tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31837526690474844782024-03-13T00:36:13.072+00:00Apple Vale AlpacasThe ins and outs, ups and downs of breeding alpacas in the heart of SomersetApple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.comBlogger315125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-37060825838616250572023-07-15T12:54:00.006+01:002023-07-15T12:54:47.183+01:00Mid-season update July 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA35_UhEC97RH2bqnX7l-5Vcvd9FvvduljTQCtcROyUg8VtFUDwko72w9Wpbd9DL_bMx331rrWuKpQc46F2Ea4ylmoeFjGIDivp5xJJ06aSac6VsZPC-eupmo_KceX1namDj7T4gQ_w7kZ52jPEkxdryI7juIVu8juIJb9KVKrnx1iexdUSB0DShk_qJk/s2592/IMG_2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1728" data-original-width="2592" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA35_UhEC97RH2bqnX7l-5Vcvd9FvvduljTQCtcROyUg8VtFUDwko72w9Wpbd9DL_bMx331rrWuKpQc46F2Ea4ylmoeFjGIDivp5xJJ06aSac6VsZPC-eupmo_KceX1namDj7T4gQ_w7kZ52jPEkxdryI7juIVu8juIJb9KVKrnx1iexdUSB0DShk_qJk/w320-h213/IMG_2016.JPG" width="320" /></a> <br /></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Well our birthing season is well underway - we have two very smart males Rockit and Rubens, but the season started sadly with a male dying during birth: </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I looked out of the window at 6 o'clock one morning to see one female with a head that had emerged, but no feet, so we rushed down, made an examination and found the legs folded back - the cria was already cold and had died, so the mum must have been like this for some time - we called the vet, who was here by 6.30, and she delivered it, and mum was given anti-biotics - a very disappointing start to the season.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4VzSQu1Nd_x2afZl2ITv344y1ZsdHjgJyVvuG45DSBhAiuARuMsegegxBJW55-jcn71q98YQHZ7HnON5JOovjiygM-HphhPCCy90N5oTPwnznay25I9GC6x3XAaTqpoubeh4Ou-rn0Ovu6bFGMHIVUvpKNBco9j7PGmL2ChCChp3_lJpJgXgkQvRocHs/s2592/IMG_2004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1728" data-original-width="2592" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4VzSQu1Nd_x2afZl2ITv344y1ZsdHjgJyVvuG45DSBhAiuARuMsegegxBJW55-jcn71q98YQHZ7HnON5JOovjiygM-HphhPCCy90N5oTPwnznay25I9GC6x3XAaTqpoubeh4Ou-rn0Ovu6bFGMHIVUvpKNBco9j7PGmL2ChCChp3_lJpJgXgkQvRocHs/s320/IMG_2004.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Blossom delivered a healthy boy, Rockit (yes, an apple variety, but during Glastonbury Festival it was an appropriate name )weighing 10.4kg, and he has gained weight steadily, though mum has one swollen teat, which I have milked, but it refuses to reduce in size.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrnGuq38C8V7_EJmv68oHXTTpgauLHL77RweRAMygWOwPCk1h9QDWRlfQwvvqYcwjlByqnsqHVL2G723jX9xA6gmLxw7TyNy5NRCDQuSmaSrLtHFFNHd4oRQevfy-pTtrNxLTJ1n6-DKVvmVaP8aIHRool8jLF08j0P-VI9LEKJkBr-vHa50LdrRaEzo/s2592/IMG_2005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1728" data-original-width="2592" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrnGuq38C8V7_EJmv68oHXTTpgauLHL77RweRAMygWOwPCk1h9QDWRlfQwvvqYcwjlByqnsqHVL2G723jX9xA6gmLxw7TyNy5NRCDQuSmaSrLtHFFNHd4oRQevfy-pTtrNxLTJ1n6-DKVvmVaP8aIHRool8jLF08j0P-VI9LEKJkBr-vHa50LdrRaEzo/s320/IMG_2005.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Next, Libby gave birth to a male just before 8 hours of continuous rain arrived - 8.75kg, and standing within 20 minutes - this gave us a predicament, because usually mum will stay away from the herd for a few hours while she bonds with the cria, but we couldn't leave him to face 8 hours of rain, so we put a coat on him, but then mum decided she would rather be in the shelter with the other 7 girls and Rockit - this became confusing, because they were too close together and Rubens didn't recognize his mum and wandered around trying to feed from all of them, and she wasn't sure who he was! So we sent most of them out in the rain exept the other mother and her cria - but Libby attacked her, presumably accusing her of stealing her cria! I still hadn't disposed of the placenta, so I got it and rubbed it along the back of the coat - mum immediately recognized him, and he went under and suckled! Joy declared me a genius, and I am still revelling in that today!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzWN67YUUzbblr9W_8vM02bj4VoBPCkVfQpcTQ_4qhiFZQgRJkV1d42ov5daaYioKDLxI96HCftQD1r6COcDEofz00EAIWrKierizryXIMIYj6JH1V6l3JH2kl_H6m1Ze-uJCMOzkY9xuUoRV_A_IqQ9oe84AcRvW1DaWArtWpzhR5iILX2uriKR2YIQ/s2592/IMG_2028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1728" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzWN67YUUzbblr9W_8vM02bj4VoBPCkVfQpcTQ_4qhiFZQgRJkV1d42ov5daaYioKDLxI96HCftQD1r6COcDEofz00EAIWrKierizryXIMIYj6JH1V6l3JH2kl_H6m1Ze-uJCMOzkY9xuUoRV_A_IqQ9oe84AcRvW1DaWArtWpzhR5iILX2uriKR2YIQ/s320/IMG_2028.JPG" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The two boys have become great pals and are always playing or sitting together. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBxoJLMGqfDlS6ZlLw7wOY8CI-aC4z-1lG6jSvq1zJ8Du5BGbeHJaJ34VNRoqqHZaRa_BfER019f0cu-1cBcvQneVgy-b7FRQJ_gtxHif9GEUdCuWeXnQqE1AitXtfvW7V9Jg9BrQTGqcEh3oBdTbK5_x6sdJ1ii4KQzsre6b687-CG6CJJC1Dboad94/s2592/IMG_1993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1728" data-original-width="2592" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBxoJLMGqfDlS6ZlLw7wOY8CI-aC4z-1lG6jSvq1zJ8Du5BGbeHJaJ34VNRoqqHZaRa_BfER019f0cu-1cBcvQneVgy-b7FRQJ_gtxHif9GEUdCuWeXnQqE1AitXtfvW7V9Jg9BrQTGqcEh3oBdTbK5_x6sdJ1ii4KQzsre6b687-CG6CJJC1Dboad94/s320/IMG_1993.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">With the warm dry spell in June, shearing and hay-making took place smoothly, and before that we had blood taken from one of our females, and spun down to provide plasma to re-stock our supplies in case of emergency following births.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In May we attended The North Somerset Show, and were please with Apple Vale Pixie being awarded 2nd place in her class of 7 juniors, and Reserve Champion White Female, and she came 3rd out of a class of 6 at The Devon County Show.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I've also been 'nurturing' some wildlife: I placed some small pieces of roof sheet offcuts over some nettles for the dual purpose of keeping the nettles down, and hopefully encouraging some slow worms - I hit the jackpot when I discovered two grass snakes, and three slow worms 'snuggled up' together, and much as I loathe snakes, I have an irresistable urge to check on them on warm afternoons!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bv1MfWDftEnyWChaU511s9UklW8Z80lGENJj5AWwYXwaF-H99W35kJgfnhZWX06UAPCyAxspqMVNngujm7QuONvzN9VDdyPW1iT0odZh__-fGquk3mCDlcfCwSqqtDgPqEd5WAWOFgp_QSUYqLnkmMHZNBL75EnPUctdURy07d9qAhmIRva2bYx2oh0/s4624/20230626_173518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3468" data-original-width="4624" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bv1MfWDftEnyWChaU511s9UklW8Z80lGENJj5AWwYXwaF-H99W35kJgfnhZWX06UAPCyAxspqMVNngujm7QuONvzN9VDdyPW1iT0odZh__-fGquk3mCDlcfCwSqqtDgPqEd5WAWOFgp_QSUYqLnkmMHZNBL75EnPUctdURy07d9qAhmIRva2bYx2oh0/s320/20230626_173518.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErU8wI-GUiCWDfR5yHHhXX7ZYcheSZn0dunt94EPEH-duV0CVxc1H1SFx472mwuq27jIK_EA8x7Qh4KW-yW20bhu4fFllLvCV5aHLHikBDDyBizYB-7pNhSG_BB4W16SQb0ryN8f_mrU0nXJQZJ5BuGbILHTYdXTxAwbJ7h9sxBAjcMuaZc4qrhgAd1A/s4624/20230618_150303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3468" data-original-width="4624" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiErU8wI-GUiCWDfR5yHHhXX7ZYcheSZn0dunt94EPEH-duV0CVxc1H1SFx472mwuq27jIK_EA8x7Qh4KW-yW20bhu4fFllLvCV5aHLHikBDDyBizYB-7pNhSG_BB4W16SQb0ryN8f_mrU0nXJQZJ5BuGbILHTYdXTxAwbJ7h9sxBAjcMuaZc4qrhgAd1A/s320/20230618_150303.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">We are now looking forward to more (alpaca) births in the next week or so. </span><br /></p>Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-62259244967610988132023-07-09T19:11:00.000+01:002023-07-09T19:11:08.139+01:002022 - A Summary<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Well life got in the way of blog posts this year - more accurately, it's the growth of Facebook, so that rather than post a blog summarizing news every now and then, we post our events on Facebook as they happen weekly daily, or occasionally more than once a day. So just for the record, here's a simple list of what happened:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">North Somerset Show - Apple Vale Marianne - 2nd Intermediate White Female<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">North Somerset Show- Apple Vale Nutmeg - 2nd Junior Light Female<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Cornish Fleece show - Apple Vale Liberty - Reserve Champion Light Huacaya<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">SWAG Fleece Show - Apple Vale Liberty - 1st Beige Huacaya</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">SWAG Halter Show - Apple Vale Marianne - 2nd Adult White Female Huacaya</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Katy, Lady Alice, and Madeleine were sold to a new breeder. Sadly, Katy later had a still birth at 10months, and Alice gave birth to a premature cria at 314 days - plasma was given, and it seemed to be progressing, but sadly died overnight on the third day, seemingly due to an impact, perhaps a kick or rolled on...<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Libby gave birth to Pixie, a white female, at 333 days, weighing 6.34kg, in drizzle. See 2023 for show success for her.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NjKHHKCWgyzrXZxLotB5EwfT6P4YyEDo1aMiAqaqLqxwkSWu5qb4nrmS1hG2gewRDXUhXheExu8yaFQdbMFCDlmtwJrGci0kFuYlaSQkBCV7efjnMTpGyphtmSqSDmm5O9TunBNqCWvmUEl1htfirhUVjybEqBK3lIt70BbETwRJWSRKLv84oOdPhh8/s2592/IMG_1765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1728" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5NjKHHKCWgyzrXZxLotB5EwfT6P4YyEDo1aMiAqaqLqxwkSWu5qb4nrmS1hG2gewRDXUhXheExu8yaFQdbMFCDlmtwJrGci0kFuYlaSQkBCV7efjnMTpGyphtmSqSDmm5O9TunBNqCWvmUEl1htfirhUVjybEqBK3lIt70BbETwRJWSRKLv84oOdPhh8/s320/IMG_1765.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Emily gave birth to Pumpkin Spice, white with a large grey spot on her rump, at 356 days, weighing 8.35kg on a hot afternoon, with vet's assistance due to slow progress.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8wK55ZSqXPASDw2P9m_miHgyls9L2P571TJaJZbwsoswIHP6sOHRYJDbps571rEijkl6sYc0vat_va7_tY959_zB8VHd87Ae2-yUJIhwk0EI7EevPK_G7qAQneP08Y5tDXudc-5FUUWT5uwJeB3L7hUhUIY2-jXZcjgGezulkfnAVNvCi1E5mJ4EY8c/s2592/IMG_1746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1728" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8wK55ZSqXPASDw2P9m_miHgyls9L2P571TJaJZbwsoswIHP6sOHRYJDbps571rEijkl6sYc0vat_va7_tY959_zB8VHd87Ae2-yUJIhwk0EI7EevPK_G7qAQneP08Y5tDXudc-5FUUWT5uwJeB3L7hUhUIY2-jXZcjgGezulkfnAVNvCi1E5mJ4EY8c/s320/IMG_1746.JPG" width="213" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wpqNkKCPbb6gyPGf-vMvkROLzFc0S8zgCkp5wgkkzLz_F5EuXTAq5D5vrbdoZrndz7nqvE7LaSGqJQSAvvKktb3JP1xRcsw2iR5sahxNIFqp8kPctXQUPR8z_Aeclx1keiWwHKg6bVndXJk1g5a-SM3li8XfAbsnim1YML_IDgFj164WQedpZ9_EHe0/s4624/20230303_145231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wpqNkKCPbb6gyPGf-vMvkROLzFc0S8zgCkp5wgkkzLz_F5EuXTAq5D5vrbdoZrndz7nqvE7LaSGqJQSAvvKktb3JP1xRcsw2iR5sahxNIFqp8kPctXQUPR8z_Aeclx1keiWwHKg6bVndXJk1g5a-SM3li8XfAbsnim1YML_IDgFj164WQedpZ9_EHe0/s320/20230303_145231.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span>
</p>Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-15690926564649319232022-01-08T12:48:00.002+00:002022-01-08T12:48:50.620+00:00End of 2021 report<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinNsNHx7-hy7FHQN6K6Juk5cr4vbJmlDpQXS1wJvTHeWWef3uHWS_RQnwASts7q6c9_IUgCGTRczqqWWNrw0W_y3lFDOPT6V2huH03mS-AFQmR1POkvF4-NeEcOC5oMeU7ZyneUmfMp4U1-_YChf4QVExQFJhzD_uvHJyFO_J5PaU5jRncGvkpw1H4=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinNsNHx7-hy7FHQN6K6Juk5cr4vbJmlDpQXS1wJvTHeWWef3uHWS_RQnwASts7q6c9_IUgCGTRczqqWWNrw0W_y3lFDOPT6V2huH03mS-AFQmR1POkvF4-NeEcOC5oMeU7ZyneUmfMp4U1-_YChf4QVExQFJhzD_uvHJyFO_J5PaU5jRncGvkpw1H4=w320-h180" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mums and cria taken from a drone.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> Well this is a bit late, but here we are into the New Year, and I'm only just producing the finale to last year.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmFYPSDQFK2cfHKUx7cDUBY1lLldKUWGwEva4HdnLd9MCjg7jBoIWBHp7Yv4YGL4qqbi0QmXZS5rBPzFP9f6sNU5vjdXceIfEzqd9vyLmKF0ekVVffxEWV4Bh0hoGiKIMgRAPFaq5uB90Y6Awd2shViFzPV_yDPzSgZtzVFZZXjXByRD2dW0JZvvk4=s2816" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2816" data-original-width="1880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmFYPSDQFK2cfHKUx7cDUBY1lLldKUWGwEva4HdnLd9MCjg7jBoIWBHp7Yv4YGL4qqbi0QmXZS5rBPzFP9f6sNU5vjdXceIfEzqd9vyLmKF0ekVVffxEWV4Bh0hoGiKIMgRAPFaq5uB90Y6Awd2shViFzPV_yDPzSgZtzVFZZXjXByRD2dW0JZvvk4=s320" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Nova<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>At the beginning of August, two weeks after the birth of Norman, Apple Vale Katy, a maiden, gave birth to Nova at 354 days, an 8.73 kg light fawn boy, sired by Hemicoyo Matrix of Urcuchillay. The birh was normal, and he started to feed in good time, but his weight dropped more than usual after 24 hours, and then only slowly gained after that at around 100g per day - we tried goat's milk, and gold-top cows milk, but he would only take small amounts (20-100ml). Katy always appeared to allow him plenty of time to nurse, her teats were in good condition, and after 30 days he had gained 3.5kg - it was frustrating, as we had been used to cria gaining between 200 and 400grams per day - we could find no reasons for the slow rate of gain, and were at least satisfied that he wasn't losing weight at any time, so accepted it, but have kept a regular check on his weight, and he's still progressing slowly but surely.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFX0b5PSv4iLeIdK0O9SGiUmYTiGrZTU0vTVVgI8HjmxKq0m2ZK-NxYmWbD_qM2WM6EJQC7_-HPR9jGxhTuGVSowOSdvlFbfKsbgNDHOJJL620rhRZvIRYg0ysS9Ob1jEftv13RF92lsTmRTCvXnd3p1FoIaLidR_wVJ_34R-omLJ0bTVnWV-IWw-a=s2816" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2816" data-original-width="1880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFX0b5PSv4iLeIdK0O9SGiUmYTiGrZTU0vTVVgI8HjmxKq0m2ZK-NxYmWbD_qM2WM6EJQC7_-HPR9jGxhTuGVSowOSdvlFbfKsbgNDHOJJL620rhRZvIRYg0ysS9Ob1jEftv13RF92lsTmRTCvXnd3p1FoIaLidR_wVJ_34R-omLJ0bTVnWV-IWw-a=s320" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Ozark Gold (Ozzie)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> Three days later, Blossom (Redingvale Valentina) delivered a strapping boy at 10kg, another light fawn, Ozark Gold, or Ozzie to his friends. Sired by Apple Vale Jupiter, he has a fabulous fleece, and he has developed well.</p><p>Four weeks after giving birth to Norman, Alice, at the age of 2years and 2 months, surprised me one morning, when she joined in at the feed troughs, and started eating mineral supplement, which she had never done since birth, and has done so every day since!</p><p>In early September, we joined in with the BAS Open Alpaca Farm days, and welcomed visitors from our village.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYtt7QTYydsIt5duwRPy8aMFDZCCXjWl_nQ34itblpNqa6xCLNBA247LqPwE8Wy-0c1D_816c2zixIAXHH1nG_8BPANxSiNxovA29MQkAySTd4z0QA4G-88TdLqjrWZTV8p88vFaEJk3ktr0x5BZHHj56LBcWJsJI1sWoppGLyi-mEIZ51j5ceCLoj=s4160" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYtt7QTYydsIt5duwRPy8aMFDZCCXjWl_nQ34itblpNqa6xCLNBA247LqPwE8Wy-0c1D_816c2zixIAXHH1nG_8BPANxSiNxovA29MQkAySTd4z0QA4G-88TdLqjrWZTV8p88vFaEJk3ktr0x5BZHHj56LBcWJsJI1sWoppGLyi-mEIZ51j5ceCLoj=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visitors enjoy the company of alpacas during the Open Day.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> We entered two fleeces in the South West Alpaca Group Show, and were pleased with Libby (Apple Vale Liberty) gaining 2nd place Light in a class of 10, and Gus (Popham Augustus) our stud male being awarded Reserve Champion Light, judged by Mary-Jo Smith.</p><p>It was a generally mild and dry autumn, the paddocks held up well until significant rain came at Christmas, and the home paddock became a quagmire. I spotted a case of fly-strike at an early stage on our whether one evening, which just proved the value of checking your animals twice a day.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEismNhIADL1awWtz5aC_yBEb6M_Z-qIueY8WonKNzB9d2ej0g3bo9mB7_1ofwBCjDqObQX8Fy7lplzRKBDHDtlAEwbsfsMwNhmlTZsyYsjWyUQ-lsaufp0jIt0oSvNLcJgTgNW1HwCZlSLcKiprUDjhfCjaYz0AM6NEjzk5__Cnfqds0icYcse84Kr9=s4160" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEismNhIADL1awWtz5aC_yBEb6M_Z-qIueY8WonKNzB9d2ej0g3bo9mB7_1ofwBCjDqObQX8Fy7lplzRKBDHDtlAEwbsfsMwNhmlTZsyYsjWyUQ-lsaufp0jIt0oSvNLcJgTgNW1HwCZlSLcKiprUDjhfCjaYz0AM6NEjzk5__Cnfqds0icYcse84Kr9=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mums and cria relax in the shade, on a warm September day.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> We had the pregnant females scanned in October, with 100% positive, and so we look forward to this year's births and shows, with weaning, halter-training and getting through these dark months, distributing 'tons' of hay to keep up their condition with little nutritional grass, and trying to manage the paddocks to avoid any paddock becoming beyond recovery - paddock cleaning is really difficult: the ground is too wet for the machine, and the poo is too wet for the vacuum hose.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2az59yFEvVk0QhmgtFX6ZDCofPFWyV0JAUKwRGLQzHZrvxEa8iRq5equHYJnWqdZRKRecw_2he51RY5mFVfELb6VsJA6OdB52p3q9wxTeAqJlY57GRKhqXG3EZGACoRAO44m0ClfI8yBZ9g6D21XvmxPmtumLTppHnGZrqGNLj1VXPxsvadG1Qd45=s2816" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1880" data-original-width="2816" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2az59yFEvVk0QhmgtFX6ZDCofPFWyV0JAUKwRGLQzHZrvxEa8iRq5equHYJnWqdZRKRecw_2he51RY5mFVfELb6VsJA6OdB52p3q9wxTeAqJlY57GRKhqXG3EZGACoRAO44m0ClfI8yBZ9g6D21XvmxPmtumLTppHnGZrqGNLj1VXPxsvadG1Qd45=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Emily under the Willow.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-83958521130049659772021-08-01T16:26:00.003+01:002021-08-01T16:26:48.180+01:00Nutmeg and Norman<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTz3Q1cLfYE252txxJ-T6iz6C7jl5hmAPlxBZKDyFJ6ewsAchoF6npE5uNJxvXpu20N5oZIQqFGowgmqc0db2P2-yEH6GK-lxZMwl-t1Nlrf1mHbgtbEQaqQLV83HECUyvYMjKf4I3Mo/s2048/IMG_9237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTz3Q1cLfYE252txxJ-T6iz6C7jl5hmAPlxBZKDyFJ6ewsAchoF6npE5uNJxvXpu20N5oZIQqFGowgmqc0db2P2-yEH6GK-lxZMwl-t1Nlrf1mHbgtbEQaqQLV83HECUyvYMjKf4I3Mo/s320/IMG_9237.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Two births so far this summer, with more to come.</p><p>At the end of June, our star dam, 'Apples' (Helenia Diana), produced Nutmeg, sired by Beck Brow Gee Whiz of Angersleigh - a beautiful fawn female - she has thrived, although mum had a prolapsed uterus around five hours after birth, which the vet came and dealt with expertly, and mum has been fine since. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5nvDKecsqIFlzQPLLijzr5FgRNsJ3hpWrNxA3T438FT7NHz5NDV_26VIzBfA2VeY3BScxKM5rllJoVwRuhSSxmmLpNUXd3MtpzOxe7rh84r0oa0ljt40T3UF1xMahtSq_1p2LJbrwDY/s2048/IMG_9003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5nvDKecsqIFlzQPLLijzr5FgRNsJ3hpWrNxA3T438FT7NHz5NDV_26VIzBfA2VeY3BScxKM5rllJoVwRuhSSxmmLpNUXd3MtpzOxe7rh84r0oa0ljt40T3UF1xMahtSq_1p2LJbrwDY/s320/IMG_9003.JPG" width="214" /></a></div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAH4F1z8fg80qAhmdu_krYxTzUueJeohBd6XfcbPJzLI3zlHMxfN3_AxUL7eVvppshLq5TcFc9aIhVV5RBQO3IeMGfri47WehO4BLZpbXVZ19BIGhESiBaLS7PGyY-Ep5eT4V6OCcDBM/s2048/IMG_8991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAH4F1z8fg80qAhmdu_krYxTzUueJeohBd6XfcbPJzLI3zlHMxfN3_AxUL7eVvppshLq5TcFc9aIhVV5RBQO3IeMGfri47WehO4BLZpbXVZ19BIGhESiBaLS7PGyY-Ep5eT4V6OCcDBM/s320/IMG_8991.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Then on the second day of the recent heatwave at 7.30a.m Apple Vale Alice, a maiden, gave birth to Apple Vale Norada (Norman to his friends), sired by Apple Vale Jupiter who is now working for Tinryland Alpacas in the Republic of Ireland. Born at 323 days, Norman was down on his pasterns, and his teeth hadn't erupted. With the fierce 29 degree heat and being dismature, he wasn't progressing to suckle, so we gave him Immucol colustrum replacer which we had got in stock to trial as an alternative to plasma, as we had other cria due, and limited plasma.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOorJxCY030tJTFAtD7jd9bkF9vnSm_WGhfM3kG922R-iQcO0zArM7s5wQx_A0caplslAslRzFvKZNcKK1-vouEabYSYUNuLDgaxdkbNToz1McSsVmyDHJubRytgJiDJIDFrDAc0F6EU/s2048/IMG_20210721_062227221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOorJxCY030tJTFAtD7jd9bkF9vnSm_WGhfM3kG922R-iQcO0zArM7s5wQx_A0caplslAslRzFvKZNcKK1-vouEabYSYUNuLDgaxdkbNToz1McSsVmyDHJubRytgJiDJIDFrDAc0F6EU/s320/IMG_20210721_062227221.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> This, importantly in the heat, gave him fluids in addition to the colostrum - after 8 hours he began nursing from mum, and we continued to give him occasional Immucol imcluding the next day. With 29 degrees reached on his first five days, we kept a constant eye to see he was spending enough time in the shade, and after the third day his weight began gaining at a rate of around 300g per day, which has continued, and he now enjoys chasing and playing with Nutmeg. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4F_BaUkqiqDJJBXIa3PMiTDdNHpclIAdY1OWr8ta-54FCuvDgNjF9RPpO2-fVansBoDeN8f_25BrjLFb4CFH3TVFR5FmpKKff5cVWaW7n2FIIRrAf7-OpctiC0hGfp0gJxxgtiqVNRQY/s2048/IMG_9141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4F_BaUkqiqDJJBXIa3PMiTDdNHpclIAdY1OWr8ta-54FCuvDgNjF9RPpO2-fVansBoDeN8f_25BrjLFb4CFH3TVFR5FmpKKff5cVWaW7n2FIIRrAf7-OpctiC0hGfp0gJxxgtiqVNRQY/s320/IMG_9141.JPG" width="214" /></a></div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWRUJenQAx0_voIwNnHm3gdS1nIWXfJHTAiT92Tu10_T_R0Tg0uflDs_shyphenhyphen2-DzwDzwtao5FADyMat8eq8oTRAyH8rs0A0XAoU3gphqMDIz00GguWCx559JT2k6y9SSDYQC2Ob6SvJiA/s2048/IMG_9155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWRUJenQAx0_voIwNnHm3gdS1nIWXfJHTAiT92Tu10_T_R0Tg0uflDs_shyphenhyphen2-DzwDzwtao5FADyMat8eq8oTRAyH8rs0A0XAoU3gphqMDIz00GguWCx559JT2k6y9SSDYQC2Ob6SvJiA/s320/IMG_9155.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><p></p><p>We were very pleased with results from the Cornish Fleece Show: Apple Vale Libby was awarded 1st place in the Light class with 82.5 points, and Reserve Champion Light, while our stud male, Popham Augustus of Apple Vale was awarded 1st place in the White class with 84.5 points. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXnkl30AXEivSJmfxbnBmYy-T1ivZ8AXNNlFqsp2c2PBl2ShaHQGVWaRWJVpk8hcmewot8R1hA2fT64DndRw-73GaVHv0v0XGDr4jFybAMw_tqsM3x1Tj3A4WsPXOywiM4NLBkgKGAPw/w275-h184/IMG_9199.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="275" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Norman</td></tr></tbody></table><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXnkl30AXEivSJmfxbnBmYy-T1ivZ8AXNNlFqsp2c2PBl2ShaHQGVWaRWJVpk8hcmewot8R1hA2fT64DndRw-73GaVHv0v0XGDr4jFybAMw_tqsM3x1Tj3A4WsPXOywiM4NLBkgKGAPw/s2048/IMG_9199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxTRTNrtV77VdjIRY20ymLF0XYIkxeQeSRx5fToKZbJjJkQz52e1ciEibe75r05lSPzoI4nX_V1ZugDN9-JuFOcfaUaqUt5CJFrrEGJcBOE2lrSQmraR-5CggsGqYMwJOF88tRyaZH-r8/s2048/IMG_9112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxTRTNrtV77VdjIRY20ymLF0XYIkxeQeSRx5fToKZbJjJkQz52e1ciEibe75r05lSPzoI4nX_V1ZugDN9-JuFOcfaUaqUt5CJFrrEGJcBOE2lrSQmraR-5CggsGqYMwJOF88tRyaZH-r8/w273-h183/IMG_9112.JPG" width="273" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nutmeg</td></tr></tbody></table></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXnkl30AXEivSJmfxbnBmYy-T1ivZ8AXNNlFqsp2c2PBl2ShaHQGVWaRWJVpk8hcmewot8R1hA2fT64DndRw-73GaVHv0v0XGDr4jFybAMw_tqsM3x1Tj3A4WsPXOywiM4NLBkgKGAPw/s2048/IMG_9199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXnkl30AXEivSJmfxbnBmYy-T1ivZ8AXNNlFqsp2c2PBl2ShaHQGVWaRWJVpk8hcmewot8R1hA2fT64DndRw-73GaVHv0v0XGDr4jFybAMw_tqsM3x1Tj3A4WsPXOywiM4NLBkgKGAPw/s2048/IMG_9199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqHM_Dolb8nU6_8VNSdJ3ixM2JfEXIXfRiLDEpiAcM5KEQQ1hsAdWoTNBpRkrJoWUn72SwvqiWVQtT1Q_G483bioDThFElRxHF1AeBVWMaNX59PHI83dOfWNcT7jgc-nJAqJqN_OWcOc/s2048/IMG_9237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqHM_Dolb8nU6_8VNSdJ3ixM2JfEXIXfRiLDEpiAcM5KEQQ1hsAdWoTNBpRkrJoWUn72SwvqiWVQtT1Q_G483bioDThFElRxHF1AeBVWMaNX59PHI83dOfWNcT7jgc-nJAqJqN_OWcOc/s320/IMG_9237.JPG" width="320" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlp5EJzCr6MLEW04FNOM3IjwKGuFwAIfSKDFRdZHTpaduZ7HnEdYixaPhuW2T2gxYdOQO4lB5FVppVPUTDd49WR0_fFo8xp8wXewPS6Ug_0cP2hrzeWoMMdmMJjONmypaqEGhQtWm6cOo/s2048/IMG_9102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlp5EJzCr6MLEW04FNOM3IjwKGuFwAIfSKDFRdZHTpaduZ7HnEdYixaPhuW2T2gxYdOQO4lB5FVppVPUTDd49WR0_fFo8xp8wXewPS6Ug_0cP2hrzeWoMMdmMJjONmypaqEGhQtWm6cOo/w268-h179/IMG_9102.JPG" width="268" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-V8zylLQj25b7ssIglnHmhI0bYRiobsMNKfR-gaAXQzjDbHcPJlvLD2FoNLthJwkrgcQ5_8GjRVaeMy9JLXErq5XJB0pDtLJix1m2T2uXagji7u92-xoA4meMMpOL7XWLO6864oAIFA0/s2048/IMG_9099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-V8zylLQj25b7ssIglnHmhI0bYRiobsMNKfR-gaAXQzjDbHcPJlvLD2FoNLthJwkrgcQ5_8GjRVaeMy9JLXErq5XJB0pDtLJix1m2T2uXagji7u92-xoA4meMMpOL7XWLO6864oAIFA0/w276-h184/IMG_9099.JPG" width="276" /></a><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtDTvhP4-aB517iQccnrbQi5PKybuj-hquPSfkyHm__bHzgcvD6slJdWakurQj3K0jNySBrjfWav3zSUNYkrphmiEPAYVZIdyk6k10bZvdA2lvH_Q1RO4Fr1tz-jmfWnV688qf5WH09M/s2048/IMG_9187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtDTvhP4-aB517iQccnrbQi5PKybuj-hquPSfkyHm__bHzgcvD6slJdWakurQj3K0jNySBrjfWav3zSUNYkrphmiEPAYVZIdyk6k10bZvdA2lvH_Q1RO4Fr1tz-jmfWnV688qf5WH09M/w280-h187/IMG_9187.JPG" width="280" /></a></div></div><br /> <br /><p></p>Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-83794825345205430872021-05-08T23:30:00.001+01:002021-05-08T23:30:16.917+01:00Are they easy to look after? <p> </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQVLUO3ODKU4TDwwwW4gVqoGp02QAh3z9WMsPpli1q53bLI4YFbgxx2A96-AD8hyphenhyphenYwctFTaqVgYPYw5nepFKHZMYHCFHPvmbLD5u73ucxWesPLQK7FdKGGQW5wH5wqDxwiT-eLcamlU8/s2048/IMG_8733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQVLUO3ODKU4TDwwwW4gVqoGp02QAh3z9WMsPpli1q53bLI4YFbgxx2A96-AD8hyphenhyphenYwctFTaqVgYPYw5nepFKHZMYHCFHPvmbLD5u73ucxWesPLQK7FdKGGQW5wH5wqDxwiT-eLcamlU8/s320/IMG_8733.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Popham Augustus of Apple Vale, our stud male<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />One of the most common questions people ask me about alpacas is, 'are they easy to look after?'. To which I reply that the basic requirements are similar to most livestock or even dogs and cats, but like all animals they have some unique characteristics. The similarities are, that feeding is straight-forward, you need to look at them at least twice a day, so that you learn what is normal behaviour and can spot when something isn't right, and they need water and free access to shelter from hot sun and cold rain. What also has to be borne in mind, is that in the longer term, paddocks, fences, gates and shelters will need maintenance, and that is arguably where there is as much commitment required as you give your animals.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXJ2-iZLgi_h8cxbJB2Zf0m01YxwlJJx2A_UT7J6U_W5ONtvXzTOzdzqOSjoQh7AhVjiFWjXJoirxN1dRYOluwcurOdUbjrMQxQSfh1fCaPnslrfG_lc-nv10sDPMTqMV-lpxIlAkIvw/s2048/IMG_8618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXJ2-iZLgi_h8cxbJB2Zf0m01YxwlJJx2A_UT7J6U_W5ONtvXzTOzdzqOSjoQh7AhVjiFWjXJoirxN1dRYOluwcurOdUbjrMQxQSfh1fCaPnslrfG_lc-nv10sDPMTqMV-lpxIlAkIvw/s320/IMG_8618.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The vibrant green patches of grass, are the latrines, which can amount to a large area, and the alpacas won't eat unless desperate<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Spring is the time when there is a little less animal contact required, with the exception of halter-training the weanlings, as shearing, birthing and mating is usually a couple of months away, but the paddocks will usually be at their worst, with growth having stopped over winter, and excess rainfall will have contributed to the paddocks getting easily churned up. If you are stocked up to the maximum number of animals for your acreage, you need to work hard to keep it in good condition.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXrsyCserADVzniEc5PEiFiN29dcbSB2ixQYuV71JpfnbvOllit_3NZD-Q9I5EbEp0cYqqE9DByZY04_xC56jOL5BXpq2UCS3kpREGMxyl1lAX-iR_SLvEoi1wmt2Y4JbjY8cPOWAMwc/s2048/IMG_8656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXrsyCserADVzniEc5PEiFiN29dcbSB2ixQYuV71JpfnbvOllit_3NZD-Q9I5EbEp0cYqqE9DByZY04_xC56jOL5BXpq2UCS3kpREGMxyl1lAX-iR_SLvEoi1wmt2Y4JbjY8cPOWAMwc/s320/IMG_8656.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Marianne<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />One of the difficulties will be, that you can't improve all of the paddocks at the same time, because of your animals, and as the weather every year is slightly different, you can't have a rigid plan but just have to react to the circumstances. So what have we been doing?</p><p>In early March, once the ground surface had dried, I dragged the chain harrow around a couple of paddocks, and then towed a 'spiker' over them to open up our clayey soil.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidynF8ZVdcr77WGW14GotbIAnnr-1Wx-fC0CKAcBWHl5rT7HLSW6B7EfcEfhUUouPtOhPhgXjDu8Wptc60oTM1QakzAytGTrjQ6FhLK7hQTSzya5rgeLIQJjorTsNnKzABKElRxXqiQm4/s2048/IMG_20210405_143916320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidynF8ZVdcr77WGW14GotbIAnnr-1Wx-fC0CKAcBWHl5rT7HLSW6B7EfcEfhUUouPtOhPhgXjDu8Wptc60oTM1QakzAytGTrjQ6FhLK7hQTSzya5rgeLIQJjorTsNnKzABKElRxXqiQm4/s320/IMG_20210405_143916320.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fertilizer spreading with the 'shopping trolley'<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Then we put some fertilizer down using the trusty 'shopping trolley', which doesn't take as long as you might think. We found that there have been shortages of fertilizer, and also our usual 20:10:10 mix is no longer available in 25kg bags.<br /></p><p>I extended the canopy for one of the field shelters to make sure all of the females could get cover from rain and sun.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp66E5eLVgc7HdCJbr3-8vkZbKSEeEHotBaRiwgThDJ4GzAgPOHH_MJUXGnhmfpfTdZBnAChRYsJpl-VJV95uxYCBWNzDqRovH6hxlayI13u5HHB_8PLsJpO9HPwAC8CBCxdviDumDi6Q/s2048/IMG_20210502_104914546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp66E5eLVgc7HdCJbr3-8vkZbKSEeEHotBaRiwgThDJ4GzAgPOHH_MJUXGnhmfpfTdZBnAChRYsJpl-VJV95uxYCBWNzDqRovH6hxlayI13u5HHB_8PLsJpO9HPwAC8CBCxdviDumDi6Q/s320/IMG_20210502_104914546.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joy mows an outbreak of buttercups<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Then recently, we noticed considerable amounts of Buttercup in some areas, so we either spot-sprayed or mowed them to reduce the number of seeds likely.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwhzS067qZ1y348tFoYWaOqNad2YDQuGmlh28M4qEzuJXAdohVggtyJrgnhRD-OSADRMs6VIpCWz852nheef5CY_KzvQjYwjxSQkq2EKy8ZZGc4l_hGXGZkPvyvl5bpkHYr5nTkuatdc/s2048/IMG_8554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwhzS067qZ1y348tFoYWaOqNad2YDQuGmlh28M4qEzuJXAdohVggtyJrgnhRD-OSADRMs6VIpCWz852nheef5CY_KzvQjYwjxSQkq2EKy8ZZGc4l_hGXGZkPvyvl5bpkHYr5nTkuatdc/s320/IMG_8554.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Liberty (Libby)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Like most places, we had an exceptionally dry period, with just 3 days of light showers in a 46-day period from mid-March to the end of April, and the grass growth was virtually non-existant.<br /></p><p>Once we could see some extended rainfall, we scattered some grass see over bare areas.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSacvAEGKMHRCCr_Y8vEUsIfbc8TfmoERO3CmEkmA5SMj8MDwoop9bFXUuJUWN7kt0idruNkpt48rhr0UuVuHjJOv24LR1ZyFAPA2b_NCjyvsUG_-MaVzSWVmGFZzNaBTHreyvHGdPbnk/s2048/IMG_20210419_192900627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSacvAEGKMHRCCr_Y8vEUsIfbc8TfmoERO3CmEkmA5SMj8MDwoop9bFXUuJUWN7kt0idruNkpt48rhr0UuVuHjJOv24LR1ZyFAPA2b_NCjyvsUG_-MaVzSWVmGFZzNaBTHreyvHGdPbnk/s320/IMG_20210419_192900627.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This bucket can easily be kicked off and spilt<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Since we began breeding alpacas 13 years ago, we have provided drinking water in buckets set on an up-turned bucket or plant pot, and tied to the wire mesh - the flaw with this, is that in hot weather, one of the alpacas will try to get their feet in the bucket, and knock it off the 'plinth' - for years I have tried to think of a suitable simple stand that I could make...and then last autumn I had a eureka moment....</p><p>I buy three buckets, cut a square piece of 12mm or 18mm plywood to fit under the bucket, then screw two of the buckets to the plywood, base to base and remove the handles....'doesn't the bucket leak with screws through the base?', I hear you ask...yes it would, but you take your third bucket and set it inside the upper bucket, the base can't be kicked away, and the bucket doesn't fall off! Now, as a structural engineer I have assisted architects in designing many fine buildings including hospitals, schools and houses, but this may be one of my most satisfying creations! :-)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjui0cGma9nTU4-czP64Hwqo9Fsjc4Rrc7laLZgJ1UNiiQdxJbmg_kBYxzlwiy_tg7lbSPFT372iPHGb0e9N85Z9jz36lIh0wfNuKTXIHjvYECrwWoEgQo6tQ_RKxOqa6L9r919_cw9ENw/s2048/IMG_20210419_193112955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjui0cGma9nTU4-czP64Hwqo9Fsjc4Rrc7laLZgJ1UNiiQdxJbmg_kBYxzlwiy_tg7lbSPFT372iPHGb0e9N85Z9jz36lIh0wfNuKTXIHjvYECrwWoEgQo6tQ_RKxOqa6L9r919_cw9ENw/s320/IMG_20210419_193112955.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marianne poses beside a bucket set inside another bucket which is screwed to an up-turned bucket.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IjfQrJqTBvKiag7KmNGyZLEQ5q-XCozt38yZBaRuWTHIOYl_FJmFT3FlvF1MFJZXyq7r_bhw156K9n39qw_ZdzF0GxeQkhLp1YBt1JhK7fvOSiMa2uC0-Su9zis086obUixvk1lVyLU/s2048/IMG_8566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IjfQrJqTBvKiag7KmNGyZLEQ5q-XCozt38yZBaRuWTHIOYl_FJmFT3FlvF1MFJZXyq7r_bhw156K9n39qw_ZdzF0GxeQkhLp1YBt1JhK7fvOSiMa2uC0-Su9zis086obUixvk1lVyLU/s320/IMG_8566.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Emily<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Meanwhile, these characters have joined us, meet Bob and Penny:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeQOjNPXpK5nT6ZrvVXTmiXULgSBzc8kLCMNhQJLBm4O_ubelaB9XxmrDfzrY6hXB2B1-eepk1NPKaqIZcZ0ZgnITZ1VlggD6jpSEEn3jfUrQkF0W44vB9GVVTZwPNpdxwlF6ehEG1JQ/s2048/IMG_20210501_090755036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeQOjNPXpK5nT6ZrvVXTmiXULgSBzc8kLCMNhQJLBm4O_ubelaB9XxmrDfzrY6hXB2B1-eepk1NPKaqIZcZ0ZgnITZ1VlggD6jpSEEn3jfUrQkF0W44vB9GVVTZwPNpdxwlF6ehEG1JQ/s320/IMG_20210501_090755036.jpg" /></a></div><br /> Finally, Fiesta loves to inspect the paddock hoovering:<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQHXqpPkl4xQgwQ0ebuAwmZjvYeU9qU8AplU9Tg-iQoFfRbEgYKnlwzz19XUyP1Z1e3-8gPLfYSRn65Ra7wmUN-N1vKtDNTd50fYCb2h1Wpja8Tb5gIT3OPm5wtD7359N_6UD-PlaqPE/s2048/IMG_20210507_092346588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQHXqpPkl4xQgwQ0ebuAwmZjvYeU9qU8AplU9Tg-iQoFfRbEgYKnlwzz19XUyP1Z1e3-8gPLfYSRn65Ra7wmUN-N1vKtDNTd50fYCb2h1Wpja8Tb5gIT3OPm5wtD7359N_6UD-PlaqPE/w200-h150/IMG_20210507_092346588.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkWn1fqKk-rv5ZW-Gere2PcPi4CjemoPNXBYhPt8d1ThmUGUsDSZuM7MsRNBlF2kqvBp1I6gGeXpX-W386ysdfGzhqrE4t2gXHaBIcIAtgZYzNAb0Ouq4e75QCeH2LTSEGjb6n3Mq1Lw/s2048/IMG_20210507_092632351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkWn1fqKk-rv5ZW-Gere2PcPi4CjemoPNXBYhPt8d1ThmUGUsDSZuM7MsRNBlF2kqvBp1I6gGeXpX-W386ysdfGzhqrE4t2gXHaBIcIAtgZYzNAb0Ouq4e75QCeH2LTSEGjb6n3Mq1Lw/w150-h200/IMG_20210507_092632351.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUy-kbZX2nRNv14xEBjR89xDDJ_-HVLakqMIMA3Dun8Nv790ZVQlB2kBVdpTnYdw-1IGI4QNW8d1mqKNh_crO7s_xSuWuF_I3_vQNvvQEzzLQtlrP2I22xxAsPrmZNDgpbo7x9q3hLzMQ/s2048/IMG_20210507_092707209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUy-kbZX2nRNv14xEBjR89xDDJ_-HVLakqMIMA3Dun8Nv790ZVQlB2kBVdpTnYdw-1IGI4QNW8d1mqKNh_crO7s_xSuWuF_I3_vQNvvQEzzLQtlrP2I22xxAsPrmZNDgpbo7x9q3hLzMQ/s320/IMG_20210507_092707209.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-60325709819620253432021-02-21T17:33:00.004+00:002021-02-21T17:33:43.602+00:00There's a new kid in town<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSb37bP6B7kvGUVv9E6KUi5_RK3JCorlPkcHdKXhJTUBrOLycZ3UNLpP2JxUr1Trbe2V2N9YxZuGRPLCbnuYQYtdev7HwcuyUtUltuUQH5mchHsQCX9hqZNVo9siym6Krp4u467RpGwcg/s2048/IMG_8305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSb37bP6B7kvGUVv9E6KUi5_RK3JCorlPkcHdKXhJTUBrOLycZ3UNLpP2JxUr1Trbe2V2N9YxZuGRPLCbnuYQYtdev7HwcuyUtUltuUQH5mchHsQCX9hqZNVo9siym6Krp4u467RpGwcg/s320/IMG_8305.JPG" /></a></div><br /> Four weeks ago, we separated the weanlings with their chaperones, and also started halter training. After the usual slow but steady progress, and struggles with trying to walk on saturated, slippery ground, they have settled down, and are walking steadily.<p></p><p> Having sold our stud males at the end of last year, our thoughts turned to this year's mating plans, and after looking at the For Sale ads, and making some discrete specific enquiries, we found Popham Augustus, an excellent male ready to start work this year.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBmy9dCwRwbqZ_2U8N-MZp2oznXUeZg5zr_062bOTBmMOq8kep3Sg_tjJc7CCNqpsNPMAiECEy259ZY8eAe5aBoM0XtXN7PZVY5roflbH_dhzKh3mmGY-5xLi2yrT7fLUlHvEzjzZfUw/s2048/IMG_8306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBmy9dCwRwbqZ_2U8N-MZp2oznXUeZg5zr_062bOTBmMOq8kep3Sg_tjJc7CCNqpsNPMAiECEy259ZY8eAe5aBoM0XtXN7PZVY5roflbH_dhzKh3mmGY-5xLi2yrT7fLUlHvEzjzZfUw/s320/IMG_8306.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Sired by 2015 BAS National Show, Supereme Champion, Popham Havengore, and with the dam of 2019 BAS National Show Supreme Champion (Popham Gabine) as his grand-dam on his dam's side, he has distinction in his immediate ancestry, while his pedigree as great grand-sires or great-great grand-sires includes Accoyo Remarque, ILR Alpine Fibre's Brutus, Peruvian Spartacus, Cambridge Navigator, Perumbete Inti, and Jolimont Warrior.</p><p>Naturally he has a fabulous fleece and conformation, and a gentle temperament.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTVurrGqWDi26ZZnxrf9QwxHLiMc4oa0qyanC6bqxMwqs-xwZCCOgkBKgrlSFENRpXZ-n7vKFiZPI1jLJLDGUEo0zC8SJ_3yHLzC4j_ATFbMFCyyA6MqT0yEXv6vdz2MY7RQSRDcsxsw/s2048/IMG_8316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTVurrGqWDi26ZZnxrf9QwxHLiMc4oa0qyanC6bqxMwqs-xwZCCOgkBKgrlSFENRpXZ-n7vKFiZPI1jLJLDGUEo0zC8SJ_3yHLzC4j_ATFbMFCyyA6MqT0yEXv6vdz2MY7RQSRDcsxsw/s320/IMG_8316.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> We gave him a welcome of warm Somerset rain, served horizontally, and he came wearing a 'grey Cornish coat', understandably given the recent weather - in the coming week(s) he will lose that and become his natural white, (probablywith a tint of pink Somerset soil!).<p></p><p>He has settled-in well with his paddock mate, and has shown a keen eye for the ladies - we have a few open females for him, and once this years cria have landed, we will have more selections to make to keep him busy.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62p6oSL4IS3xC1PKFYCZFUDy1KhvM7bSBfqKP8IHVzoELK2hGPjZG56ZBb9AAO231wmrCHbHEhijv6RY19UX4uNh8b0dMiiZde8FE1izwykjVNtaWkaMp4wa4we-sWKw3THIvB0JEK2w/s2048/IMG_8261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62p6oSL4IS3xC1PKFYCZFUDy1KhvM7bSBfqKP8IHVzoELK2hGPjZG56ZBb9AAO231wmrCHbHEhijv6RY19UX4uNh8b0dMiiZde8FE1izwykjVNtaWkaMp4wa4we-sWKw3THIvB0JEK2w/s320/IMG_8261.JPG" /></a></div>Our thanks to Gary and Felicia of Popham Alpacas for entrusting us with this lovely boy.<br /><p><br /></p>Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-91340155362021032952020-12-29T20:39:00.001+00:002020-12-29T20:39:24.059+00:00My bonnie lies over the ocean...<div class="separator"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-1596" height="415" src="https://www.applevalealpacas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/IMG_7834-684x1024.jpg" width="277" /><figcaption>Apple Vale Jupiter</figcaption></figure></div><p>
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<p>As I write this (Dec 29th) I have the mixed feelings of someone who has just sold two of their best and favourite alpacas - a lump in the throat beckons with the thought of missing two familiar characters each morning, but happiness that they are moving on to become part of a bigger herd across the Irish Sea, where they can find more 'work' and hopefully pass on the best of their genetic traits.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img alt="" class="wp-image-1597" height="249" src="https://www.applevalealpacas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/IMG_20201017_154647633_HDR-1024x768.jpg" width="332" /><figcaption>Apple Vale Fortune</figcaption></figure>
<p>I'll return to that subject later, but back to where I left off in April: exceptional warmth and sunshine during April and May helped the grass to recover from the wet winter and early spring, although it actually baked the saturated clay too quickly, so that re-seeding was wasted as the ground hardened.</p>
<p>At the beginning of June the brilliant Colin Ottery sheared the herd plus some for clients, and though the preceeding days had brought showers, the improvements I had made to the main field shelter meant we could go ahead with dry animals, and then house them overnight to prevent chilling.</p>
<p>Two days later Apple Vale Florina gave birth at mid-day, to a black male with pretty white face markings - although quick to sit up and stand, he was down on his pasterns and unable to stand to suckle, so in the early evening we intubated plasma to ensure that he got sufficient anti-bodies to protect against infections, and at 9 in the evening we saw him suckling and could relax.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img alt="" class="wp-image-1598" height="224" src="https://www.applevalealpacas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/IMG_7053-1024x684.jpg" width="336" /><figcaption>Marble with Apple Vale Florina behind</figcaption></figure>
<p>Due to the dry spring, by now the paddocks were thin on grass, the ground cracked and prairie-like, but a showery June followed by a burst of heat at the end of month ensured a recovery, though not enough to produce our own hay this year, so we traded hay in return for labour, helping to load 360 bales from our brilliant neighbour Bas' who also helped me to knock-in replacements for a large number of rotten fence posts.</p>
<p>Later in the summer, Florina, her cria Marble, and Kit (potential stud male) were sold to Foxhole Alpacas to help them build and develop their new herd.</p>
<p>At the beginning of August, Apple Vale Gala gave birth to Marianne (sire: Patou Goose), a fabulous-looking 7.4kg white female, just as 'ordered'. Despite a good start with feeding, weight-gain was slow - this was due to feeding from just two teats, and even though I expressed the other two teats on several occasions, she never really used them, and her weight-gain has been half the norm, although always upwards, and she is now over 25kg.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img alt="" class="wp-image-1599" height="254" src="https://www.applevalealpacas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/IMG_7464-1024x684.jpg" width="381" /><figcaption>Marianne and Madeleine</figcaption></figure>
<p>Later that week, Blossom of Redingvale Alpacas gave birth to Madeleine (Maddy), a lovely white female sired by our own Apple Vale Jupiter. A strapping 9.45kg, Maddy has thrived.</p>
<p>We've carried out some interesting new matings this summer, and all scanned positive in the autumn, so, fingers are crossed for healthy births next June/July.</p>
<p>Given the absence of halter shows, we entered a couple of fleece shows: at the Cornish Camelid Fleece Show, Apple Vale Jupiter was placed 3rd white huacaya 24-48 months in a class of 9, beaten by the eventual Supreme Champion in 1st place and Best of British Bred in 2nd place, with half a point separation in each case, scoring 84.5 points, and then at the South West Alpaca Group fleece show he came second with 84 points.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the hens have been locked-down in the polytunnel due to the Avian flu' outbreak - not at all nice for them, being used to free-ranging the paddocks.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped"><ul class="blocks-gallery-grid"><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><figure><img alt="" class="wp-image-1603" data-full-url="https://www.applevalealpacas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/IMG_8156-scaled.jpg" data-id="1603" data-link="https://www.applevalealpacas.co.uk/?attachment_id=1603" height="214" src="https://www.applevalealpacas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/IMG_8156-1024x684.jpg" width="320" /><figcaption class="blocks-gallery-item__caption">The boys top up, on grass off the lawn in readiness for their journey to Ireland - sadly they haven't dressed in clean clothes for the journey!<br /></figcaption></figure></li></ul></figure>
<p>It's been a funny old year, though I'm sure you will have your own description of it - the usual calendar markers of agricultural or alpaca shows went missing, but at least as farmers we had the seasonal activities of shearing, hay-making, birthing, mating etc. to keep us slightly in tune, albeit they are all variable.</p>
<p>Finally, we had a sales enquiry at the beginning of December, following-up a previous enquiry, regarding our stud males - could they be delivered to the Republic of Ireland before the UK left the EU on December 31st? As a fellow exporter said to me, "we can, but we'll have to get a shimmy on"! First we had to register as an Exporter with APHA, only then could we make an application to export - meanwhile, we booked the vet for TB and Brucellosis tests - the normal turnaround for the Enferplex test was quoted as 14-21 days, so with a 4-day Christmas break looming, it was going to be tight - and the transport was booked for tuesday 29th. The skin tests and brucella results were negative, and the Enferplex test results came back negative on the 21st - almost there, but you have to have a vet health check within 48 hours of their intended journey on a certificate issued by APHA, and this hadn't arrived by Christmas Eve! At 2.00 I 'phoned APHA and was told it was waiting on a 'SAM' results check - at 4.00 I 'phoned and was told by a different officer that she would do it straight away...the office was due to close at 5.00 for Christmas...so I 'phoned again at 4.45, and was told it would be done...at 5.55 we received an e-mail to say it had been sent to the vet! Credit to the civil servant who was true to her word on Christmas Eve. Meanwhile, Covid 19 had played another trick with it's variants, and the possibility of travel to the EU became doubtful...but the ban only applied to visitors not freight. So the vet carried out her pre-travel check on Bank Holiday monday (yes another 'twist') and so it was that at 7.30 this morning the boys were collected, and at 6.30 this evening I heard that they were grazing on Irish pasture, although I did hear that they (and their fellow travellers) had re-decorated the inside of the van green during the journey!</p>
<p>Well, it's weaning and halter-training next, while tackling the winter and hopefully avoiding the virus - Happy New Year everyone!</p>
Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-5675107294009259072020-04-05T18:26:00.004+01:002020-04-06T18:01:51.609+01:00Brotherly love.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jupiter and Kit</td></tr>
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With no opportunities for alpaca shows in the next few months, a round-up of progress in the herd, to give a glimpse of some of the show team as they come into their prime, with well-established fleece and growth of the weanlings before shearing begins.<br />
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I started the previous post in mid-December with, "... the paddocks becoming muddier...", and as we all now know, they became wetter and muddier for another three months. As we got closer to the date of the National Show at the end of March, it became touch-and-go whether we would have animals clean enough to present at such a prestigious event - but as February ended, occasional dry days occurred, interspersed with wet days, such that the animals began to clean up, and even though the saturated ground became water-logged again and again, we had hopes of the show team being presentable...and then Coronavirus loomed. At first, it seemed possible that it could go ahead with certain safety measures and limitations in place - after all, the industry has well-established protocols for bio-security of our animals at such events, so we could have developed measures for the attendees, but the riska associated with the wider aspects, such as accommodating and feeding the humans became insurmountable.<br />
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Saturation of the ground, with water and mud oozing up between the alpacas toes, spoiled the already over-grazed grass, and we found we had to rotate the groups between paddocks much more frequently than before, to try and avoid any paddock becoming beyond easy recovery.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsw2xo6ufQZcoRuqLmgYG3OuC8dxDUSPyY5fti3j4Bfgsm6yyPnHYxyWG6G2lblr6id_jNGNLyeqVROfJxtvS75K3-OR9l1P1VjrW1g8th5scT4Y2ciY0JJ1Mj0AXcKhJwMOafV2GOrSE/s1600/IMG_6108+Rev+Jupiter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1149" data-original-width="1600" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsw2xo6ufQZcoRuqLmgYG3OuC8dxDUSPyY5fti3j4Bfgsm6yyPnHYxyWG6G2lblr6id_jNGNLyeqVROfJxtvS75K3-OR9l1P1VjrW1g8th5scT4Y2ciY0JJ1Mj0AXcKhJwMOafV2GOrSE/s320/IMG_6108+Rev+Jupiter.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Jupiter </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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This had a knock-on effect for weaning and halter training, as the weanlings weren't in the usual paddock which is handy for late-afternoon training as the days lengthened - this, coupled with the constant rain made for haphazard sessions, such that progress with the group is slow.<br />
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As a small effort to contribute something interesting for those in our village who are unable to get out and about the countryside at the moment, I started issuing a daily 60-second video from the paddock, on our local Facebook page, usually at morning feed time - they won't be issued on 'general' release, after all, who has a voice good for radio at 7.30 in the morning? ! :-)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jupiter's fleece</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Kitageskee (Kit)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZ_PvrpPXHEh8JYsruxu-31NVhxps2sPs3TK1H_HhdxwbrX4RJ743sOIoH2cHowvfXZN_slqZLn3x2cGqedxG7jrBWXnEgaVmV7mDFOKun0VEbwEfkSexUzAbl-forOVNO_TNVR2Tu_g/s1600/IMG_6056+Rev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1361" data-original-width="1600" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZ_PvrpPXHEh8JYsruxu-31NVhxps2sPs3TK1H_HhdxwbrX4RJ743sOIoH2cHowvfXZN_slqZLn3x2cGqedxG7jrBWXnEgaVmV7mDFOKun0VEbwEfkSexUzAbl-forOVNO_TNVR2Tu_g/s320/IMG_6056+Rev.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Liberty (Libby)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCBOq5U7n359DWVCDtTYXvgs4xYb31M2dV1UPFcS_8llpyczpTq1k4bWgPaDXu7KMVxl-l6LwGjWzbh0jhfeAN81ic6QDHgnqzMwMJGfj6PSO6CgHPDs9cCB8YZuI0zz1H-pCZTTepWA/s1600/IMG_20200327_144850916+Rev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="970" data-original-width="1600" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCBOq5U7n359DWVCDtTYXvgs4xYb31M2dV1UPFcS_8llpyczpTq1k4bWgPaDXu7KMVxl-l6LwGjWzbh0jhfeAN81ic6QDHgnqzMwMJGfj6PSO6CgHPDs9cCB8YZuI0zz1H-pCZTTepWA/s320/IMG_20200327_144850916+Rev.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Libby's fleece</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6c_L7McGB50nkCm3iY4PmgYwQybTHurvXp7G8007VzEqfaxkWxiKs0NpyVdaLCmfW6FlmpPfrIcqUXUMvO00AYGF97UOURNLa_VwylwA6Duo5q_wCAAncgApY5VhiPBBYyKLEE5GArV8/s1600/IMG_6085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6c_L7McGB50nkCm3iY4PmgYwQybTHurvXp7G8007VzEqfaxkWxiKs0NpyVdaLCmfW6FlmpPfrIcqUXUMvO00AYGF97UOURNLa_VwylwA6Duo5q_wCAAncgApY5VhiPBBYyKLEE5GArV8/s200/IMG_6085.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Little Emily</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqV1HyT4giaYAdgS32F7xcW10p2dVz6QzV_8l61tMfcDAfBr_x8twtx6ZClameCeeEx25NrlT8d9hW7pnPvkbTzReyp_S48h-sckV7chbcFwWNo45cSG2zXYBnkyJNo5CTONEDbk1z4s/s1600/IMG_20200327_144946415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqV1HyT4giaYAdgS32F7xcW10p2dVz6QzV_8l61tMfcDAfBr_x8twtx6ZClameCeeEx25NrlT8d9hW7pnPvkbTzReyp_S48h-sckV7chbcFwWNo45cSG2zXYBnkyJNo5CTONEDbk1z4s/s320/IMG_20200327_144946415.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emily's fleece</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Jupiter, Kit and Libby were all sired by Hanley Hall Polaris of Alpha Alpacas, from our dam Apples Helen's Diana (sire: Jaquinton of Alpaca Stud);<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PQsZDE_FUEu3j8t5hodEHqoS_nMmbRAvsUGWyMkgAalTwiO7LoDw-rAmolMVopcJTdP_ELpFMTcQSmjkKdLlQa5vR2j3Ul45Q-xI7vHTUjFw3befPn6SYmf1gUqPT8FgWlyHM_t7Fgg/s1600/IMG_5934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PQsZDE_FUEu3j8t5hodEHqoS_nMmbRAvsUGWyMkgAalTwiO7LoDw-rAmolMVopcJTdP_ELpFMTcQSmjkKdLlQa5vR2j3Ul45Q-xI7vHTUjFw3befPn6SYmf1gUqPT8FgWlyHM_t7Fgg/s320/IMG_5934.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kit, Jupiter and Fortune</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Emily was sired by Appledene Commander-in-Chief of CME, dam Apple Vale Gala grand dam: Apples, as above;<br />
<br />
<br />Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-36442371908327462042019-12-15T11:40:00.000+00:002019-12-15T11:40:15.689+00:00End of term report.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTaWC4dzGUybLcUuDuYJJwW8jAwLs-I6bPsr0EoraBv72RLadKZnT-U5RlaVJ6htHowOiM2mcCJpxDGmwRrp5Q_ZKXT0Y1QRK8qf9X1dJHRRNVQaC_vwxmRP2dckR56OhAtQybWn_Cz8M/s1600/IMG_5527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTaWC4dzGUybLcUuDuYJJwW8jAwLs-I6bPsr0EoraBv72RLadKZnT-U5RlaVJ6htHowOiM2mcCJpxDGmwRrp5Q_ZKXT0Y1QRK8qf9X1dJHRRNVQaC_vwxmRP2dckR56OhAtQybWn_Cz8M/s320/IMG_5527.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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With short, wet days, and the paddocks becoming muddier, it's time to look back on the last six months or so.<br />
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The show team of our white males, Apple Vale Kit (Kitageskee) and Apple Vale Jupiter attended five halter shows from Spring to Autumn, coming away with a very pleasing set of results, being placed either 2nd or 3rd in all classes but one, and generally in classes of between 6 and 11 entries - the sashes proved elusive this year, but they were snapping at the heels of champions.<br />
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In the Spring and Summer, I built the 'bandstand', somewhere to sit and watch the cria on a summer's evening: <br />
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We are looking forward to next year's shows, and the show team have been enhanced with this year's crop of four female cria.<br />
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At the end of July, Blossom gave birth to Lady Alice, sired by CME Florestan (S: Ntherough of CME GS: Dovecote Jaquinto), a light fawn female.<br />
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In August, Apples gave birth to Liberty (Libby) sired by Hanley Hall RA Polaris of Alpha Alpacas, a white, full sister to Kit and Jupiter.<br />
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The following day, Gala gave birth to Little Emily, sired by Appledene Commander-in-Chief of CME, a dark fawn female.<br />
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Finally, early September, Elstar gave birth to Longworth Bryony, sired by Apple Vale Fortune, a fawn and white female.<br />
This abundance of female births balanced previous years of male-dominated births.<br />
All the births went smoothly, although Blossom went into several days of isolation and 'quiet contemplation' in preparation, just before our son's wedding, which kept us on tenterhooks. Two of the mums had some difficulty feeding, with a swollen teat or two, and I was quite chuffed to learn the skill of expressing milk to relieve the pressure, and help the milk to start flowing.<br />
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In July, we attended Middlezoy village show with two of the yearling females, and Joy took a table full of products, which generated some sales and interest in felting classes.<br />
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Joy has continued processing our fleeces, and making fabulous knitted, felted and woven garments, which have sold well to B and B guests, and recently at local craft fayres.<br />
Finally, we have said goodbye to a few females recently, who we have sold to an established breeder - this has helped to ease the pressure on the paddocks, which is welcome after these continuous wet months.<br />
Not long until the days start lengthening... <br />
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<br />Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-33350226864841775172019-09-10T23:06:00.000+01:002019-09-10T23:06:11.771+01:00Apple Vale Bryony<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The class of 2019</td></tr>
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It's a whitewash! A clean sweep! Any other sporting cliche you choose - the girls have 'trounced' the boys 4-0!<br />
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Apple Vale Elstar was due to give birth on my birthday, 24th August, but she wanted her cria to have it's own birthday, and besides, it was 26 degrees, so she held on for another 12 days, and on 5th September gave birth to Bryony (Apple Vale Longworth Bryony).<br />
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Sired by Apple Vale Fortune, she has produced an almost identical sister to Apple Vale Kerry Pippin. Born at 9.15 a.m, she was quick to get to her feet, the placenta was delivered within the hour, and she was searching for milk quickly, and she searched...and searched...and searched. After about four hours, I had a feel of her teats, and managed to express some milk/colostrum, spread it onto the other teats and onto Bryony's lips, but after seven hours she was clearly not spending long enough at the milk bar to be getting much, but visiting frequently, so we decided to give her plasma, to be sure that she had some immunity to infection. Since then, she has gone from strength to strength, feeding properly that same evening, and gaining weight at a good daily rate. Her fleece is beautiful, and she is full of energy. From Elstar's sire, Van Diemen Qjori of Patou, we know that there is a grey gene in there, and Kerry Pippin has a partial Rose Grey saddle, so we tried to 'get it out' again -currently, we can just see it in Bryony's ears.<br />
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<br />Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-12265980466023224462019-08-11T20:19:00.001+01:002019-08-11T20:19:26.533+01:00Another one bites the dust<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week's birth of Lady Alice was followed by two births this week.<br />
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On wednesday, Apples produced Liberty, a white female, sired by Alpha Polaris. Exactly like last year, with the birth of Kit, Apples went to the rolling pit, and labour began - eventually a white female was launched head first into the dry earth - another one bites the dust - literally, and Liberty had arrived, the dirt immediately sticking to her fleece, still damp with amniotic fluid - her bright white fleece was mottled like an appaloosa, and it will take several days to work out the dirt! However, already, it is showing promise to follow the success of her full brothers, Jupiter and Kit...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another one bites the dust! Apple Vale Liberty.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liberty being chased by Alice.</td></tr>
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On thursday, Gala produced her first cria, a fawn female, sired by Appledene Commander-in-Chief of Classical Milend. At first, a nose appeared, but with little happening for a while, we decided to break the sack with a gentle poke, so that the cria could start breathing. Being a maiden, Gala seemed a bit surprised by something hanging out of her rear end, and spiralled around like a cat or dog chasing it's tale, screeching at the same time! This went on for a while, before she sat down with the head and front legs protruding - progress had halted for some 10-15 minutes, so while I 'comforted' Gala by holding her head, Joy applied a gradual pull on the cria's legs to ease the shoulders out, we then stood back - she didn't stand, but with a few more contractions, Little Emily was born from Gala in the kush position. We have waited a couple of years for one of our female granddaughters of Jaquinto to produce a cria, and at last we have one, and we shall follow the development of the Commander-in-Chief influence with anticipation.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Little Emily.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heavy rain and strong winds demanded coats for a couple of days.</td></tr>
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<br />Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-72102710198224568412019-08-04T12:36:00.001+01:002019-08-04T12:49:11.046+01:00Birth of Lady Alice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last year, once we had confirmed the pregnant females by scanning, we realised that two females were due to birth on the weekend of our son Ross' wedding. So it was the day before the wedding, I noticed that Blossom was sitting away from the rest of the herd, and had begun to look 'thoughtful'. We had arranged for a friend to call in every couple of hours on the day of the wedding, as the venue was half-an-hour away, and I checked my 'phone regularly all day - the wedding went well, and with a houseful of relatives for several days, all were hoping to witness a birth during their stay - Blossom had other ideas - she stayed 'distant' until all the guests had left on tuesday, and I returned to work on wednesday, but was polite enough to give birth at lunchtine, so I could pop home for an hour and see that all was well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking for milk before the placenta has passed;</td></tr>
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Most importantly, she delivered a light fawn female, 8.4kg. She was up in 5 minutes, walking within 10 minutes, looking for milk before the placenta was delivered, and sits her driving test on Monday!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The females form a protective corden around the cria.</td></tr>
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After 24hours we noticed that Blossom's rear teats were swollen, and Alice had lost more weight than is usual in the first day, so I milked off those teats, to reduce their size, and again the following day - the teats have now reduced to a consistant size, and she has gained a good increase in weight each day, and I have added the skill of milk-maid to my CV!<br />
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Regular readers will know that we name our herd after apple varieties, and this year we have reached 'L', hence Lady Alice.<br />
Sire: CME Florestan - Dam: Reddingvale Valentina (Blossom of Apple Vale).Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-14136698496965773182019-07-21T20:56:00.001+01:002019-07-21T20:56:20.791+01:00Harvesting all summer longEarly June brought 9 days of rain, including a thunderstorm during our village Open Gardens, for which we were invited to participate, with the added attraction of our alpacas. For a sculpture trail, we made Woodie, an alpaca out of branches:<br />
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With persistent rain due the day before our shearer was booked, I had to erect a tarpaulin to extend the field shelter where shearing could take place, and we put all 8 females into our gazebo 24 hours earlier, and shut the males into their field shelters, and we waited anxiously to see whether they would be dry enought to shear, and whether the shearer had enough space in the dry to operate. All was well, and shearing went ahead, we had harvested our fleece.<br />
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Rain continued for another 9 days, so we then had to take measures to keep them warm enough, to avoid hypothermic shock, by penning with hay bales for draught-proofing.<br />
As the weather finally improved, our neighbour gave us notice that he would cut one of our paddocks for hay. The temperature rose to 28 degrees over five days, and, assisted by friends and grand-children, we got the bales in, filling our small barn. We had harvested our hay.<br />
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With our birthing period not due to start until mid-July, and having used our previous supplies of blood plasma, we now had time to invite our vet to take blood from a donor alpaca, who has been on farm all of her six years, and wasn't pregnant. This went very smoothly, and we set off to have it spun down to extract the plasma, at Classical Milend Alpacas. We had harvested some plasma, incase of difficulties nursing after birthing.<br />
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Finally, as we wait to 'harvest' this year's cria, some pictures of the boys: Fortune, Jupoter, and Kit:<br />
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<br />Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-82767306269291876262019-07-21T19:56:00.000+01:002019-07-21T19:56:01.958+01:00Spring showsThe North Somerset Show took place on 6th May - an unusually late frost, gave way to sunshine and cloud, for a fine day for a show. Jupiter took second place in the Adult White Male class, while Kitageskee took 3rd in the Junior White Male class.<br />
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Two weeks later, the Devon County Show took place, dry with occasional light rain. The boys took the same placings, this time in larger classes of 7 and 6 respectively, so we were pleased with those results.<br />
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Now we look forward to the Somerset County Show in September...<br /><br />Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-20463868450827124982019-04-14T18:33:00.000+01:002019-04-14T18:33:51.821+01:00Blue Peter and Ju-piter - Spring 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQfRijQTID5f71b5CAv68nAl_ge3PnOWGW44VIeNTtVYrR1vmgxZJxjiqky6xZMpMTFPvu0pZ-n_qUsm37Zl9e-1PUWdcjD4U0T-9gODQlczOqSpaePxHoXq0slep93mOml7nH9mH1Dc/s1600/IMG_20190323_103851202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQfRijQTID5f71b5CAv68nAl_ge3PnOWGW44VIeNTtVYrR1vmgxZJxjiqky6xZMpMTFPvu0pZ-n_qUsm37Zl9e-1PUWdcjD4U0T-9gODQlczOqSpaePxHoXq0slep93mOml7nH9mH1Dc/s320/IMG_20190323_103851202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Writing this 3 weeks after the BAS National Show, where we had successful results for two of our white males: in the Junior class, Apple Vale Kitageskee was awarded 3rd out of a group of 11, and Apple Vale Jupiter was awarded 2nd out of a group of 9, and we noticed the judge gave him serious consideration for Reserve Champion. They are hopefully folowing in the footsteps of their half-brother Fortune who was a show Champion. It was very rewarding to see the alpacas placed above and below them, and to see our boys in contention with the quality genetics that these are all carrying.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24WnYnh5mxnus9GxYVB6rzdMDhRl-H8aCw5fIat9DNhirTzt7rGJx2yMvNRfrALF-GA_4h-uWYsYXGP4xeSEwRZWh9ZTZQdGm6JhYRZvWDecrJsFVBavKgu5YQTUxZ-5mURTMs2NDCv0/s1600/IMG_4054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24WnYnh5mxnus9GxYVB6rzdMDhRl-H8aCw5fIat9DNhirTzt7rGJx2yMvNRfrALF-GA_4h-uWYsYXGP4xeSEwRZWh9ZTZQdGm6JhYRZvWDecrJsFVBavKgu5YQTUxZ-5mURTMs2NDCv0/s320/IMG_4054.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Jupiter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I spent the weekend serving as a Ring Steward for the New Zealand judge, Molly Gardner, judging the female classes, which was an enjoyable experience - the show ran very well, due to the efforts of many stewards inspecting, recording and collecting, plus those who helped with setting-up before we arrived, and with just a few hiccups along the way.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6OlbfFITvgaGVhWTLVfNr_Ras1n58KDCBpW4ySGwGOfXaLeTTyogpwiDkwY0zTig3WLHRHMAPhWLt3rktb2my7sv-_hUTdWbdZViOx42dQd659UQbqLQyCX2MFhPdnWYqmScbVU5Kr4w/s1600/BAS+National+Show+2019+-+Abbey+Kite+%2528100%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6OlbfFITvgaGVhWTLVfNr_Ras1n58KDCBpW4ySGwGOfXaLeTTyogpwiDkwY0zTig3WLHRHMAPhWLt3rktb2my7sv-_hUTdWbdZViOx42dQd659UQbqLQyCX2MFhPdnWYqmScbVU5Kr4w/s320/BAS+National+Show+2019+-+Abbey+Kite+%2528100%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Photograph courtesy of Abbey Kite</span></td></tr>
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The Blue Peter film crew were filming one of their presenters, Lyndsey, as part of a feature on breeding alpacas that the show broadcast. Lyndsey was handling a black female alpaca which was awarded Champion, and so I managed an incidental appearance on the programme - as a fan of the show in my childhood, I have made a big thing of telling (boring!) anyone who would listen!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsgmc72Ply_9x7-Xen2AJRDf-avH6GGEQ9P3VCMOu8daeHiFTXqYooHavcb-pMoV6xJvg8IcrW-xa6vMWCo-6fuolzbXWjLJ6rFShWD9mDf6o1A-wb8AKdhSTRI-sejcJrpLJ384zrFo/s1600/BAS+National+Show+2019+-+Abbey+Kite+%252841%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsgmc72Ply_9x7-Xen2AJRDf-avH6GGEQ9P3VCMOu8daeHiFTXqYooHavcb-pMoV6xJvg8IcrW-xa6vMWCo-6fuolzbXWjLJ6rFShWD9mDf6o1A-wb8AKdhSTRI-sejcJrpLJ384zrFo/s320/BAS+National+Show+2019+-+Abbey+Kite+%252841%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Photograph courtesy of Abbey Kite</span></td></tr>
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The winter has been quite 'kind' to us here - plenty of frosts, occasional rain, dry periods and a dusting of snow. Still recovering from last years 'drought', the paddocks have required careful nurturing with fertilizer, seeding of bare patches, and rotation of the herd.<br />
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The herd have been topped up with injectable supplementary Vitamin D, and have just been given their spring Lambivac vaccinations - in December we said goodbye to three young males who went to new homes in South Wales - we carried out spit-offs on the pregnant females last weekend, and all of them spat-off, although several had scanned negative in the autumn, so we will be watching keenly to see what develops.<br />
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Now a topic for discusssion: there have been several incidents cropping-up on social media, where single alpacas are being kept as pets, although I've not seen any in the UK (seems to be U.S and Australia, where there are many more alpacas than in the UK). Any owner or breeder of alpacas knows that they are a herd animal and should be kept in groups of three or more - I believe that part of the problem is that castrated males are often advertised as 'pet males', and so this is spreading the idea that they can be kept as pets. Perhaps the industry should start to encourage owners to use a different term for these to try and correct the image, and perhaps reduce the incidence. Grazers and flock guards are common alternatives - does anyone have other suggestions?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIgHABHdpFIjn1PdA5UcVmhBSM-HRVx5Mcpi8sAT07AyCaBdHA6mF86EnudUvtfsA26cgmdkoYnmwBV9kWLc5c05vrixQ6BHM4jyI0QeXm9kJUEA-qaMSqh9Dm6Ny6jyfxWoLx8QGyA8/s1600/IMG_4061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIgHABHdpFIjn1PdA5UcVmhBSM-HRVx5Mcpi8sAT07AyCaBdHA6mF86EnudUvtfsA26cgmdkoYnmwBV9kWLc5c05vrixQ6BHM4jyI0QeXm9kJUEA-qaMSqh9Dm6Ny6jyfxWoLx8QGyA8/s320/IMG_4061.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Kitageskee</td></tr>
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In my previous post, I alluded to interesting developments regarding this years summer shows - well, the Royal Bath & West Show decided they could manage without an alpaca feature, which I find extraordinary, so we won't be holding a show there, however there will be a Somerset County Show on the 21st and 22nd September at Taunton Racecourse, and so plans are underway for this new event, which is exciting.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnokezOvc_ILfizWaL05yp9cIyGIOLObgVsAk4iwtHd-Q06dzxwV8iUbSEjQJ-rQO3sECfcNhrPmAY_PnnHbW8n7sWIvJPlIf31Iz6ngDfvdcJ-i7TT5OoLq-04a-6UqDKJgm3Qnxnnf0/s1600/IMG_4057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnokezOvc_ILfizWaL05yp9cIyGIOLObgVsAk4iwtHd-Q06dzxwV8iUbSEjQJ-rQO3sECfcNhrPmAY_PnnHbW8n7sWIvJPlIf31Iz6ngDfvdcJ-i7TT5OoLq-04a-6UqDKJgm3Qnxnnf0/s320/IMG_4057.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Jupiter (Fortune behind)</td></tr>
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Meanwhile, we are looking forward to the North Somerset Show, followed by the Devon County Show, both in May.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyWtB9DZmlB3zTYW-DIf_vRPOKQA-X5eqQ7UTG0C_qU6dSx4ABIKmL_XjnqOc_eNq0V0GRefcet23Zw15ITsC6Vyqi8OO53XJuHioPB-DCZob2Fu_sQfMKuXiS12woUqS3aqdbZ07p2Fk/s1600/IMG_4052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyWtB9DZmlB3zTYW-DIf_vRPOKQA-X5eqQ7UTG0C_qU6dSx4ABIKmL_XjnqOc_eNq0V0GRefcet23Zw15ITsC6Vyqi8OO53XJuHioPB-DCZob2Fu_sQfMKuXiS12woUqS3aqdbZ07p2Fk/s320/IMG_4052.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Fortune</td></tr>
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<br />Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-3763101731332393682018-12-01T11:20:00.000+00:002018-12-01T11:50:31.585+00:00Autumn musings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After the long hot summer, Autumn has brought occasional wet days, but until
this week, no regular rainfall. The paddocks are struggling to re-establish -
we have over-seeded and fertilized the worst-affected, and new grass has
sprouted - however, latrines that were particularly scorched by urine, were
killed off by the drought, and remain pretty-much dead, and well-worn areas
where groups sit at night, or where groups gather to see the other groups, are
very bare. I had a look on the satellite image of the farm recently, and there
were no alpacas visible! It was taken just after our hay was made, during the heatwave,
so the 'pacas are all in shade - and our gazebo is visible where we had to
extend the shade adjacent to one of the shelters. - from the shadows, I can
tell it was taken around 10 in the morning.
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In October, our local group, SWAG (South West Alpaca Group), held the second
Craft and Fleece show - demonstrations of fibre crafts, stands with products
for sale, a competition of crafted products, and some pens with alpacas and
llamas for comparison, were all on show to educate and inspire breeders and
members of the public, along with a well-supported fleece show. We were pleased
that Apple Vale Jupiter came 3rd in a class of 9 with entries from across the
country, with a great points score.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrpjwq5i8ZO200w_9Xl6bN_6IWsSNn28P3uSeq8dr7WB9_JK9qgP8x26rvJ-RmemRWAkyuAwj2N9WruQDifZO2IQ63idGSL5r60AwahMwAHJIUMhYcHs7Mr6EJtCPVOMzcdifffYjDvk/s1600/IMG_20181124_113045911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrpjwq5i8ZO200w_9Xl6bN_6IWsSNn28P3uSeq8dr7WB9_JK9qgP8x26rvJ-RmemRWAkyuAwj2N9WruQDifZO2IQ63idGSL5r60AwahMwAHJIUMhYcHs7Mr6EJtCPVOMzcdifffYjDvk/s320/IMG_20181124_113045911.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joy, at our village craft sale.</td></tr>
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Early in November, I went to Buckinghamshire to attend the
Intermediate Alpaca Assessment course, run by The British Alpaca Society. It
was an opportunity to improve and refresh my experience of fleece and
conformation assessment - with a small herd, you have fewer opportunities of
hands-on experience- under expert guidance from BAS judges Liz Barlow and Nick
Harrington-Smith, we spent a day discussing comformation and assessing fleece
in the classroom, followed by a day at Alpaca Evolution farm, inspecting and
assessing groups of alpacas - it was a weekend well worth the cost and time
away from home and my own herd. </div>
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We had our pregnant females scanned recently, and those
confirmed pregnant are all due to birth around the weekend of our son's
wedding!</div>
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With the eldest cria reaching nearly six months old and well
over 25kg, we have begun weaning, by taking them as far away from their mums,
and for the first few days, out of sight of them, they are chaperoned by a
couple of mums with their own cria, too young to be weaned.</div>
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Last week our local group held it's AGM, followed by a fascinating and
amusing talk by ecologist and Africa safari tour guide Jenny Bowen - some
interesting developments were revealed regarding next year's shows, which will
be finalised in due course.<br />
<br />
Finally, for some amusement, a selection of poo samples showing the variety
you come across!!!:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE86ApP6QKeewPVXsbfV6lG6QCRrBxSU17ocQkQhqPSDgFey1FCYuVjupZyPbsbBr_hb4WdOtRf0apwFyh-WAFvLR8lIXzDXvF-W9zpl0Dqn54A4A9sF8GgsS1NyZAfjZdXgfXXmEiIBM/s320/IMG_20181125_082827861.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dumplings, or grenades.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mother and baby.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elephant? !</td></tr>
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Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-69719813143005489172018-09-12T21:05:00.003+01:002018-09-12T21:05:58.656+01:00Kerry Pippin<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyNEAHAinwbNi_y0-myzZsq1pLwyuSNEbhNlyIGzY1Cav_yg426NNWRU8frgpWLZR6q7KCB7lgdzKRfWRDjsSaUm0kV0GN2X7ePDM9-TtgFmHVJabY-eWwW75v7I2Vxz-jeFGEhMKT8Q/s1600/IMG_2908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyNEAHAinwbNi_y0-myzZsq1pLwyuSNEbhNlyIGzY1Cav_yg426NNWRU8frgpWLZR6q7KCB7lgdzKRfWRDjsSaUm0kV0GN2X7ePDM9-TtgFmHVJabY-eWwW75v7I2Vxz-jeFGEhMKT8Q/s320/IMG_2908.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kerry Pippin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The final member of the 'K-club' arrived last week: Kerry Pippin, a lovely female sired by our Apple Vale Fortune, was delivered by Apple Vale Elstar (sire: Qjori of Patou). She has a lovely fleece, and appears to be wearing a cria coat, or saddle, with her fawn blanket, however, with grey ears, skin , and toes we are wondering if she will become more rose-grey with time - her markings are unusually, almost symmetrical.<br />
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Weighing a wholesome 9.1kg, she was lively from touch-down, standing within 10 minutes, and feeding after 45 minutes, before the placenta had finished arriving.<br />
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She joins Kiku, Katy and Kitageskee in a 2-2 draw between the sexes. This years matings are just being completed and fingers-crossed that these hold as there have been a couple of re-matings.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katy</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitageskee</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kiku</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xvUBXaD50Bc6_MvfLu7wZmYCml9fO-YT5RZMYYFQI1CefYJ5pop9hE4xyem_T-lcEay6Q-4_j7fnJuvZdfh2bzr8oCo5pYRMuUKiqN3Sv5zqIsYCDeFP8sBb-AWd-V8BCGsrkMA_d9k/s1600/IMG_2894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xvUBXaD50Bc6_MvfLu7wZmYCml9fO-YT5RZMYYFQI1CefYJ5pop9hE4xyem_T-lcEay6Q-4_j7fnJuvZdfh2bzr8oCo5pYRMuUKiqN3Sv5zqIsYCDeFP8sBb-AWd-V8BCGsrkMA_d9k/s320/IMG_2894.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shade on a warm day</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6lVkFT4E5RJbvZIfCZDBT1iLyYag-i8YzfSPkkDdtOGjcznq90r7yPgisnHxaO9Xb6jmEZ5I3NO3gIgZtlb_UpUQpE7UG0EPKl2j3rKnNliUDQqZaoIqw-YSsoV-sJbi35xKIbpeAnc/s1600/IMG_2882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6lVkFT4E5RJbvZIfCZDBT1iLyYag-i8YzfSPkkDdtOGjcznq90r7yPgisnHxaO9Xb6jmEZ5I3NO3gIgZtlb_UpUQpE7UG0EPKl2j3rKnNliUDQqZaoIqw-YSsoV-sJbi35xKIbpeAnc/s320/IMG_2882.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moving paddock, "...the boys watch the girls go by..."</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Jester</td></tr>
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<br />Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-41069174752196926112018-08-18T12:30:00.002+01:002018-08-18T12:30:35.359+01:0010 years on.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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18th August 2008: <i>"Alpacas due at 5.00! I am beside myself with anticipation..."</i><br />
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- this is the opening sentence in my first 'alpaca diary', the log book of our herd, the record of husbandry, health, shows, matings, births, paddock development, maintenance, shelter construction, fleece development, yarn and product creation. So today is the tenth anniversary of an extraordinary period that began, like so many breeders, with wondering what to do with an acre that was too much for growing vegetables - our son suggested buying a sit-and-ride mower, but I couldn't see the point of burning petrol to cut grass, so three female alpacas were purchased to do that job, and to produce cria, to earn their keep. While being introduced to the potential of alpacas by Chas and Rachel at Classical Mile End, Joy declared, 'well you won't catch me spinning at a wheel'...it didn't take long before she was spinning, felting, weaving and tutoring, and we built a 'fibre studio', where she creates amazing garments, which completes the 'field to fashion' circle.<br />
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After a few months, I started writing a blog, and in the days before Facebook (what?) a merry little group of bloggers including Mark (Patou), Barbara (Beck Brow), Debbie (Barnacre), Rosemary (Westhill), Jayne (Zanzibah) and Shirley (Tigh Mohr) shared their experiences via. their blogs.<br />
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Inevitably, we needed to expand, and managed to purchase a couple of acres adjoining our property, divided up the paddocks, installed 'bio-secure' fencing, and built shelters, as our numbers increased depending on sales and births, and we have male groups, weaning groups, nursing female groups and older female groups.<br />
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We've particpated in the 'show circuit', and enjoyed winning a Championship, a couple of Reserve Champions and a 2nd place at the BAS National, all from our own breeding.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Fortune</td></tr>
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As we've progressed, we've enjoyed introducing new owners to alpaca ownership and breeding, and breeding our own stud male, whose offspring have had success in the show ring this year. <br />
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Having named the herd Apple Vale (as we live in a vale, in an apple-growing village), our source for all new cria names is the apple-growers list of apple varieties, and it's proved to be a rich source, working through the alphabet annually - depending whether we have males or females, some names are more appropriate than others, and fortunately we haven't needed to use names such as, Dog's Snout, Broxwood Foxwhelp, Catshead or Goof! Unless we have a large birth numbers in the coming relevant years, we're not likely to use Nonnetip Bastard, Swiss Limbertwig, Westfield Seek-no-Further, Rusty Coat, or Reverend W Wilks as names.<br />
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With all of this we have also made new friends, some we see frequently, while others may be only annually at the shows, but it's always good to catch up on developments.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Jupiter</td></tr>
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This week our later batch of cria started arriving, with a near-identical brother for Jupiter, again sired by Alpha Polaris, and this time one leg was turned back, which Joy turned around while I held screeching mum 'Apples', at the front. Kitageskee (Kit) is named after an apple variety cultivated by Cherokee Indians.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMs36MLCTXeeP3JCTLaLNwGbWwEjGUIBCTemLk6SeUbfm3Wh8tGsqgIxeGxYzHdkiyOg-oZPlm6wLdIS9AkOkuudswv8twz451NxHi2gB0P_fNNP12xbAAKHcsEqceUWjA6yS0jgvGag/s1600/IMG_2742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMs36MLCTXeeP3JCTLaLNwGbWwEjGUIBCTemLk6SeUbfm3Wh8tGsqgIxeGxYzHdkiyOg-oZPlm6wLdIS9AkOkuudswv8twz451NxHi2gB0P_fNNP12xbAAKHcsEqceUWjA6yS0jgvGag/s320/IMG_2742.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Kitageskee</td></tr>
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<br />Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-72069590465534250762018-07-08T12:47:00.003+01:002018-07-08T12:47:54.839+01:00Transformation<br />
It's been a busy five weeks since the Bath and West Show.<br />
On 4th June at 4.20, Apple Vale Florina delivered a fawn male, Kiku, sired by our stud male, Apple Vale Fortune. Florina often seems to be the dimmest of the herd, but she is a perfect mother - all went smoothly, and he has gained weight steadily - he has a lovely fleece, that is developing nicely, solid colour in the blanket and neck, with a white sock and 'face paint'.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Kiku</td></tr>
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Next came the hay-making - our brilliant neighbour, Bas', does this for us, but we have to manually load it and unload it, so a team of young and not-so-young village friends and our son-in-law are assembled to load the trailer, then I drive it over the hill where we unload it into our small barn. With such a large crop this year, we filled the barn completely with no walk-through, and have left stacks in two field shelters.<br />
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While we have more hay than we would normally use in a year, with the parched grass, we are having to feed much more hay than usual during the summer. As some of the boys' shelter was occupied with hay, we had to erect the gazebo to provide additional shade.<br />
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Our friends, Mark and Sue Steele have made the bold and exciting move of their home and the Patou herd, to a new farm in Somerset, and I helped move a few of their herd - we wish them all the best in settling in to their fabulous new facilities for them all.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Katy</td></tr>
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A week ago, we welcomed with some relief, our first female cria for three years, Apple Vale Katy, delivered by our fawn dam, Blossom (Reddingvale Valentina), and sired by Apple Vale Fortune. Joy had allowed the females into the garden where there was some reasonable grass to graze, and although the birth was due, there had been no signs during the morning, and while Joy's back was turned, at 2.40, out she popped!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8QfQquRAKrfGEu_TtFYjH05SbI-R1x1QNFnIl014zPajFJ1QQwC6jUSEMT6SkJyBj6PiTs0JM0ne1xWdP7qabgL2rWhyphenhyphen1EI9lVSJRj_VRGDGKaMarJIIgYBXlfmwu5iF6t1EGkdM3BX0/s1600/IMG_20180629_144552605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8QfQquRAKrfGEu_TtFYjH05SbI-R1x1QNFnIl014zPajFJ1QQwC6jUSEMT6SkJyBj6PiTs0JM0ne1xWdP7qabgL2rWhyphenhyphen1EI9lVSJRj_VRGDGKaMarJIIgYBXlfmwu5iF6t1EGkdM3BX0/s320/IMG_20180629_144552605.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minutes after delivery, Blossom shades Katy from the sun..</td></tr>
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The placenta came swiftly after, but Katy wasn't showing interest in suckling - although seven days over her due date, and a good weight at 9.3kg, she was down on her pasterns, and didn't appear to have the strength to stand to suckle - we tried holding her under, and expressed milk from mum's teats, but she still didn't latch on. We thought it may have been the heat (29deg.) sapping her energy - after four hours we decided we had to step in, and de-frosted some plasma, which we intubated directly to her stomach, and got some goat's milk, which we fed her through the night. With this weather, there was no need for a coat, or housing, so we fed her in the paddock at midnight, 3.00am and 6.00am, and continued through the day, resisting feeding too much so that she would have enough hunger to want to suckle, and eventually she suckled un-assisted late in the afternoon, and continued in the evening - we didn't feed overnight, but gave her some milk first thing to make sure she wasn't dehydrating - her legs strengthened and she has continued to make good weight gains daily.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katy and Kiku</td></tr>
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Finally, to relief all round, on friday afternoon our shearer arrived, and together with alpacas from two of our clients, the transformation was made from wooly 'bears' to elegant alpacas. The next trnasformation, will be converting the fleece into desirable, luxurious garments. We have a coouple of weeks respite before more births are due, and we have some re-matings to get on with for those that (frustratingly) didn't carry their pregnancies.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Jester</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Jazz</td></tr>
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<br />Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-41245590721307977992018-06-03T22:19:00.002+01:002018-06-03T22:19:36.698+01:00Reserve Champion x 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Three shows to report on:<br />
<b>North Somerset Show</b> - this usually brings sunshine and showers, sometimes showers that all meet up, however this year, we had a sweltering day. A sun hat for shade was a must. I was Ring Steward for the day, assisting Judge Rob Bettinson and Apprentice Judge Roger Clarke. This meant that Joy would be our handler for our entries, and she did very well, escorting Jupiter to 1st placed Intermediate White Male, and then Reserve Champion in a championship with all age classes represented. Her face in the pictures say it all.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1st Intermediate White Male</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reserve Champion White Male</td></tr>
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<b>Devon County Show</b> - this is a 3-day country show where the organizers make the alpaca exhibitors very welcome, with a large marquee, breakfast vouchers, prize money, and this year, our own loos! Again, usually a showery show, but this year the weather was fine throughout. Judge Nick Harrington-Smith placed Jupiter 4th out of 5, though 1st and 2nd were selected as Champion and Reserve champion, which was some consolation.<br />
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As Jupiter was born at the beginning of May, he is a 13-month old Intermediate, when all others in his class at these three shows have been at least 21-months old, so some interesting comparisons regarding size and fleece maturity have to be made by the judges.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Devon County Show</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Captain Jack Sparrow took an interest in our boys!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<b>Royal Bath and West Show (South-West Alpaca Group)</b> with the dry and warm May, the herd was starting to look clean after the wet winter, however, some wet days and thunderstorms changed things dramatically, and as we have a herd that is free to graze and use open field shelters as they choose rather than be cooped-up in straw-filled sheds, Jupiter had become clagged in mud from his belly downwards - this was very dis-heartening with the show only days away, even though we all know that 'paddock condition' is the guideline. So we did what we could by putting mats on the earth floor of the shelter, and hosing down his legs during the hot days leading up to the show.<br />
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This is a four-day show, and our group arrange demonstrations of the fleece production during the first two days, with shearing, carding, spinning, felting and weaving demonstrations, with commentary by BAS judge, Val Fullerlove. Joy was demonstrating the felting process by making felted scarves. Though there were showers and cloud during these two days, the weather improved so that days three and four when the halter show took place, we had fine weather, with the exception of a downpour during the final class of day three. This had cleared away in time for our Chairman, Mark Steele to fire up his barbeque for the group social, where we had a chance to relax and have a conversation without having to check whether we had to get an animal ready for the show ring - apparently we got through 100 burgers and sausages<br />
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On day four, it became very warm, the marquee which served as collecting ring became like a sauna, jackets were discarded, hats and sunglasses came out. Our Judge was Liz Barlow, with Apprentice Julia Corrigan-Stuart.<br />
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We had a great moment when Pharo's Babu sired by our stud male Apple Vale Fortune (dam Apple Vale Flamenco) owned by our clients Jeff and Caroline Cox, took second place in a class of nine Junior White Males - I then took Jupiter into the ring, and with high hopes but realistically cautious expectations in a strong class of five, I was delighted that he was placed first! Next I took Apple Vale Fortune into the Adult White Male class, and he was placed second behind the successful Houghton Kaleidoscope, owned by Diane and Jodie Lane.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple Vale Jupiter receives Reserve Champion</td></tr>
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To the Championship: of the six in the line-up we had Jupiter and Fortune bred on-farm, plus Pharo's Babu from sire and dam bred on our farm! As I was handling Fortune who is a big fella', Joy was handling Jupiter, and had the plesaure of receiving the Reserve Champion sash!<br />
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Finally, we entered our best female, Helena's Diana (known simply as 'Apples' to us - sire: Dovecote Jaquinto) into the Dam's Progeny class, as she is dam to both Fortune and Jupiter, and the 'icing on the cake' to the show came when she was awarded first place!.<br />
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Now, as I write this around 10 o'clock in the evening, wrapped in two Reserve Championship sashes (well, what else are they for?), I can see the planet Jupiter bright in the southern sky...go on, step outside and take a look.<br />
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Back soon, as we have some births due imminently.<br />
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<br />Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-91954297448682095542018-04-29T21:10:00.000+01:002018-04-30T20:54:50.661+01:00BAS National Show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The end of March brought the BAS National Show at Telford International Centre. Around 600 alpacas were judged over two days, broken down into their various classes of Huacaya, Suri, Male, Female, and each of the colours, grey, black, brown, fawn, light and white. I had the role of Ring Steward in the female classes, assisting UK judge Liz Barlow jointly judging with international judge Karen Caldwell from Australia.</div>
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The role of Ring Steward is a combination of assisting the judges with lining-up the entrants, helping to restrain boisterous alpacas, recording the result and ensuring the judges sign the result sheet, and collecting the rosettes, sashes and trophies for the judges to present. You will start by liaising with the collecting ring stewards, and informing the judges how many animals are in each class, and with small classes, asking the judges whether they want to bring more than one class into the ring at the same time. The role of restraining differs in the National Show, as the two judges restrict the space left for the steward, whereas in the regional shows there will be one judge, and the animal has a 'free' side, and while it may appear like a lot of standing around, you have to be constantly alert to the behaviour of the animal, ready to spring into action when needed - sometimes, an alpaca will slip it's lead, or may just be very large relative to it's handler, who may need a bit of support to prevent being pushed over. Then there is the less glamorous poo shovel duties, and handing wipes to the judge to maintain bio-security standards, and collecting fleece samples that the judges no longer need! You get an opportunity to meet every handler or owner face to face, and yet there is no opportunity to chat. Sometimes you are privy to the judges discussion, and other times they will be very discrete.</div>
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If you were at the show, you may have heard the commentator referring to 'the man with the electric jacket'! Anyone who has attended the show, will know the bone-chilling cold that seeps into you during the day - being a ring steward, the dress 'code' is for a white shirt and black trousers...now there is a limit to how many layers you can wear beneath a white shirt, without buying a shirt four sizes larger than normal and looking like the Michelin Man! So, for Christmas Joy gave me a heated waistcoat, often used by motorcyclists, for example, made by Keis. This fitted under my usual shirt, with a re-chargeable battery in my trouser pocket, and worked very well!</div>
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In the ring, we had entered Apple Vale Jupiter, a junior white male, who had done well at the Midland Halter Show in November. With me doing the stewarding in the female ring, it was left to Joy to take him in. In a class of nine, we were very pleased when he was given fourth place.</div>
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Meanwhile, in the Fibre Zone, Joy had entered two scarves, and did very well with a second place, in the 'hand-spun hand-woven' category - testament to her skill and creativity, as they also included dyed colours.</div>
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I have wondered for some time, what condition the soil in our paddocks was in, with constant grazing, although we do fertilize the non-latrine areas, and so I contacted Mole Valley to have some tests carried out. In february, I took 60 (!) spoon-size samples, as instructed. The results showed that we have maintained the condition of the soil, and we are achieving the correct amount of fertilizing.</div>
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Recently we have fertilized the resting paddocks, and carried out treatment of the weeds, docks and Thistles.</div>
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We are about to enter 'show month' for us, with 3 shows, commencing on monday 7th, with the North Somerset Show, followed by the Devon County and Royal Bath & West at the end of the month.</div>
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Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-86668079881377111002018-03-09T20:53:00.000+00:002018-03-09T20:53:18.713+00:00Snow galleryThis winter, we had a good fall of snow, it lasted 48 hours, so we have to make the most of it:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hat? What hat?</td></tr>
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<br />Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-15649704369625471382018-01-01T18:15:00.000+00:002018-01-01T18:15:10.209+00:00Yin and Yang, and potty training!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wishing a happy and successful year to readers, I won't waste time looking back at the old year, that is history, and you can read the posts if you want to review our year.<br />
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We started weaning the second batch of cria two days ago, to rest their mums, and to ease the wear on the paddocks, which are now all thread-bare and squelchy, by reducing the size of groups.<br />
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Jupiter, who was weaned in the autumn, has been selected as 'Head Prefect' to look after the weanlings, Jazz and Jester.<br />
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People regularly ask how they can stop their alpacas from using their shelter as a latrine - well I can't stop them, but you can encourage them to go where you want them, and here is the method which has worked for me: years ago, after a period of sticking their bums out of the shelter when nature called in the night, ours went through a 'lazy' spell, and used the shelter - this was when we put down a good bed of straw, which we no longer do - while you can get the 'beans' and 'dumplings' out of the straw, you can't remove the smell of urine, and having a full-time job, I didn't change the straw every day, so they were always attracted by the smell of the urine, to use the same place. Without the straw, the earth floor started to get soggy and it became more difficult to clean, so I concreted a small area, where they tended to go regularly.<br />
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When I moved the weanlings in on the first night of their seperation, I went and collected some of the day's droppings, and put them in the middle of the concrete 'pan'. since then, each night's production has been on the pan, and easy to scrape up:<br />
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At the beginning of December, I built the first part of a new shelter, and after Christmas I took the opportunity of recruiting one of our sons who hadn't returned to his home, to help me start phase two of a new shelter -<br />
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this will be referred to, as the Yin Yang shelter, because it has two over-lapping parts, for a very good reason: this paddock is near the top of a south-facing slope, and the prevailing south-westerly wind hurtles across the Levels before accelerating up the hill - this means, that the open face had to be facing up hill away from the other paddocks - we've noticed over the years, that the differing groups of alpacas like to be able to see the other groups, and so would be less likely to use a shelter facing the 'wrong' way - so phase two of this shelter is to build the other half facing downhill, but set on the leeward side of the first one, and so less vulnerable to the wind - this way, some of the alpacas will be able to see their compatriots in the paddocks beyond and hopefully the others will be happy to sit in the more protected one...a great theory, yet to be proven - but it keeps me off the streets and out of pubs! This shelter uses reclaimed floor panels from our village hall for the walls.<br />
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Looking to the year ahead, we hope our pregnant females are growing some fabulous cria, from the carefully selected stud males, and the National Show is peeping over the horizon. Regardless of what the weather does, we know that the days will start to lengthen now, and the grass will grow...as long as it isn't submerged in water or mud!Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-70149325116033257042017-11-22T20:57:00.001+00:002017-11-22T20:57:33.125+00:00Midlands Halter Show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When the Midlands Halter Show was announced, it occurred to me that Apple Vale Jupiter, our first cria this year, born on May 2nd, would be over 12 months old when our three local shows take place next year, which means that he would be in the Intermediate age class, and would miss competition to be judged as a Junior with his contemporaries, unless we ventured further afield in the early spring shows. So, we entered and made the trip up to the Three Counties Showground at Malvern in Worcestershire on a dark November evening - the journey was good, and it was interesting to find that breeders had travelled from all points of the compass, even from Cumbria, a five-and-a-half hour journey!<br />
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We took Apple Vale Harvey as companion, and had entered him into the Intermediate brown male class. His fleece has developed to be very dark, and the judge decided he should be shown in the black class which was one of the early classes in the morning. He came 4th in a class of 5, which contained the eventual Champion and Reserve Champion, both from the mighty Patou herd.<br />
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Later in the afternoon came Jupiter's class, in which he was awarded first in a small class - however, this gave him (and us!) the excitement of being in the Championship line-up. The white male classes contained around twenty alpacas, making for a keen competition, and so there were eight alpacas in the Championship line-up. Champion White Male was awarded to Beck Brow Explorer, a four-year old Senior, and then came a period of weighing-up the options for Reserve Champion - Jupiter's fleece was looked at four times, and so I allowed myself to consider that he was in with a chance, however the judges selected eight-year old Hanley Hall Polaris of Alpha Alpacas who is Jupiter's sire! It would be very unusual for a Junior to be selected over a Senior, as the judge can see several years of development with the older animals, whereas the junior can only show the possibility of what he may become. The judge gave me some complimentary comments to give us hope for the future, so we look forward to seeing how he develops.<br />
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We said goodbye to two of our young males who have gone to live with a young family and their sheep, goats and geese - they are near-by, and we saw them last weekend for vitamin injections, and they have settled in well.<br />
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Soon we have our regional group AGM, lunch and a guest speaker which looks interesting, and before that, we have to decide on entries for the National Show next March. Plenty to think about and look forward to!<br />
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<br />Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3183752669047484478.post-7520459757870724992017-10-29T22:31:00.000+00:002017-10-29T22:31:41.495+00:00SWAG Fleece and Craft Show<a data-mce-href="http://www.applevalealpacas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/IMG_07831.jpg" href="http://www.applevalealpacas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/IMG_07831.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1467" data-mce-src="http://www.applevalealpacas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/IMG_07831-300x200.jpg" height="200" src="http://www.applevalealpacas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/IMG_07831-300x200.jpg" title="img_0783" width="300" /></a><br />
The
South West Alpaca Group held their first autumn fleece and craft show
on saturday. We were very chuffed to find that Apple Vale Fortune's
fleece was awarded 1st place and Best Light Fleece, and Dr. Harvey was
given 2nd place black fleece.<br />
<br />
Joy was demonstrating wet felting
during the day, and also was awarded 1st place for her hand-spun,
hand-woven scarf, and 1st place for a felted wreath in the Christmas
category, and 3rd place for a felted elf boot in the same category.<br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.applevalealpacas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/IMG_0784.jpg" href="http://www.applevalealpacas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/IMG_0784.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1468" data-mce-src="http://www.applevalealpacas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/IMG_0784-300x200.jpg" height="200" src="http://www.applevalealpacas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/IMG_0784-300x200.jpg" title="img_0784" width="300" /></a><br />
The
show also included a number of stalls with crafters and breeders
selling their products made from alpaca fleece, showing the huge variety
of possible uses for fleece, and the many techniques, whether
hand-crafted or machine-made.<br />
<br />
The show organizers got a nasty
surprise when they arrived, as overnight, a car had ploughed into the
rear of the hall, and for the duration of the show was embedded in the
wall, completely filling the cleaners cupboard!<br />
<br />
It was good to
catch-up with fellow breeders so long after the main showing season, and
we get another chance in a couple of weeks when we head up to the
Midlands Halter Championship at Malvern. To that end, Apple Vale Jupiter
has been weaned, and I have been halter-training him. Here he is with
his male cohorts:<br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.applevalealpacas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/IMG_20171029_150831089_HDR.jpg" href="http://www.applevalealpacas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/IMG_20171029_150831089_HDR.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1469" data-mce-src="http://www.applevalealpacas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/IMG_20171029_150831089_HDR-168x300.jpg" height="300" src="http://www.applevalealpacas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/IMG_20171029_150831089_HDR-168x300.jpg" title="img_20171029_150831089_hdr" width="168" /></a><br />
Apple Vale Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00660280300471008178noreply@blogger.com0