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, 15 September 2013

What a difference a day makes.

Yesterday was a lovely day, some cloud but warm sunshine.  This photo was taken late afternoon after the boys had had their supplement feed.  Faro in the middle of the group remains alert with his tail in the air whilst Wee Eck takes the opportunity to get in a bit of late season sun-bathing.
Here is the whole group with only Rufus standing to graze.  Gully still has his bowl in front of him but none of the others will try to pinch his food.  He is a quiet boy but should another boy try to steal his rations - look out!  The boys have been on Verm-X granules mixed with their feed all of this week.
This morning, after a night of gales and horizontal rain the boys are unwilling to leave their shelters.  They are all nice and dry and really don't fancy getting soaked so hay is delivered to them in their shelters by a (soaked) human!  The difference in weather conditions from yesterday could not be more marked.  Fidget is nearest to the camera.
More pushing and shoving around the hay buckets in the shelters with Faro (left) keeping an eye on the photographer.
Gaucho strikes a pose at the shelter entrance wondering why the photographer is standing in the corner where he normally sleeps!
The Rowan (Mountain Ash) trees around here are loaded with berries this year.  Folk lore says that this is a sign of a hard winter to come.  Possibly - but it may just be because we've had such a lovely summer with lots of prolonged sunshine.  This particular Rowan is in the chicken's compound and will soon attract scores of Fieldfares and Redwings to eat the berries.
And finally.........it's been a busy week just gone as we've now moved up the track to our new house.  This is the view from the patio, looking north across the top paddocks with the boys lying outside of their shelters.  'Tigh Mhor', which can be seen over the fence behind the shelters,  now has a 'For Sale' sign on the fence - anyone want to buy a large family abode?

3 comments:

  1. You can see our place over the roof of your old house. I wonder with their keen eyesight if the boys can see our girls. Graham

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    1. Probably Graham - but being gelded, they are not in a position to do anything about it! Hope your girls are all well and settling down in their new home. Shirley & Robbie

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  2. LOL Wee Eck getting in a last sunbathe...on the other side of the world our girls are just starting theirs! Great view from the patio!! :) Lisa

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