What a beautiful day on the farm.  A nice breeze and a day in the 70's, what more can one ask for.  I just want to soak in the warmth and the sunshine.  Rich picked up a van full of straw so we placed bails where we have some major erosion problems in the pastures.  Erosion is such a problem for small farmers.  We use the straw to slow down the run-off.  Once we get a gully washer we are really going to have a problem if we do not have a plan in action.  The alpacas love to kush next to the hay, in fact the cats love to lay right nest to the hay.

As you can see, Alexi and J Arbuckle have been playing.  Alexi has now learned to lope.  They are so much fun to watch.

Seeing Green!

I am so excited that the 3.5+" of rain this past week have us seeing GREEN in our brown pastures!  I really hate the brown of drought!  Though there is a lot of mud and still a great deal of brown we are seeing some Green.  This, of course is very good for the alpacas, as they have been eating a lot of hay and they will get plenty of that once Winter sets in.  Lots of wet weather means more beans in the barn  but more grateful alpacas.  Chores took a bit longer this morning.


I have been noticing Frederica shaking her head often, so yesterday I used some Q-tips to explore what was going on inside her ears and discovered a lot of dust.  This morning I flushed her ears with warm water.  I hope that does the trick.  So far it looks good.


I am a bit worried about J Arbuckle, he seems so depressed.  He hates being away from Priscilla more than being separated from his dam, Bess.  If I can get him out of the nursing mode I can put them back together until spring. Weaning is such a slow process and I personally think a beautiful animal can have its fiber ruined if it is not handled right.  What is right for the dam is not always right for the cria.  Bess is doing better being separated  during the day.   Perhaps I should give some thought to separating Freja and Priscilla for part of the day.  


As I was feeding the big boys in the shed, because of the misty rain, I discovered Illapa would not go inside to eat the grain.  I need to be sure he has a dish of grain outside under the over hang.  I think this explains why he is always wet when there is water.  Oh, my this is like have the kids back at the house.

Tomorrow I am teaching spinning to a new student.  It is always exciting to open up the world of spinning to a new student.  I am so excited.  I wish you could all join us in the Fiber Cottage!


Alpaca Lady 

Picture of the Cria

I quickly did  barn chores and was able to take a few pictures  of the cria.

Priscilla, Delilah, Alexi

Priscilla, Alexi, Delilah

Alexi is growing up.

Alexi with her dam Delilah.

Priscilla Queen of the Midwest

You can see that Bess's back bone is showing and her cria, J Arbuckle is nearly as big as his dam.

Weaning, the slow process!

Weaning is such a slow process, ugh, just when you think you are getting ahead the dam is anxious to nurse, or the alpacas do not cooperate when they are being separated and you are in a hurry to get some place.  Many breeders just separate them and that is the end of it, but I believe it is critical to do it right and the process must be at the pace both the cria and dam can handle.  I nursed 4 babies and I can tell you that each of the babies had different needs.  In fact I had different needs with each of the babies.  So, it is my own experience I draw on when it comes to weaning.  I want my cria to grow up secure and confident.  I want the dams to feel it is the right time and be ready for the nursing to end.  It seems even more important when the dam is not re-bred shortly after delivery.
For now, J Arbuckle is with his dam from night feeding until morning feeding.  That way he is next to his dam in the dark.  I think a couple more days of this and we will not let them together at the evening feeding, but rather when I am just about ready to hit the sack myself.

Lovely Day in the Pasture

Once again we had a beautiful day, we will miss them in another month.  Rich and I spent the day working out on the farm.  He attacked the plum trees and helped me tackle the large poop pile in the lagoon pasture.  My there was a lot of beans to scoop.  It may sound awful, but  I really don't mind.  I mowed in several pastures knocking off the seed heads.  We have had such little rain that the dust clogged the mower and Rich had to blow the dust out of the engine to get it running again.
I was able to get a little time in the Fiber Cottage.  I am spinning the beautiful fiber I dyed with pokeberries.  I even managed to work on the triangle loom.  I am getting very close to finishing the 7 foot shawl.  
We let all the girls + J Arbuckle and Eddie be together all day.  J Arbuckle didn't give Alexi any trouble.  They are together tonight, so I have my fingers crossed they will begin to get along.

Oh, yea  . . . the unlady like Lady Bugs are back.  Ugh!

Another Beautiful Day on the Farm

It is another beautiful day.  So nice to have the sunshine and temps I can work in.  Rich is doing the grocery shopping and I am checking on straw prices.  I am anxious to get out to the Fiber Cottage for some spinning and weaving.  It sure would be nice to get my shawl off the loom.
The alpacas love this weather  . . . they are grazing, playing and rolling in the dust.  They look happy and that puts a smile on my face.  I separated J. Arbuckle and Priscilla for the first time.  I want little Alexi to have time with another cria.  Since J. Arbuckle insists on making life miserable for Alexi I separated him into a pasture with older animals.  I wish I could make him understand that with a behavior change the three crias could be frolicking together.  Geez, I sound like I am talking about human kids. 
I need to price all of the things I have to sell and get them down to Good Nature.  Good Nature sells my things on consignment.  I just need some motivation . . . today I am turning over that new leaf and becoming more productive.

Cool and really crisp this evening.  Alpacas love this weather, me too.  Downside, my annuals have bit the dust.    

Arbuckle is a Bully!

The other day we separated the girls into two groups because J. Arbuckle was playing rough with brand new Alexi.  H would jump on top of Alexi or knock him down and chase him all over.  so, after a few days of being separated, I tried to put them back together and there was J. Arbuckle after Alexi, once again.  This time he was actually biting him right above the tale.  Once again the girls are separated.
I sat and watched the herd trying to understand the behavior I was seeing.  I think J. Arbuckle does not want to share Priscilla.  Arbuckle has bee acting very male lately and I think Alexi, being male is the problem.  For now I am putting them all together while I am cleaning the barn and feeding them, then separating them.  In the day time Bess is in with Delilah and Alexi, but she is back with her cria at night.