Grandsire: Apple Vale Dave

Yes, a bit of two-legged news! Our daughter Kerry (Dam:Mrs. Smallholder, Sire: Apple Vale Dave) gave birth to a lovely daughter, Pixie Indigo Bartlett yesterday afternoon! They are doing well, though not up and running yet!

Meanwhile, I am continuing halter training Camelot, though there isn't long between downpours to get anything useful done, bearing in mind the day job. We did have some good sessions last weekend though. I've introduced a few of them to apple, having run out of carrots, though they do look like chips in the photographs!

I spent a day helping 'build' and prepare the Alpaca 2012 Show, which was an interesting insight to the huge amount of work that goes into such an event, particularly since it is a stand-alone show, not part of an agricultural show.

Storm clouds gather again...

I then attended the first day of the show, which has had many good reports.

Belly brush

Must see the orthodontist.

Queuing at the gate - "we're going home, we're going home"

A short cut, courtesy of our neighbours.

We have a two foot gap where we roll the fence back, and they squeeze through!

Pelachuta doesn't like the jam, and goes to the back.

Pelachuta and Bramley get straight in the rolling pit

Camelot and Minnie take their turn in the rolling pit.

The hens have to get used to sharing the paddock again.

Lets all squeeze into the corner to graze - Camelots fleece like an explosion in a mattress factory!

Good Friday dawned crisp with a slight frost, and thin ice on the water buckets like the caramalised sugar on a Creme Brulee... but not brown...or hot... anyway, I had decided to bring the herd home from the paddock next-door-but-one, as their grass was well grazed without recovery due to the dry weather, and our grass was well recovered, and we had husbandry tasks to deal with. So the rattle of hurdles being set up  excited them and attracted them to the gate, and the sight of feed buckets helped - none of them wandered off through the taped route and I had a job to keep up, so they were home in 5minutes, and with lush grass and old memories to re-discover they ignored their feed buckets.

It's great to have them back, and to be able to watch their behaviour any time of day or night or weather.

Yesterday, I gave them all Lambivac vaccinations, and today we trimmed toe-nails. Camelot launched himself like Zebedee over the hurdles, but caught his belly or groin on landing - ouch.

My camera (Canon Eos 1000D) has been playing up since The Futurity - I get an Err 99 each time it re-sets, and I have to take the battery out and put it back - I've tried suggestions given on the Canon forum to no avail - looks like I'll have to send it for service, but I can't bear to be without it - anyone had similar?

We transferred some potted conifers into the field four years ago as they had out-grown the pots, and Mrs. Smallholder thought we could grow some firewood -  fast-forward to a herd of alpacas, and the trees have become alpaca belly-brushes - see the videos: "Apple Vale Bellybrush - reaches the parts a long neck and rolling pit don't reach".

Are those diamonds on the soles of his shoes?

As you can see from the display, Joy had put alot of effort into the items, deciding after last years show that other stallholders would be selling similar garments, so she decided on knitted and felted bears, all made from our own alpaca fleece, plus a few other 'non-bears' such as the felted white alpaca in the centre of the display, and the spring garlands - these were mainly a 'front' to draw interest in the spinning and felting residential courses that she is offering - which is just as well, as sales were minimal. Given that we were at the NEC, with additional potential, though 'footfall' was greater than last year, we don't think it reached the potential - I saw hundreds leaving the Education Show, and very few headed to the Futurity - some peered in, but there were no big impact photographs showing what was inside, and so from the outside it appeared like a trade show - which, to a large extent it is - but it's also meant to be showing the best and the future of alpaca breeding, and the products, to the wider audience that we all need. Having said that there has been a lot of follow-up interest in the courses, so, fingers-crossed - and I did get a rosette for my photo' of two alpacas looking in the mirror. As has been stated elswhere the animal showing and judging was excellently run, and also judged as always with her good humour, passion and tolerance by Val Fullerlove.

Those who met us will recall that Joy was suffering a major 'head cold' at the time which greatly curtailed her participation in the socialising - I felt for her at the time - I've been self-employed for 17 years, and only had one day off sick every few years, but since tuesday I've been off for 3 days with fever, head cold and loss of energy - they say you know it's flu' if there was a £20 note on the floor and you wouldn't get out of bed to pick it up - likewise, if you can't get out to feed your 'paca! I rest my case, but I can feel the howls of derision starting; "pah man-flu!" I only felt I was in charge of my own legs yesterday :-)

 

Our sling might have been useful for this competitor, whose identity I'll protect, but I'm sure he'll see the funny side!

We had to inspect one of our girls' legs closely this week, to check on the improvement after mites last year, particularly around her joints - but, she always kushes, and alpacas are very good at tucking their feet in, and it's very hard even for two to roll her and straighten the leg, and then properly inspect it. So, we devised a partial 'hoist', which would not lift her off the ground, but would prevent her kushing, by keeping her up - with some good canvas, upholstery eyelets and thin rope, we set up the 'trap' - laid on the ground under a bed of straw so she wouldn't be spooked - she was led across it, while one of us raised the sling under her chest, but in the process of drawing it steadily together and maintaining tension (or not) she moved forward, so that it finished up under her abdomen, which was clearly not good, and we had to let her kush, which then became impossible to lift her - it's still a method which we'll try and improve on, but has anyone else come across a similar problem and solution? We obviously wouldn't use it on a pregnant female.

can we come home yet?

In the current rented paddock, the alpacas can reach a bamboo plant which they've shown a fondness for, both for eating, and 'grooming' against - they also like to groom against some small conifers. I wondered if anyone else has noticed particular shrubs that are popular for grooming?

Lots of gnats or midges around this week - where are swifts, swallows, dragonflies and bats when you want them?

I took the opportunity to 'Dubbin' my boots in the sun this afternoon, before wet weather returns...and I also had to clean my 'dinner' shoes from the Futurity last week - nothing scuffed or dulled in the polished leather by spilt wine or salmon you understand, but there was alpaca dung on the soles - I had the honour of being selected as assistant ring handler for The Mighty Patou, but had left my boots in the car, in the Exhibitors car park some distance away, so I wore the dinner shoes. Clearly, my conformation is good, I've got good handle, not much crimp in my hair, but the lustre on my shoes was bright, and so I think I didn't detract from the magnificent animals I was entrusted with - however, unknowingly, I departed the hall with some 'gifts' on the sole of my shoes - the fashion show and dinner had a fragrance to match the occasion - but did anyone notice? you can take a farmer out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the farmer!

Cuckoo-ca-choo

How exciting! the show season kicks off tomorrow, with the British Alpaca Futurity AND Channel 4 are running the Honda adverts again with the alpaca breeder tonight- coincidence, or good planning by Chas?

Joy has a stand (Appleknit) in the Fibre Village, and she has been working tirelessly, preparing the fantastic knitted and felted teddys, plus accompanying decorations, packaging etc. At least we don't have to prepare trailers, alpacas and so on - there'll be many breeders primping 'pacas (paddock conditon of course) tinkering with trailers, fettling fleece, untangling halters and leads...


I've had an idea to help the water shortage: hopefully visitors from the north will be bringing a bottle of water to pass on to visitors from the south-east to help with the water shortage, and this could be repeated at football matches between northern clubs and the London clubs - perhaps I should keep quiet about this until I've patented it...


Moira gave me a little worry earlier this week, when she didn't have her Camelibra in the morning, or her Fibregest in the afternoon and was sitting too much - I then spotted a very soft 'motion', and as I was leaving, she was squatting so I rushed back and saw another soft one - we did a check for poisonous plants, as there is a small glade of woodland, and did a faecal test to check parasite levels - none found - a lot of research later and I concluded it was probably due to lush grass, as she has been in the new neighbouring paddock - . The following morning she was eating again, and stools fine.
This morning we found several small Cuckoopint plants shooting out, so whipped them out - they are poisonous.


Good luck at the Futurity whoever is going, and do say hello, if you are there.

Re-united.

new pastures

 Today, we got the herd into new grazing in the paddock, next-door-but-one, which sounds straight-forward, but a complicated manoeuvre all the same. Last weekend, I'd erected a fence there with our sons and one of their partners, who were glad to earn some  man-points while they were home.

A misty start - Moira calls a meeting of the re-united herd - Minnie keeps them waiting

Firstly, we took the trailer and went and collected the four who have been staying in an orchard up in the village. We re-united them with Camelot and his two weaning partners back here, and after a little while to settle down and renew old acquaintences we gave them all their injected Vitamin ADE update. Camelot bothered Minnie for a suckle, but she was having none of it, and delivered some rear kicks.

Tasting session

Then we let them out while we humped hurdles and set them up with tapes, at strategic points on the route to the new paddock.

Our neighbours had allowed us to put Camelot and his two companions on their unused paddock over the last two weekends, and we managed to get them through a two-feet gap at the end of the fence line, with the persuasion of a feed bucket and the sight of fresh grass, so today we used this route to transfer all seven next-door-but one, which saved us taking them through two awkward gateways and along the edge of two large fields, with high risk of them 'wandering off'.

Moira is wearing some of the brushwood from the glade

After a bit of jostling and indecision, Camelot led the way followed by the two who were familiar with this, then Bramley couldn't resist the temptation and went through and they all trotted out  of the gate, and followed the tape and hurdle guide into the new paddock. Ambrosia, Pelachuta and Minnie weren't so convinced, and took a lot more bucket-shaking and encouragement, then Minnie went for a wander around our neighbours paddock wondering how to get to join the others, but eventually she cottoned-on, and Joy had managed to stop the others from coming back, while allowing Minnie through the gate to join them - phew, no mishaps, and all safely in, time for a cuppa! then to set them up with water.

Mother and son re-united

We hope to keep them there, while our paddocks recover, and we'll be doing some faecal testing before the return.

Bramley looks wistfully back at home pasture

New fibre colours released!

In my last post, I mentioned that I'd met a man with a thermal imaging camera, who was assessing some high-sustainability houses next to the paddock which four of the herd are currently grazing. Well, I suggested it would be interesting to look at the alpacas, and here are some of the results:

Given that an alpacas normal internal body temperature is 37-39deg Centigrade, the figures aren't so surprising - the air temperature was probably around 8deg., and the sun was just about to set.

As the temperatures plummeted this week, we were a little concerned about Moira, our ten-year-old maiden - she has a very short fleece, but very fine - she was shorn last summer but not the year before. We had thought about a coat, but realistically, we wondered about her accepting it - could you persuade your grandmother to change her ways? So I opened the double doors of the hay shed, put down a straw bed, some tempting buckets of alfalfa, and set up a mirror for encouragement - they all cautiously looked around, went in, and tucked in. At 11 o'clock, I went out with a torch...there they were, all sat on top of the hill - it was around about minus five - and that's where they spent the two coldest nights!

Don't I know you?

In the afternoon, had a handful of carrot chopped into long lengths, which Moira and Autumn Gold happily take from my hand - Camelot however, is 19 days into his weaning, and sniffed at the carrot but wouldn't take it horizontally, so I slowly turned it upright, resembling a teat perhaps, and he quite happily went underneath and took it into his mouth!

Faecal Attraction.

Joy is busy creating products for the stand at the Futurity Fibre Arts Village. She has posted pictures on Facebook, of some of the collection of knitted and felted bears that will be 'attending' : go to https://www.facebook.com/pages/APPLE-Alpaca-Craft/136378046416571Facebook 'APPLE Alpaca Craft',

Camelot has been doing a lot of mud rolling...

Meanwhile, Camelot has settled into his weaning at home with Moira, Autumn Gold and us, while the other four are away at 'graze-camp' up in the village - I cycle over there with their feed in the morning after I've fed the other three, and then drive over from the office during the afternoon before dark to check up on them and deliver their hay-bags.

"...19,20... coming ready or not!"

In the picture above, the hen had just jumped off the gate, so is in mid-flight, though it looks like it is hiding under it's wings.
Last week I met a man with a thermal imaging camera which was very interesting, and I hope to have more on that another time.

"Can't stop, the gate to the lawn has been opened, and there's good grass to be had"

"hey, wait for us!"

We do our own regular faecal tests, and for two of them this will be weekly - having brought Autumn Gold back from 'graze-camp' we are watching to see if she's brought any 'passengers' back, and with Camelot being weaned, we are watching his parasite levels as he adjusts to being without his mums resistance. We want to try and avoid anti-biotic resistance, so will only treat if the tests indicate a need - so far, so good -  which reminds me, I must read Claire Whiteheads article in this months Alpaca World - there's also a good summary of the TB Bio-security Workshop by Mark Steele - (I didn't notice you making notes Mark, so the 'day job' has clearly had benefits in your powers of observation and recollection!). Incidentally, we are spoilt in having such a good independant magazine in our relatively small industry.

And so to accurate faecal collection - remember the 3 S's: spot, sprint, scoop - spot who is doing it and where, move swiftly keeping an eye on it as there will be other piles near-by, scoop it into your sampling vessel (I use plastic party beakers, and you can write the 'doners' name on it - sample collected, now hand it to your laboratory technician (Mrs. Smallholder in this case).
Trivia: Tonights accompanying music as I write this: Moon Safari, by Air - unexpectedly fantastic.

A thought I had the other day: we credit alpacas with being inquisitive, and rightly so - when you compare what I believe to be the average day on the Altiplano: chill air drifting beneath a blue sky, searching for minimal stalky sustainance in dusty scrub, while the (very) occasional Condor wheels overhead, and Puma lurk behind rocks, with an average day on this cramped island: fox, deer, rabbits, badger, crows, sparrowhawk, buzzard, people, dogs, cats, aircraft, cars - it must be like the difference between living in our countryside compared with a day trip to London.