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 31 March 2013

Easter visitors

You just can't keep Gully away from the camera!  We note that he is growing a 'Goatee' beard - should be quite long by the time shearing comes around.  Another week of deep overnight frosts but sunny by day - warm in the sun, but when the sun sets, the chill starts.  The wind is still from the east ('the beast from the east' it's being called!) so it really is cold at times. At least the boys are dry and well fleeced up, sleeping outside each night under the stars and not concerned by the cold.
We had an enquiry this week via this blog from a local family interested in learning about alpacas.   We were pleased to welcome Graham, Kirstie and the children today, a fine day for checking out the beasties.  Faro makes the initial assessment of the visitors whilst the others hang back.
Fergus is not a shy, retiring sort of 'paca and if there is the slightest possibility of food, he'll want to check it out!
We've noticed in the past that the animals are intrigued by children, and often stare for ages at the 'little humans' in the paddock. From the left, Fergus, Fyta, Faro and Fidget get interested.  Hope you enjoyed your visit folks, good luck with your plans and haste ye back any time.
Faro the guard does not like paparazzi!  When Robbie tried to take the photo of some of the boys in the sand pit, up walked Faro to do his blocking action................
.........but a neat body swerve by the photographer gets the shot of Fergus, Rufus and Gaucho in the sand pit whilst Faro looks on!  Hope the weather in your neck of the woods is getting better and if you had snow, that it is now melting or gone completely.  No sign of the Daffs flowering here yet - even the Rhubarb is refusing to break the surface.  Hope you all have a very happy Easter.

4 comments:

  1. What a lovely blue sky...we just need some green grass to go with it now! Alpacas just love little humans don't they...it's their innocence I believe the alpacas know that!

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  2. Lovely photos, the boys look so healthy and happy. I like the BEAST FROM THE EAST, very appropriate, and it's back again today. Still snow drifts here but shrinking perceptibly.

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  3. We've had a very long spring-flower season - some daffs and primroses have been out for about two months, but they slowed down and there's been more of a burst in the last week or so.

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  4. I think the Alpacas know that the children are our 'cria' and behave accordingly, sniffing their heads and gently nudging them. Very similar behaviour that they display with their own (and other cria). Very intelligent animals, because if a stranger appears in the paddock (adult), the response is very different!
    Giggled at Faro - herd and paparazzi protector. He probably thinks that the boys having a sand-bath is too private to be photographed! :) Lisa

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