rolled on 'something' wet - I caught hold of her, rubbed it and smelt it and there was no smell.

The following morning it was still there, so I knew it needed to be dealt with - she is pregnant, and has changed from being everyones favourite to 'cuddle', to a complete 'madam', and she wouldn't let the two of us look closely at it without a fight, so I got our neighbour (who has sheep) to hold the back end - with a lot of spitting and shrieking (not my neighbour) we concluded it was fly-strike, however we could find no sign of skin damage - now my understanding, is that a fly lays eggs on a wound or damaged skin to feed the larvae - I thoought it might be the ADE injection site, but that was done three and a half weeks ago, and I believe that the larvae hatch in a day or two, so it can't have been that - anyway, we sprayed it straight away, nothing emerged, but there were some small objects like hay seeds, so we thought we'd caught it at an early stage, but I'm still puzzled that there seemed to be no damaged skin.

I do know there have been a few cases in alpacas this year, so wondered if anyone has any clues?

Post post

Have gate post, will travel.

The poover trolley found a new use today...

As promised last night, Phase 1 of the new paddocks began today, by moving the fence and gate posts to the field - for reasons I won't bore you with, it was easier to manhandle them up our existing field into position - well alright, I'll explain: the delivery lorry wouldn't fit up the lane, so it was dropped off at the house, and until we've improved the lane and field access, our trailer wasn't practical, so we both had a good work-out!

Debbie, a photograph can be deceiving! including our current field, we'll have just 3 acres, so could probably fit into your new barn, but it has tripled our size - now for the herd!

Push-me-pull-you.

 Sorry, no pictures of alpacas today.....oh, alright then, some taken on a brighter day:

Golden Delicious

Discovery

Excitement bursts!

Wot, no alpacas? Looknig from our original field into the new field.

After three and a half years of waiting, we have completed the purchase of a large, south-facing field behind our property! as recently as July we were told that it wouldn't be sold, and we should make other arrangements for our herd, so we are delighted that events turned in our favour, and we can now look forward, make plans for the development of the herd, and feel assured in having adequate grazing to allow for resting, and our own supply of hay.

As I said in the previous post, we had a truck-load of fencing posts, gates and mesh delivered in anticipation for phase one, but I wouldn't announce the purpose until the ink was dry, and the wax seal had hardened!

We have been sketching various layouts of paddock and laneways, and have now settled on a plan.

We've been planning hedge trimming, tree-planting, forming a parking/turning area, shelters, water supply, soil testing and bio-security measures.

Paddock divisions might allow for quarantine, open males, whethers, pregnant females and a nursery.

Looking up to our original property, the alpacas are just visible to the left of the hedge on the brow.

For now, phase one is to form the link between our fields, with one paddock to see us through the winter - phase two to be steady development of the remainder. Phase one begins tomorrow!

Advantage, alpacas.

We finished fencing the old tennis court this morning, so it is ready for weaning or quarantine purposes, and we had a truck-load of fencing, posts and gates delivered for a future project, which we had to move

The herd have spent the weekend in an adjoining paddock of lush grass, and Golden Delicious found it so appetising, she refused her bottle both lunchtimes!

Today has been gloroius, and we've had two dry days, so I cleared the bedding out of the shelter, and the 'squelch' has gone from the paddocks.

"If I've got this wrong, I'm in the *#*#  !"

'Dyeing' to tell...

Well, the title may have duped you into thinking that we had an announcement about an exciting development... but not 'that one' yet - no, this is to show the results of our colour breeding programme that has been going on in secret, and so for an evening class that  Joy is running this evening, she has released this picture of her coloured fleece.

Trivia: today, took the train from Taunton to Truro via. Tiverton, Teignmouth, Totnes...took t'ree hours...