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.

Sunday 7 February 2010

Wee, coorin' tim'rous beastie

Now that the snow is melting we find that voles and field mice have been burrowing and tunnelling around some parts of the garden under the deep snow. Robbie Burns would have been proud of these beasties! The damage will recover with the new grass.
Here are the boys enjoying some grass with Gaucho in front with his deaf pal Gully behind. Gaucho is always at the front of photos as he is so inquisitive. In the far distance the snow is still lying on Beinn A' Bha'ach Ard (2900feet - 880m). This week the boys have had Verm-X every day for the week with their feed and we'll continue this monthly and have dung samples tested in the Spring. The catch pen will be in operation in the next few days for nail trimming - weather permitting! For those interested, Monty Don's TV programme 'My dream Farm' on Channel 4 will be about alpacas and someone trying to start a business with them. It will be screened on Thurs 11th February at 8.00pm.

2 comments:

  1. The mice and voles certainly did make havac in your yard. We have a similar problem with moles here in West Virginia, but the only thing you see is their holes and mounds of dirt. They are rather madning and hard to get rid of. How often do they need their nails trimmed. Do you do it or a farrier? Nice to see the grass insteak fo all the snow!...debbie

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  2. We have grass also .....its soggy mind you !...Im looking forward to watching My Dream Farm...if I remember to watch it !...I hope so..hope the weather stays fine for a while.....Jayne

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