OUR SMALL HERD

Our original four boys came from Ardo Alpacas in Aberdeenshire. We are not alpaca breeders and have our boys purely as pets. Our experience is that you don't need to be a breeder and that a 'batchelor herd' can give much pleasure to the owner. We have 5 acres including our big garden and grazing for the boys, 15 miles north of Inverness, Scotland. I spin, knit, felt and crochet with the fleece from the boys.

Clicking!!

Just a reminder that clicking on (most) of the photos will show them greatly enlarged.

Monday 18 January 2010

Some grass - at last!



We moved the boys today from the bottom paddocks to the top paddocks as grass is beginning to re-appear due to the snow melt.  It also gives us a chance to clean up the paddocks after weeks of frozen droppings.  These guys could poop for Scotland!  Top photo shows the boys enjoying their supplement feed just before dark with their two field shelters in the background. Lower photo shows the broken joists in our main steading in the lower paddock caused a couple of weeks ago by the weight of snow. This steading is where the hay and straw is stored so is well used.   We've had the joists supported with a number of upright posts and now that the snow is melting, the downward pressure is being relieved.  Fortunately we heard the joists cracking so were able to quickly place uprights in position so we did not suffer a total collapse.  We had to close off the steading, part of which is used as a shelter by the boys in case it collapsed on them, so they used their field shelter instead - quite happily.
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3 comments:

  1. Anonymous18 January 2010 at 18:51

    I bet they're happy as clams now that they can get at the grass finally after all this time. Our snow is finally all melted. Am so glad! Was getting tired of all the mess. Your beam looks like it cracked where a knothole was! It's always something huh?! ...debbie

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  2. Shirley18 January 2010 at 19:10

    Hi Debbie
    Thanks for your comments again. You were certainly busy over Christmas. Sorry to hear about Bob's secretary's house and your neighbour who died. Hope you and family are all well.

    Shirley

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  3. Joyce @ Alba Yarns20 January 2010 at 12:35

    Thank goodness the grass is appearing again; I be the boys will be so grateful. Thank goodness you saved the steading from a major disaster. G thinks our grass is starting to grow already!

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