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 April 2013

What new grass?

In an effort to give the boys a bit more grass we moved them to the bottom paddocks yesterday.  There is very little new grass to be seen anywhere but there is a green(ish) shade to the earth in these paddocks so they will nibble at that.  Following the usual stampede and frolicking when they get moved to new paddocks the boys soon settle down to eat.  Here are Fidget (left) and Fyta with the rest of the gang behind and Wee Eck in the background looking at the chickens in their compound.
Gaucho trying hard to find a few blades of new grass.
Fyta (front) and Faro showing just how bare the paddocks are this year after a long winter.  Usually by now we would expect to see quite a bit of growth in the grass but the ground is just too cold this year.
At least the daytime temperatures seem to be rising (slowly) and we have had some sunny afternoons.  In front of the steading (left) and the field shelter are Gaucho, Gully Wee Eck and Rufus.
The 'eat as much as you can' diet is obviously working on the two white boys, Fidget (left) and Fergus.  Some nail clipping required again soon for these guys.
Wee Eck (left) following Fidget out into the adjoining paddock.  Behind Eck, on the other side of the fence are the three dung storage areas with the newest material on the right.  The oldest composted material is in the left area and that should have been barrowed up to the veg garden by now but 'himself' has been busy on other things lately. 
Hunkey Dunkey (rear) and his five hens are pleased to see the alpacas back in their bottom paddocks and here they are at the fence line looking at them.  The hens also enjoy a handful of alpaca feed with the boys at feeding time.
And finally..........it might have been sunny some days this week but just look at what 7.30am looked like today!  Five hours later and it is still snowing out there!  All the boys are under cover except Faro the guard who is roughing it outside in the snow - good man!

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7 comments:

  1. Apple Vale Alpacas7 April 2013 at 13:34

    Good job you were snow-bound this morning, or you wouldn't have had time to blog! (incidentally, I'm having trouble with my blog at the mo' - access is now via. the web-site - would appreciate if you could let me know whether you get notifications of a post, or whether you can access it - cheers, Dave)

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  2. Judi B7 April 2013 at 13:35

    That snow just keeps on coming! We too are having some decidedly chilly weather but no snow, thank goodness. Fingers crossed that the sunshine will soon arrive, for longer than an odd day or so, and encourage your grass to grow! At least your lovely boys seem to be thriving...grass or no grass!

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  3. Zanzibah Alpacas7 April 2013 at 16:12

    We also have another winter wonderland here ... woke up to quite alot snow .... the boys are looking cosy ! Jayne

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  4. Shirley7 April 2013 at 20:32

    Haven't seen one of your blogs for a while Dave - thought you'd emigrated! Let us know when you next do one and we'll check for access. Shirley & Robbie

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  5. Apple Vale Alpacas7 April 2013 at 21:39

    Thanks - a few weeks ago I made the blog accessable from the web-site (Latest News), so you may not be getting notifications unless you re-subscribe. Dave

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  6. Debbie, Barnacre Alpacas7 April 2013 at 22:28

    It certainly seems to be a very long time ago we had grass growing doesn't it, surely it can't be much longer till spring arrives; can it?!

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  7. A Country Chicken8 April 2013 at 05:01

    We don't get snow, but we haven't had hardly any rain either, so I can sympathise with your grass 'levels'! Poor 'pacas trying to find some, ours are doing the same as we have just rotated them too. Our other white boy also needed toenail trim, and thanks to all of your brilliant information last time, we carried it off perfectly with the bracelet hold and the (brave) boy stood quietly :) Lisa

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