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 29 September 2013

Curiosity and the communal roll!

Always curious about what is going on around him, this is Gaucho and the other boys looking to see what all the noise is about.
There has been so much growth everywhere this summer with the good weather that we decided to top the grass in the bottom paddocks.  The noise of the big mower doesn't bother them, they are just curious as to what is happening.
An alert Faro with Fergus in the background rummaging along the fence line.  Faro has been quite 'loose' these past few days and we are putting it down to the fresh grass they are on.
The boys with the autumnal colours coming through on the trees in the distance.  There are also cows with a noisy bull in the next field so that is keeping them interested.

After watching the grass cutting, nothing quite like a roll in the communal rolling area.  There used to be a 'normal' sized rolling area here but Robbie has been using some of the turf (divots!) up at the new house.
Previously there was always a bit of 'argy-bargy' at the rolling area as one boy tried to push another out of the way.  Now the rolling area can accommodate them all at the same time as can be seen, and they enjoy that.

And finally.........Nerines, a lovely flower for autumn.  These flowers spread around the garden, we started with a few given by a friend and now they are in clumps in several places.  We've had a week of lovely weather but also a sharp frost one night.  The nights are pulling in and Hunkey and his chickens are all inside their house by 6.45pm now, lined up on their perch with feathers puffed up if it's chilly!

4 comments:

  1. Wow, an '8-berth' rolling pit! I've re-seeded ours, while the herd are in another paddock, otherwise the soil washes out down hill in wet weather, and it's germinated already with the warm weather.

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  2. They do like a communal roll don't they!

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  3. I love reading your blog and always enjoy the final non-alpaca related photo...a challenge for the winter months!

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  4. A lovely communal roll with minimal argy-bargy :) Is it getting cold there now? We are still having cool nights (with the fire on) but the days are warmer (and longer - finally!) :) Lisa

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