Moo’s Blog

Visa is a female brown alpaca and was born on 06 July 1999. We bought her in April 2009, as her and another female we bought had always been together since the birth of the younger one, Guinevere (born 30 July 2004).
When we bought thes ealpacas we were told that Guinevere was pregnant and her cria was due in June 2009. That didn’t happen. We mated Guinevere with Sumac and just a week or so previous to this we put Visa in the paddock with one of our males, Chopaka. We saw no action by day, but we were not always around. Several weeks later we tested Visa for pregnancy and she kicked and spat at Sumac, so we concluded that she was indeed pregnant and would likely give birth in June/July 2010.
It was August 19th 2009, in the afternoon (about 4-10pm )and I popped into the females area just to check on their water, not really thinking they would need any since the water had been topped up that morning. However, it was a hot afternoon and I was at a loose end. Bo (our three year old very lively Border Collie) was with me but decided to go into the boys paddock which is beside the girls. He can come and go in this paddock as he chooses.
As I came through their shelter and out into the little barn area, there, lying on the floor in the dust was a brown bundle in it’s membrane, with just it’s head free of the membrane from birthing. It was obviously breathing,making little noises now and again and moving though not great movements. Visa, the mother was beside him, looking at him, and producing the afterbirth.
I quickly ran to the house to inform my very surprised husband of the arrival, and grabbed my camera!
We both hurried back to the stable area and to watch and make sure all was going well. The afterbirth, one big red sac, was collected and put in a garbage bag for disposal later (alpacas in captivity don’t seem to eat this).
All seemed to be going well so hubby went back to the house to phone our neighbour’s farm that has the Sunshine Valley Alpacas. He is experienced with alpacas and their young, and he came along to join in our celebration of a new arrival and to see that all was well.
He lifted the new cria and carried him to the field where he put him down on grass and in the shade. He removed some of the membrane sacking and the baby in his movements removed the rest (he was doign these movements in the dust but the dust was not causing enough friction to get the membrane off).
Bo in the meantime is very excited in his paddock with the boys as he can see what is going on. He forgets he can get himself out of that paddock and tries digging holes into the girls paddock,and when that fails tries nearer the gate. He succeeds several times only to be taken back to the other side of the fence! Each time he got in with the girls he was very inquisitive but very gentle. The females were all on hand watching anyway and woudl not have let anything happen if possible to the new arrival.
Our neighbour sexed the cria for us and began rubbing the baby on his next which appeared to stimulate him. By 5pm the baby was up for the first time and took a little step,fell down, rested, then tried again and succeeded. Not very much longer after this the baby suckled from the mother and we then knew that we could leave mother and baby alone and all woudl be well.
What a wonderful surprise for us and what a proud mother Visa seems to be!!!

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We left Frankie on his own for one day, and then the next day, since he seemed to keep up next to the fence where the two boys (Sumac and Orlando) were, we decided to let him in with them.
We kept checkign that he was Ok and not being bullied. Later, near evening time, Sumac decided to “use” Frankie, and got very amorous with him. Frankie didn’t seem to object, but after the event frankie was bleeding from the mouth. We had to catch him and check him. It appeared he had bitten his tongue and was dripping blood everywhere.
We kept an eye on him, but put Sumac and Orlando back in their own paddock and kept Frankie in his usual one.
The bleeding stopped quite quickly and soon he was munching away as usual.
This morning (the day after the event) Frankie ate his grain as normal and seemed not at all put out by the events of yesterday.
Alpacas seem to be very resilient animals!

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Today we put Visa and Chopaka in the same paddock in the hope that they will mate. They have been in together for about four hours so far, and Chopaka has shown no interest in Visa! However, he has been eating and munching non-stop since he has been in there! I think it has more grass than his old paddock!

Frankie, the little white Alpaca that we had gelded a few weeks ago, was put in with the two pregnant girls, since we thought he could do them no harm. However, he got very friskie and started harrassing the two girls, chasing them and trying to mount them. So we decided to put him back in his paddock on his own.

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I did some mowing this morning. I had started last week and mowed the front lawns and the back first bit, round by our pool and by the new paddock that we are in the process of putting in. So this morning I thought I would start on the back three acres. I never got once round before the mower gave up….. it still would go but the blades did not cut. I stopped the mower, got off and looked underneath, determining that the drive belt was loose and for some reason the bit that held the blade and the belt was lower than it should be.
When hubby got home he looked at it and determined that I had broken the bit that held this up.. a big thick chunk of a bit that would be diifficult to break!
We took it in to be fixed, and luckily they had the part and within two hours we fetched it home…. Complete now with new drive bit, and new blades.
Let’s hope that there are no more big stones that I can hit that would weaken my mower and bend my blades!

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Thanks to my daughter, yet again, for sorting out my problems on my blog. She has it up and working again and has even given it a new look. So Thank You, my lovely daughter!

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Our alpacas were sheared today.
They were done in a different manner to last year. Last year they were strapped to a table and sheared. This year they were sheared standing up.
First we did little Frankie Blue Eyes. Then he was let into the paddock to graze. Then we did his mate Chopaka. While he was being sheared Frankie somehow got himself through the bars and came to investigate. Once Chopaka was sheared then both boys happily grazed in the paddock.
Next to be done was Sumac. He complained a bit more than the others! Then he was let loose in his usual paddock, which is now well away from fgrankie and Chopaka as he has taken to attacking them! (he is eager to be king-male, especially now we have a female who is ready to mate.)
Next Orlando got sheared and his face hair got trimmed so he can now see clearly. He too was then let to graze in his usual paddock with Sumac.
The girls were next. Visa was first of the girls and she complained bitterly, throwing herself everywhere. Meanwhile Guinevere decided to flip herself over the wooden railings of her paddock, into the grazing section of their paddock (we had limited where they could go in readiness for clipping.)
Then came Guinever and lastly Sasha.
All animals now look exceedingly thin and thin necked! However I am sure they will appreciate the clipping once the hotter weather arrives!!

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I have been planting our vegetables and so far have planted potatoes, kohl rabi, carrots, beetroot, lettuce, peas and onions.
I am determined to look after it better this year and not neglect the watering… but we shall see!
Last year having visitors around caused me to neglect the watering and hence the harvest was NOT a good one!

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Our new alpacas seem to be settling well.The two girls and Sasha come up to eat the grain out of my hands. Guinevere has been more reluctant, but now eats out of my hand. Visa has eaten the grain readily from day one!
Orlando, the boy alpaca is now in the same paddock as the other boys and seems to be liking it. He still does not eat out of my hands but eats the grain that is put in with his hay in his feeder.

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I see it is a Long Time since I blogged last! The snow has finally disapeared; Spring seems to be here though every now and again we get a cold day! I have spent 3 lovely weeks in England visiting my family and now it is time to Spring Clean, garden and get chores done around the house and farm.
We have bought two more female alpacas, Visa (sister apparently to one called Cash!!) and Gwenavere who is pregnant and due to produce in June and is about seven years old.
Visa is a darker color to Gwenavere, and several years older but since the two alpacas have grown up together we felt it would be unfair to part them. A male was on offer too but we do not need any more males here, as we have two (Sumac and Chopaka) already and little Frankie Blue Eyes who we will have neutered when he is old enough (we do not want to breed him because of the risk of deafness to his offspring (Frankie is deaf).
The two alpacas will be here in a few days time!

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I started on my second latch hook rug the other day. It is a scene with a mountain view. I have already done about 20 sets of ten by ten rows.
However, doing the last ten by ten, I suddenly realised I was going to be cutting it fine at the top of the rug. I counted the rows left to do. Sure enough, the pattern will take me right to the top of the rug. Which now means I will have to finish the rug about four or five rows short.
I wish I had looked at the beginning instead of trusting that they had printed their pattern in the correct place! I checked sideways! Why or why did I not check top to bottom?!!

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