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 18 March 2012

New grass and happy walkers

Another week of good weather, frosty at times with a cold wind but plenty of sunshine too.  We penned the boys one day this week so that we could do a bit of nail trimming.  Fidget did very well (unusually) and stood still whilst his were cut but Fergus was in one of his moods, arguing with the others in the pen so that by the time it was his turn he was not up for a pedicure.  We'll have better luck next time.  We also opened up the third 'top' paddock this week to give the boys some new grass.  This is the paddock which is boggy at the bottom due to a dodgy field drain, so it has to be sectioned off.  This photo is of the boys getting excited because they know that they are going onto new grass. Lots of humming going on.  Faro (left), Fyta and Gaucho are here with Fidget in the background.
Twenty hurdles in place with only a few to go.  The boys are getting ever more excited with Robbie walking back and forth and in danger of losing his trousers as the work rate gets to him!  Gully is not bothered - he just wants into the new green stuff.
At last it's time for the boys to be let into the paddock and you can see the excitement as Fyta, Fergus, Rufus, Wee Eck and Gully come charging through the gate.
Yippee, new grass at last!
Now the boys can check out the temporary fencing with the boggy ground on the other side.
Silence!
And finally.......we had a visit yesterday from a lovely group of walkers with Floris their leader,  who came to meet the  boys during an all day trek around the area.  The boys were on their best behaviour with Wee Eck pleased to show off his prominent dental work and Fergus (as usual) giving a display of how to demolish a turnip!  I managed to show some of the boys' spun fleece which I hope added to the group's knowledge of 'pacas.   Lovely weather for a visit as the boys were dry and not covered in mud as usual, and great to see so many smiling faces despite, perhaps, aching limbs.  Haste ye back folks!

6 comments:

  1. I had to laugh as the boys came CHARGING out of the old into the new! They really were excited! How funny!! Great shot of all of them feeding nice and quiet! The group of walkers were large! So many of them! 17 in count plus one BIG pooch! Nice that you have visitors interested in the boys!! Your property is so pretty!! ...debbie

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  2. I love opening up a new paddock almost as much as the alpacas love it! It's amazing how quickly they realise that they're on the move...I only have to think about moving them and they seem to know. You can really sense their anticipation! Lovely photo capturing the moment!!

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  3. Lovely photos and nice lush grass...I guess sometimes we need to appreciate all the rain that we get...looks like the boys did any way!

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  4. Yes, I find rattling a couple of hurdles together starts them gathering in curiosity.

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  5. Doesn't the better weather make everyone feel fine, I even found myself pronking with the boys this afternoon!

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  6. I love the excitement when the alpacas go on to fresh grass, no matter how old they are they all act like cria!

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