Shearing Day 2012

Shearing Day 2012 was a beautiful day!  I am so happy to be able to say this, because more often than not we shear on rainy days.  Our favorite shearer  was with us, Michael Banks from New Zealand.  He is is a fast and accurate shearer putting very little stress on our animals. We had a great crew of friends out to help and it was a busy day.  I was so proud of how well we had our cria fleeces blown out,  It was a lot of work but it did pay off.  I need to weigh the clip and then it will be time to dive into fiber.  I am still looking for a good mill if you have any suggestions.

The alpacas were treated to fresh , new, green pastures after shearing . . .I know they are happy!

Spring Time on the Farm

It has been the strangest spring with record breaking highs and a lot of rain.  We are happy to have spring here, but wonder what this weather will do for us in future.  Putting those thoughts aside we are enjoying the beautiful days.  We have limed, fertilized, aerated, and seeded three pastures and now we have two more to go, but they will have to wait until we can move the alpacas off them.  We are now seeing the green . . . yes, the beautiful tender green!  The alpacas are going to be so happy when we can move them onto these beautiful, rich pastures.
We have shearing coming up on April 6.  We are working getting ready for the event.  For some reason the herd has found all the leaves, sticks and general junk they can roll in.  I guess they don't understand how much time it takes me to clean their fleeces.
Halter training is in full swing.  Dancing Paws was led up on the deck and visited with Annie our indoor cat.  There is not a lot of leading done in the winter, so spring is a great time to get everyone back into walking with us.  Alexi, the cria, is doing exceptional in this area.  He is a delight.  The two weanlings are a bit more hesitant, but two are doing pretty well on the lead.

Alexi seemed to have discovered the joy of loping yesterday after the chute was opened after being closed for several weeks.  I truly think loping is a dance of joy.

Eddie looking out.

Maverick caught in the bucket.

New Hay Stacked in the Barn

We moved 60 bales of hay from the drive down the hill to the barn.  It was cold and a lot of work.  Our son helped us which really reduced the amount of time it took.  Thanks, Isaac, for all the help!  The alpacas are happy for the beautiful fresh hay!

Just before the Storm . . .

At least that is how it feels . . .the weather is so nice, the days are bright, warm and breezy, so a storm must not be too far behind.  I guess the harsh winter, last year has made me very cautious at this time of the year!  I know it cannot stay this nice forever, though I secretly hope so.  I really enjoyed the weekend with happy alpacas, my husband working in the garden and an un-planned hot dog cooked over the camp fire.  It grounds me to have  a weekend like that. 
I know I need to get organized for winter, yet I find myself putting off all I have to do.  I did get the rest of the windows in the cottage covered in plastic and I am really liking the results.  It is warmer, yet the light comes in and I am happy about that.  I need to get out there and finish my triangle loom shawl, that way if the plastic does not work on the windows, I will be able to easily bring the triangle loom into the house.   
The barn chores were easy this A.M. and my aching body was grateful.


I am off to mark some items that I want to take to Good Nature where they sell many of our farm items and to get ready for our Columbia Weavers and Spinners' Guild meeting tomorrow night.




           

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.

Spinning

It was a nice day, not great during the morning barn chores but a very nice afternoon.  I have put some of the shrink plastic over the Fiber Cottage windows and it actually worked!   It was nice enough in the Fiber Cottage that I could teach my two new students out there!  It was great spinning in the cottage.   I do love to work among the fiber and the looms.  I got the temps up to 68 degrees and that is nice working temperature.  Maybe, just maybe we will have  many Fiber Cottage days this winter.


Changing the subject . . .


Alexi is becoming the little performer.  When we look out our back windows we can often see him romping all over the pastures.  He is so bold, chest butting the dams getting them to chase and play with him.  What fun!

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 

Halter Training, poor J. Arbuckle.

Oh, poor J. Arbuckle, today he started halter training and he was separated for a much longer time from his dam, Bess.  For halter training, I put Frederica, Priscilla, and J. Arbuckle in the catch pen.  We walked around to the right for a while, then we walked to the left for a while.  I looked at their fiber and just hung out with them.  After a while I gently placed a halter on each of the young alpacas.  Priscilla did very well, J Arbuckle and Frederica, who is already halter trained, fought the halters.  I left the halters on the three of them while we patiently walked around to the right and then to the left.  As J. Arbuckle calmed down I removed his halter, next  Priscilla's  was removed. J. Arbuckle was separated from his dam for the day.  Frederica and I took a walk around the farm, something I have not done in a very long time.  I think she enjoyed the walk down through the gardens and through the back yard. I certainly enjoyed it.

J. Arbuckle and Bess were not put together until 10 PM.  Bess was full of milk and went looking for her son as soon as the gate was open.  Ah, life on the farm. . .

Frederica on the right.

Cricket watching from the tree.

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.

Observations

It was really chilly out this AM, but of course, in the dead of winter it would have seemed like a heat wave.  It is funny how things change our views.  The alpacas were more hungry than usual, I guess they felt the cold, as well.  Alexi is a fast little cria.  He knows how to hide among the other alpacas so I can't just grab him.  I hesitated to take off his coat, being so cold and all, but the low 40's really aren't that cold for an alpaca.  I know he will need that coat tonight when he will be out in his first freeze.  I put a little extra hay in the manger and began to mentally make a check list of things I need to do before winter.

• Put up wind shields around the corral areas.  It sure would have helped last year.
• Move as much of the poop pile to the garden area as we can.  This will help in two ways.  It will help the gardens and it will get the poop pile down so it can take the winter additions.  There is a lot of good soil under there.
• Now that it has rained, perhaps we can repair some fencing.  I think this is the least favorite job on most any farm.  It is heavy and and intense work.
• Arrange for some independent grain and hay in the boy's shed.
• Get out the heated water buckets.  I hate these buckets, they are so much harder to clean, but so nice for our animals.
• I need to try to insulate the cottage windows so I can use the cottage for more of the winter. 
• Make room in the garage for the car.
• caulk

I think that is enough list for now. I don't believe in too long of lists and this one is plenty long.

Back to observations, I really like to take the time to watch the herd and all the interactions they have.  Eddie is the only light colored animal on the girl's side besides the new cria.  One thing about the herd, they all basically get along , but they do segregate themselves by color when they are grazing and kushing.  Alexi often gravitates toward Eddie and Eddie tries to shed himself of the tiny Alexi. (They are both very light colors.)  I think Eddie is afraid Alexi will try to nurse off him.  Eddie is such a big gelding and Alexi is such a little wisp of a cria.

    Lady's girls try to stay on the same side of the fence with her.  Frederika even tries to nurse when she has been separated from her dam.  Frederika is almost 3!!!  Pippi hums to be on the same side of the fence with Lady.  Bess is anxious to be separated from her large cria, J. Arbuckle.  She has gotten so run down from the nursing demand he puts on her.  She is happy to be put in with him at night.

Our kitty, Cricket, is at the vet being spayed.  It is really silly, but I miss seeing her playing on the deck.  I will be happy when she returns and is chasing  anything that moves.

I better get back to work, thanks for stopping by the blog . . .

Cold and Damp but All is Well on the Farm . . .

It is a grey day.  It is damp and chilly and my muscles ache.  Ugh!   But the barnyard doesn't seem to mind the weather as much as I do.  I say that, knowing full well that the rain kept them close to the barn last night . . . because the barnyard was full of poop.   Good news is that it all looks great and who ever was having mushy poop is now back to normal.  I hardly know what to do with moist ground and chilly temps, but I know I will figure it out.  Here are some pictures to share.

Alexi in his night time coat.

Al 

Cloudy

Cloudy

Pippilotta Long Stockings

Alexi is always in motion.

Bess

When we put Arbuckle back in with his dam, Bess, she let him nurse briefly then started  kicking him.  she knows this big baby needs to be weaned!  Her weight is way down and he is a  big boy.  We will continue to separate them in the day time and put them back together at night for a while.  But soon we will separate him from her.  It is hard for me to watch, but I know it has to be done.  I think it will really be hard for him when he has to separate from Priscilla.  Being only two days apart they have never been separated and are best friends.  Priscilla is not ready to be weaned.    We will have to watch that Arbuckle does not start nursing off of Freja.  I have seen him do that several times and she has not seemed to noticed.She too is very thin and nursing an additional cria would not be good for her health.


We got some rain later in the day.  The rain is not much, but we are so dry, anything helps.  I worked in the fiber cottage for a good part of the day.  I have a shawl on the 7 foot triangle loom and I am spinning up the fiber I dyed with pokeberrys.  The pokeberries sure made colorful fiber that is making a slubby yarn.

Time to Wean!

We found J. Arbuckle in with the new cria.  The day before, we had to separate him from the cria because he was playing rough with Alexi.  This morning  seemed a perfect time to begin the weaning process, so Mom went in with Delilah and Alexi and others and J. Arbuckle went in the other pasture with Priscilla Queen of the Midwest and her dam Freja.   Usually we would hear a lot of humming and carrying on but Bess was more than happy to be free of her big boy for the day.  This evening when we went to the barn dam and cria were reunited and J. Arbuckle could be hear slurping all the way across the barn.  Tomorrow morning we will separate them, once again for the day.

Alexi is now 14.1#.  He is growing fine.  He is full of energy and becoming more of a challenge to catch.  I got a good look at his  fiber, how nice to see the tight bundles and the popcorn look!  Oh I cannot wait until I can get my hands on his tui (fleece from first shearing) fleece!

Males Jumping Fences

Wow, nothing gets the adrenaline pumping harder than seeing the wrong alpaca in the young male pasture.  It seems Fionn and Maverick jumped the fence to the front pasture.  Maverick was interested in the greener grass and Fionn wanted to put the youngest male in his place.  This is  done by chasing, neck wrestling and mounting the youngster.  Fionn is a very big male and he does know that.  Rich and I quickly got the two larger ones back where  they belonged only to find Maverick was back over and the rest of the mature males were scanning the fence line to find a weak point where they too could cross.  Rich repaired the fence and we are set for another day.  We know we need to replace some fencing . . . soon.  We are just pleased that we do not have any fencing that is common for the males and females.  That can give a very different ending to the story!

I took Illapa on a walk.  He hasn't been haltered for a while, so it was nice to see he handle so well.  I like to take them out of the pastures and out among the gardens and pines for their walks.  Delilah and Alexi seem to have a stronger bond and she has become a very attentive mother.  I think she knows she feels better when he nurses.

Catching You Up

It has a been a busy time on the farm since I last posted.  Weather has been changing, cria born and an unexpected death Sigmund.  The weather could not be nicer and I feel a real rush to do all the the things I have put  off.  It is almost overwhelming.  


On Wednesday I went out to the barn, a bit late because a had a call from one of my kids that needed my attention.  I could see Delilah  in the back corral where all of them were waiting for me to feed them.  I really didn't think anything about it, so I started cleaning up the poop piles in the barn and in the corral on the east to of the barn.  I was getting ready to get the grain to feed them when I heard a little noise, certainly not a hum.  I went to the barn door expecting to find a mouse or bird being tortured by Critter our kitten.  To my surprise there was a small dusty cria stuck in the corner of the fencing.  Oh, what a surprise, as I really expected this one, at the earliest, next week.  At first I thought he was a dusty white, but I soon found him to be a beautiful beige.  Yea, a new color on the farm and one I can dye!  He has now been named Alexi Laiho by our son Isaac.  Pippi is a bit confused by it all as she recently lost a cria.  I think she will be Alexi's second mother.  Alexi only weighed in at 13#, the next day he was down to 12.6#.  That is normal for a cria to lose up to a half pound on his second day.  I am anxious to weigh him tonight.

The Hay is done!

Richard got the rest of the hay into the barn.  Our grand kids were here so I spent a lot of time with them while he stacked the last of the hay.  The barn sure smells good.

It sure does not look like much in this picture.  This is about 2/3 of the hay we put up.

Our granddaughter helped with the barn chores.  It is nice to have her down at the barn with us.  After the chores were finished they had a good time playing out on the rock pile.  The shadows were long and they had a lot of fun playing with their shadows.

Herd looks good

I am happy to say the herd is healthy.  We recently had an alpaca die from parasites.  We have never had a parasite problem on the farm, so it was a  real shock.  We had the rest of the herd checked for parasites and wormed.  The results came back that all were fine.  The one that died had been on another farm and the general consensus of the vets is that he brought the parasites from the other farm.  We did have fecals done at that time, but the parasite load was low enough then not to show up.  This does not diminish the death.  He was a beautiful animal with some of our finest fiber.  He is dearly missed.
When something like this happens, I always feel like I failed.  The best I can do is try to learn from the event.
It was a beautiful day and I should have been able to be productive but I just couldn't
get motivated.

Catchin Up

It has been along time since I posted anything.  I do so like the feel of journaling , so I am going to post at least once a week.  Maybe, now that I have stated that publicly I will hold myself to it.

The farm really had a good summer with 5 one week long day camps.  They really make me smile and I find they give me purpose.  I seem to a have  a need to be involved with teaching children about the wonders of my little world.  Some of my campers have attended all five summers and at least 12 camps.  I have so much respect for these kids.  Our camps were hot this summer, one day reaching 107.5 degrees!  Not one child ever complained about the heat.  Instead they draped themselves with cold wet hand towels and wash cloths and played fashion show.  They were creative, fun to be around and eager to learn all I had to share.