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 May 2016

Water hole fun.

We don't have a water tap in the paddocks but instead we run out a hose which fills up some watering cans.  Problem is that during hot weather the boys hear the hose filling up the cans and decide it's fun time. There is plenty of pushing and shoving and the cans are often knocked over!
They all love getting their feet and 'undercarriages' sprayed.  Fidget is having a spray with Fyta and Faro in the background looking on.
All done - Fidget (left) and Fergus have had a good soaking.  It's been a sunny week but with a biting northerly wind.  The good thing is that it has been dry all week.
After a spray, Faro and Fyta wander off so that Fyta can have a bit of a foot-spa in the water tray.
Faro and Fyta have moved to another paddock in the distance, Fergus has taken up the deck chair position by the pool whilst Fidget has a drink.
We penned the boys this week as both Fergus and Fidget needed a nail trim.  The white boys' nails grow really quickly and need frequent clipping. The boys are waiting for 'Mum' to arrive here before going into the pen.  This week has also been a Verm-X granule week for the boys - a measured spoonful per daily feed for a week.
A distance shot which might need magnification, of the boys.  Fidget is lying in the sand pit.  Above him in the middle of the photo and in the distance is Beaufort Castle
And finally..............the House Martins and Swallows have returned for the summer and the Martins have set about immediately building nests under the eaves, around the house.  This is a new nest, the old one blew down during the winter.

2 comments:

  1. I see a water trough in one of your photos Shirley...do the boys stay out of it as I know ours would sit in it so we have to hang our water buckets from the fence out of harms way!!

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  2. Yes Judi, they sometimes put a foot in the troughs here and there but having the water trays deployed helps. We have more problems with crows, starlings and sparrows using the troughs than the boys frankly, but we usually change the water twice a day - or more if the birds have been having a swimming gala! Shirley & Robbie

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