13kg!!!

Hi All,

Well those of you that read our blog would have remembered me saying that Alice one of Australian females was holding onto her cria. Alice, who genetics include EP Cambridge Stormcat as her Sire and NWA Ltd Ruffo on her Dams side.

We are pleased to say that after 23 days overdue at 19.00 last night Alice gave birth to a Solid White Female, now this was not the easiest of births as the cria is absolutely massive weighing in at 13kg that's 2 stone!! Lisa had to assist as the cria was understandably stuck, it was a normal presented cria but she still took some pulling even the back end wouldn't come out on it's own.

These are not the best of pictures as they were taken in our birthing quarters under the heat lamps. The cria's Sire is Wellground Legend of Spartacus a Scottish National Fleece Show Supreme Champion. So putting those genetics in the mix with EP Cambridge Stormcat and NWA Ltd Ruffo we are keen to see how this cria will develop.

Alice and daughter are doing really well and the cria is now running rings around Alice in the birthing quarters. We have decided to keep them both in today as the weather here is not the good and we would rather keep them in.

Well that's all for this morning, the barn still awaits for attention.

First Signs Of Shearing

Hi Folks,

Well today has been a manic day. I rushed back from work a little bit earlier today as we had our friend Sam coming to shear our sheep. Lisa had already been up to our other land and fetched the sheep back in the trailer and had got them ready in the barn for Sam's' arrival.

We only have six ewes and Bertie the ram that needed shearing so for a professional like Sam this was going to be a quick pit stop.

Sam has managed to fit us in to his busy schedule, He has approximately 20,000 sheep to shear and had already shorn 300 before calling into us. Well with Sam shearing like a trooper it was all over in a blink of an eye. Thanks Sam you are a star.

The barn was soon cleaned up and disinfected after the sheep had been in again and so to was the trailer after we had taken them back to the other land, I can't even recognise them as our sheep now, mind you I have the same problem with the alpacas when they are shorn, talking of which our alpacas are being shorn next Thursday so it will be good bye to those big beautiful fluffy coats.

I think the boys were unsure who these strange looking creatures are, by the faces that were being pulled you would have never of guessed that they were together only a couple of hours ago.

This picture is for Debbie at Barn Acre Alpacas, as you can see Debbie Kazuo still has his dirty beard and has now taken up wading in the water trough and then getting himself grubby from the dust piles....he is a first class tramp!!

Alice is now three weeks over her predicted birthing date and still she shows no signs of anything happening in the near future, well I guess that's alpacas for you, they like to keep you guessing.

The barn alterations are starting to take shape and we can start to see how it's all going to work for us, this is one of those jobs that we have been meaning to do for a long time and never got round to it, but no we wish that we had done it sooner and benefited from it sooner. Lisa is still keeping the whip cracked over my back to get the barn finished before shearing, but with seven day weeks at work and Sunday being my only day off this week, it's going to be close. Not even a bank holiday Monday next week as I have got to go into work, so again it's return home and work on the barn until it gets dark, which gives me about two hours an evening. Never mind the new carousel system we are creating will all be worth it in the end.

Well I must dash as the cat of nine tails has struck my back again and I hear the barn calling.

A Change For The Better.

Hi All,

Well it has been a busy weekend for us as we have decided to redesign the inside of one of our barns. We have been meaning to arrange the barn since last year, as it was not working for us how we would of liked it to.

As you are all aware trying to keep the stress levels down with alpacas is an important role of keeping alpacas, so making the handling areas as least stressful as possible was our aim with the barn. We are creating a carousel affect within the barn allowing all the alpacas that we require to be handled for husbandry duties or shearing to be moved around to the appropriate stages in the barn and then released into a final holding bay before returning back to the paddocks, this will hopefully reduce any unnecessary running around, reducing the risk of any injury or stress.

We are very conscious here not to put any animal under any unnecessary stress and are very keen to make the experience for the alpacas as comfortable as possible and obviously a bit easier for us to manage.

The alpacas are all looking fantastic out in the paddocks and we are due for shearing on the 2nd June so getting the barn completed before then is the aim. Lisa assures me that I will have it finished!!

We have an alpaca that is coming up to 2 weeks over her due date this Thursday, so again we have been on constant look out trying to catch any sign of birthing, so we will keep you posted with the progress of Alice.

The Pedigree Ryeland sheep are now going up for sale, if any one is interested in a nice starter flock of 6 ewes with lambs at foot and a proven Pedigree Ryeland Ram then please feel free to get in touch.

Well that's it for now, more later with the progress of the barn and Alice.

Don't Put All Your Eggs In One Basket!!

Hi All,

Just a quick blog tonight as we wanted to share a couple of pictures with you all of some strange going on's.....

Lisa was out cleaning the chicken shed out when she noticed a bit of que forming in the shed as to who was going to lay their eggs first.....well that soon turn out obvious as three chickens got into the same box to lay and a fourth was stood looking to see if she also could fit in with them!!

So maybe you can have all your eggs in one basket......well chicken shed anyway.

Lisa then noticed that the girls in the birthing paddock were also up to strange happenings and managed to take this picture of a two headed alpaca......

We have been discussing the going on's and the only thing we can put it down to is that Jayne must have put something in the water when she came......is this your revenge for us having Tchaikovsky...... only joking Jayne we are just having a silly day.

Well that's all for tonight, back soon.

The Sun Is Out Again

Hi All,

Well the sun has been out again here all day which is perfect for getting the grass growing again after the rain.

We have had Naomi our work experience girl here with us again today, so we made good of her time here and set about completely mucking out and stripping down our top barn. Naomi must have arms like an orangutan this evening as she trundled backwards and forwards for must of the day with the wheelbarrow, to the muck heap. Now for a young girl Naomi is certainly not scared of a bit of hard work and doesn't shy away from getting stuck in.

Once we had cleared the barn it was no rest for the wicked as it was time to Lambivac our sheep and lambs, we are going to be selling our small flock of Ryelands as we just don't have the time to give them as all of our time is taken up with the alpacas.

As it had been sunny all day we decided to see if Tchaikovsky's fleece had dried and take some pictures. We are both really pleased with him and I think Lisa has already fallen in love with him......

Lisa and Wellground Tchaikovcky

Relentless couldn't help himself and just had to get into the picture, Tchaikovsky stood like a true gentleman for Lisa and even let her have a cuddle.

I tried again to take a fleece shot but as most of you are aware this is near on impossible to achieve, I had taken several pictures of his fleece and settle on this picture, it gives you a little idea of his fleece but it does his fleece no justice what so ever.

Now as Relentless had stood so nicely whilst all the attention was being given to Tchaikovsky, it was only far that we took his picture. So here is Lisa with Relentless standing proud for his cuddle.

Well that's about it for today's jobs, I'm off to have a bit of a chill out as it's back to work tomorrow and I'm already thinking of that alarm clock going off at 04.30.

Take care all.

Tchaikovsky Arrives

Hi Folks

Well the time has gone by so quick, I couldn't believe that it had been 3 weeks since our last blog entry......that's not good.

With one thing and another we have been so busy it has been a mad house here for the last few weeks, although the best part of the last few weeks was Thursday just gone. Apart from having a medical appointment that interrupted the day, the day was soon brightened up with the arrival of Rob Rawlins from Wellground Alpaca Stud and our additional herd sire "Wellground Tchaikovsky"

"Tchaikovsky" will be running along side our other herd sire here "Wellground Relentless" "Tchaikovsky" pedigree is just as impressive with "Silverstream Czar of Anzac", "Peruvian Hemingway", "EP Cambridge Assertive Lass", "Jolimont Commisario", "Jolimont Conquistador" all of which are in his genetics. We are hoping for something special from this young lad when he matures.

I have been putting of the blog until the weekend so that I could try and take some pictures of our new boy, although I am not complaining the heavens have opened here and we are in the middle of some persistent rain, which is much needed for our grass growth but unfortunately has put Holt to any pictures as fleeces are a little soggy.

I promise to get some pictures as soon as the sun comes out and the fleeces have dried as we are keen to show his fleece off.

Jayne from Zanzibah Alpacas has been stopping with Rob & Les for the week and we were pleased to see that Jayne came along for the trip up north with Rob to drop off "Tchaikovsky". We were privileged to see the hats that Rob talks about on his recent blog and we can confirm they are amazing, you have to see them to appreciate the styles and quality of the craftsmanship that Jayne has put into these, I'm sure she will be selling her garments.

Well I leave you for now as my woodwork is calling but will return soon with pictures of our new boy "Wellground Tchaikovsky" thanks again to Rob & Les at "Wellground Alpaca Stud" you guys certainly know how to produce those top genetics and those show winning alpacas.....

Take care folks.