"Hay hay, my my" *

On monday we celebrated** as it was one year since Moira and Minnie arrived -that was an exciting day -one year on, and we have five beautiful girls in the field - what started as a more sustainable and interesting way of keeping the grass cut - I find I am spending more time cutting docks and nettles than I would have if we had no alpacas - there's irony - not only that, it turns out to be a totally absorbing and fulfilling occupation/hobby/responsibility.

I've ordered some hay which I hope will see us through the winter.

Coincidentally, on monday two gentlemen alpacas arrived for a date with Minnie and Pela, and spent twenty minutes orgling, while cria looked on awkwardly...Spinster of this parish, Moira, can be seen in the distance, pondering on what might have been had nature had other plans for her...

Posting this blog now, as our daughters wedding is on the 29th, and we have a champagne reception twixt wedding and main reception, here in the garden, so slowly going into meltdown... I was preparing my speech, but got side-tracked by alpaca blogs...

Currently enjoying listening to U2 - having to miss their gig at Cardiff on saturday due to wedding preparations. However, tomorrow I'm going to try and get tickets for Muse who are playing two nights in Teignmouth soon, their home town - rock 'n roll that big (and good) doesn't visit the West Country very often (Glastonbury Festival excepted), so it's worth a try.

** we didn't actually celebrate - far too busy for that...
*Hey hey, my my - Neil Young

Charge of the white brigade.

Most evenings, Ambrosia and Autumn Gold have a funny five minutes of charging around the field - anyone who has a dog will know they have their moments of running hell-for-leather around their garden (or house if it's wet!), working off the growing pains.
Tomorrow, their mums have got a couple of fellas coming on a date - how exciting, Apple Vale Alpacas first attempt at breeding from the very first act... watch this space.

Chicken chaser.

Autumn Golds growing pains get the better of her in the evening, and she just loves to chase a chicken - don't worry, the chicken got away!

What a lovely weekend - hot and sunny here. Trimmed the hedge between garden and field.

Thoughts turning to land management regarding herd development - we only have an acre and a bit, and five girls now. If we mate Pela and Minnie now, and get another two next summer, and then mate the four girls we currently have which should be capable next summer, then next summer/autumn we may be over-using our resources with seven animals. Need to look into what agistment involves - it's a word I've seen bandied about alot, but without any clarification.

A midwifes tale.

They need help coming out it seems every time,
Their mamas are distressed and nothings going fine.
I put on my gloves and wade into the fray,
That baby's coming out and it's coming out today.

She keeps humming a song for her baby to hear,
Come out my baby while the weather is clear.
I put on my gloves and wade into the fray,
Come on little baby, it's a lovely day.

She strains and she wanders while the others all graze.
She rolls in the dirt it's just another phase,
I put on my gloves and wade into the fray,
Give a little pull, and baby's on its way;

It's another birth, both are doing fine,
Baby's standing up, it's a very good sign.
She nuzzles close to Mama, looking for a teat,
Her tail drops down, and the bonding's complete.

by Mrs. Smallholder.

When you gotta go, you gotta go!

Autumn (below) has been putting on weight steadily - last night at dusk, as the moon was rising they were chasing around, even 'Auntie' Moira. A welcome bit of warm sunshine most of today.

We realised how much Ambrosia (top) has grown when Autumn arrived, and we had a comparison - she is twice the size.

Can you take too many photos of your 'pacas? As with your children, their constantly changing poses, positions, interactions with each other and their surroundings provides an infinite range of possibilities - only the time you have available to watch them limits the moments you can capture...

Teat a' teat.

You've got to laugh - further to previous blog, it's been pointed out that male alpacas have four teats as well! So just to reassure readers, we have looked elewhere to confirm that Autumn is indeed a lady.

Here is a picture of Pela's first breakfast as a Mum, with Autumn beside her - as with Minnie on the first morning as a new Mum, she wouldn't come to feed at the shelter with the others, so I took it out in the open. Once they have the responsibility of a cria, they are wary at first. It's fascinating to watch the behavioural development - Pela would normally have been first to the feed shelter.

This morning however, she came to the shelter, but Autumn kept wandering off with youthful exhuberance, so Pela kept turning and calling her, which meant that she couldn't eat, so I took the bucket outside, so that she could watch Autumn while she ate!

It's rained all day here (much as everywhere I am sure), so this evening they were glad to see the clouds roll back, and left the shelter to do some evening grazing. Ambrosia is delighted to have a playmate, and the two of them charge about together. Ambrosia is in the foreground above - from being the baby, she's suddenly changed to being the 'teenage' sister, and is twice the size of Autumn.

Autumn in Summer!

Yes, yesterdays weather was like that, but Pela delivered her cria, Autumn Gold this afternoon, with a little assistance from ourselves.

After two and a half days of what seemed like intermittent labour, the final push for freedom came between 10 and 2 today. I think she spotted a pleasant gap in the weather.

After humming and restlessness for four hours, a nose and mouthed pushed out, but held this stage for 15minutes as we got more anxious, so just as I had entered the vets phone number to call for help, the front legs pushed through - head and legs dangled for what seemed too long, given the previous time of nose-protrusion, so we decided to assist - we caught her, and while I restrained her with the assistance of a fence post, Mrs. Smallholder had donned gloves and lubed-up, and pulled the legs, and out she slipped. "It's a boy", I was told, but after allowing ten minutes for scent familiarising, I went to sterilise the navel, and found four teats!

It's amazing how fast they develop in the first 8 hours or so - turn away and you miss something, and I feel that while I write this, I'm missing something. Having kept them in the lower paddock for the birth and to establish suckling, I've just opened the gate to the top paddock, and after the rest went through Autumn Gold and Pela went through - Autumn charged up to the brow of the hill, where we have views across the Levels "wow, so that's what you've all been talking about!" I'm sure she said (my Johnny Morris impersonation kicking in!).

So the naming theme is apples, and hence Autumn Gold.

Having been 'lucky' enough to witness our first two births, with the attendant anxiety and clock-watching, I can see the appeal of returning from a trip to the shops or break for lunch, to find a cria sitting in your field ready to go!