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 17 January 2016

Cold and clear

This has been a week of sharp overnight frosts then gorgeous, sunny days.  The boys seem to enjoy this sort of weather.  Fyta (left) and Fergus having sugar beet one morning and normally Fyta hits the bowl with one of his feet spilling the contents onto the ground.
See what I mean?  He makes a good job of hoovering it all up off the ground though.  This photo was taken later in the week after some overnight snow.
A common sight this week with the water troughs freezing solid overnight and having to be kept clear of ice during the days too.
Not a care in the world - Fidget having some haylage first thing in the morning.
The afternoons have been really sunny but it only manages to partially melt the frost which hardens again during the night.  Faro in the foreground with Fidget chewing the cud in the shelter behind.
As well as frosty grass to eat this week the boys have also had their monthly dose of Verm-X granules in their feed.  This is Fyta getting very cold lips!  The Strath Glass hills to the west are behind him.
The grumpy gardener has been grumpily grafting this week shifting two bays of composted 'paca poo - sometimes during a snow shower!  Each bay held 33 barrowloads so the new veg plots will benefit from some of this.
And finally............taken today, looking north to Ben Wyvis.  Faro stands out in the paddock but the other boys are there too, near the field shelter.

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2 comments:

  1. Apple Vale Alpacas17 January 2016 at 20:26

    The grumpy gardener will be fit after barrowing that lot! Your boys are clean, after two days of frost we've had a dreech day today, so it's all squelchy again.

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  2. Judi B18 January 2016 at 10:13

    We know what hard work it is barrowing that stuff up and down so hope your reward is plenty of great veg later this year! Hope you are managing to keep warm up there!

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