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, 4 September 2011

Ready, steady - GO!

A change of paddock and new grass coming up for the boys any time now.   It's almost as if they sense what is going to happen!       Ready.........
Their suspicions (and hopes) are raised when mum arrives and starts fiddling with the gate.  Steady.........
GO!!      Yippee, here we go then with the charge being led by Faro, naturally,  then Fergus, Fyta, Wee Eck, Gully, Fidget, Gaucho and Rufus standing back being a bit suspicious of what is going on!   After this the boys go running and jumping around the paddock, checking out and rolling in the field shelters then settling down to a bit of grazing.   We've been changing paddocks around every 5 weeks during the summer so that the boys can get the best of the grass.  
Next morning it's lie-in time in the shelters - (it's lie-in time every morning in the shelters!) with Fidget (left)  Fergus (back) and Fyta lying down and Faro on his feet and guarding!  This shelter has an opaque sheeted roof which makes it lighter inside.
Next door things are stirring - just!  Gaucho (left) and Rufus (back) are lying down whilst Gully (middle) and Wee Eck are up and about.   Wee Eck has had his head in the hay bucket and is sporting his 'adornments'.  This shelter has a dark sheeted roof, making the inside much darker and preferred by some of the boys when the insects and midges start biting as the insects don't seem to gather in darker places.
There is more than enough room for the 8 boys in 2 shelters although they can often congregate in  just one, but they do also like to spread themselves around.  No point in having 'pacas if you can't spoil them eh?  You can see the effect the different roof sheeting makes to the inside of the shelters.
Faro calling time on the photographer again - I think his expression means, "Shove off now!"   He too has had his head in the hay buckets to achieve his morning 'adornments!'

3 comments:

  1. Funny how they seem to know "SOMETHINGS" about to happen! New Grass is what!! Guess they were happy to move into the new area! They are so pretty when you can see them all together. Faro's adornments are just beautiful. Mabe he's practicing for Christmas....debbie

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  2. Your grass looks as luch as ours...must be all the dry weather we have had this summer!!!

    You have managed to keep your boys weight better controlled than ours I have to admit...I don't think ours will need much sugar beet over winter this year...more Slim Fast

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  3. I agree it's strange how they sometimes like to be in the same shelter but often they spread around a couple! Maybe they argue and want space?!! Our gelding definately likes to retire into a shelter on his own, just to read the papers!

    As soon as we begin to go round to check for any nasties in another paddock, everyone gets excited, you're right...they just know!

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