Happy New Year

Hi folks,

It's been a while since our last blog but we are so busy with our alpacas and showing new clients around the farm the blog had to take a back seat for a while. We have some fantastic news to announce in the new year but for now we have to keep it a surprise.

The last couple of weeks have been rather challenging with one thing and another but we are pleased to say that we won't be looking back and the outcome could not have been any better if we had planned it, just nursing a little injury now though but as the saying goes "no pain, no gain".

We are still taking enquiries for alpacas and people wanting to move into breeding alpacas so hopefully with visits booked for early 2014 a few more lucky people will become breeders of elite alpacas and enjoy these enchanted animals.

Well that's all for this blog apart from wishing all our readers the very best for 2014. Hoping you all have the best that you could ever wish for.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Karl and Lisa

Logo

Hello all

 With the weather so grim its nice to have all our animals in at night warm and dry, the stud pens are not quite finished but they are usable and the boys are very happy to be in them.

I have been working hard sorting fleeces, the young fleeces are a nightmare to skirt, I think they have got a bale of hay in each fleece, little monkeys.

The big news at the minute is I have finally got my Logo drawn up. I wanted the logo for WillowBank Alpacas to represent what we are all about and with the help from Lauren Stalker talking about what's important to me, this is what she came up with

 

This has been taken from a photo we have of Lily kissing Gieves, and I love it, it sums us up to a tee. 

 

Thank you so much Lauren it looks amazing.

Weekend of Fleeces

Hello all

Sunday was the Heart of England Fleece Show, Its a lovely show and one that we like to attend because we get to have a day out and catch up with friends from down south. 

And the best bit for Lily, is the rosette we came 6th and I hold my hands up Rod and Les it did have half a bale of hay in his fleece, which did reflect in the score. That's what you get when you do something last minute, but with that aside I was over the moon with how my fleece compared to others.

I've not mastered the art of taking fleece pictures but this is High Flyer's 1st fleece, its all very exciting. 

That's all for tonight, take care all.

Village Spirit.

Hello all

Its been fun around the village of Thurlaston this weekend, Its been the village Harvest festival and Scarecrow competition, The scarecrows this year were fantastic and I thought I would put a few up to show you all. Lily did love seeing them well done Thurlaston Villagers.

This is the school scarecrow

Just brilliant, If you would like to find out more about this fab little village it has its own web site thurlastononline.co.uk

Thats all for tonight take care all.

Happy Days

Hello all

Yesterday we had another visit from a lovely couple that we have been working closely with over the last few weeks. Denise and Alan from Yorkshire. Denise and Alan are about to set out on their very own alpaca dream with a fantastic heard that they have selected to start them off with. We are so excited for them both as it always reminds Karl and I of the time we first set out creating our dream.
Denise and Alan are a lovely couple with great determination to build on the genetics that they have chosen and be a part of breeding quality elite alpacas with genetics that we all strive for.

Denise has some fantastic ideas and has a real eye for what she wants, with the enthusiasm that they both have we are sure they will be a great success. We were always told when we were setting out that the happiness you feel yourselves when you help others to create their dreams is overwhelming and they were right, just looking at Denise and Alan as they looked at their alpacas that they have selected gave us such a buzz. Its going to be our pleasure to be able to offer support and advice throughout their journey and to see them achieve their dream of becoming breeders of quality elite alpacas. Well done guys your dreams are starting to come true and we wish you every success in the future.

Well we will tell you more on this later and pictures to follow soon

That's all for now, take care all. 

Dream's Can Come true.

Hello all

We have had a lovely day today, we were visited by a lovely lady from Yorkshire along with her auntie and uncle, who I cant name because I for got to ask if I could mention them on the blog. They were a real lovely family who want to live the alpaca dream, which was fantastic for us to talk to them about how we set out on our dream, the way we have set out our business where we want to go with it, and most import a good old rummage through the alpaca fleeces, explaining what its all about.

The stud pens are coming on, Karl has been working hard on them this weekend again. he is back work tomorrow for a rest!!! bless him

Lily has another wobbly tooth which is big news for her, the cat has had kittens and Willow is getting over being spade last Thursday, hard work trying to stop her bounding round home. Sorry Pebbles your next :-(

Thats all for tonight take care all.

Wet

Hello all

Today has been a bit of a wet day, poo picking the fields still had to be done but I was just to hot in water proofs so I got wet, I did enjoy my cup of tea after I had finished.

Karl over the weekend has been working hard building stud pens, its starting to take shape and should be ready shortly I hope (No pressure Karl).

This picture was taken before it rained taken from our lounge window, it beats watching the television any day.

Take care all. 

What's Karl Been Up To!

Hello all

Great weather here today, suns out but not to hot and a field of content alpacas grazing, I do love my job.

Over the past few weeks we have been doing all sorts of DIY around the farm getting ready for winter once more.

My fantastic husband has made new doors.

 He has also concreted the back barn, which will be made into 4 stud pens and 2 birthing units with heat lamps for times if we should need them.

Its getting their, next weekend I think he starting the block work, then it will be down to me to paint, its going to be nice to have pens that work well for the job that we do, thank you Karl your amazing.

thanks all take care. x

Saying Hello

Hello all

Just thought I would share a few pictures with you all

Willow Love's to come with me to feed the alpacas, the alpacas really don't mind her being in the field around the young cria's, every body just wants to say hello.

Wellground Tchaikovsky keeping an eye on his girl from a far, he is my handsome cuddly teddy bear.

Wellground Beyond Compare looks great after her c section back in June, her cria Willowbank Susan is growing up fast, she is looking like a real little cracker. 

Well its late at night as I'm writing this, Karl has just come in from work so I'm off to make him a cup of tea.

Good night all.

Been A Wild Weekend.

Hello all,

Well we are getting back to normal again, Lily went back school on Thursday.

And then Saturday was party day, Lily this year wanted a birthday party, so with the barn cleaned and painted, we put banners up happy birthday signs and straw bales placed around the barn, it was set for a wild west fancy dress party for Lily's class friends, 

It was fantastic to see all the kids dressed up and having fun,  I cant put many pictures up because I forgot to asked the parents if I could use them apart from this one.

The cake was made by a friend of ours Amy Bevins, she makes the most amazing cakes.

So happy birthday to our Lily Bear, we love you so much. 

2 More Today.

Hello all

Well today Wellground Magenta has given birth to a little girl, Magenta is a cracking female having Accoyo Remarque for her sire and Jolimont Commisario on the dams side.

We have decided to call her Willowbank Ruby Tuesday, She is sired by Wellground Relentless who is once more a very proud daddy. Relentless has super genetics his sire is EP Cambridge Samson and NWA Ltd Ruffo on his dams side, that makes for a very nice Ruby Tuesday.

Having made my self a cup of tea after cleaning up from Magenta's birth, I decided to sit on the bank and watch mum and baby bond, while having a chat to Donna from Honeyfield Alpacas on her show success yesterday, I noticed that Bacardi had now gone into labour, with in the hour I had 2 new baby cria's on the ground.

Meet Willowbank Rum, a strong but laid back young man sired by Wellground Relentless, so with Donna laughing at me down the phone as I huffed and puffed clearing his air way and spraying navel, (he is a big heavy boy) we have 2 more babies.

The cria at the back is Willowbank Lily and the other to the front is Willowbank Ruby Tuesday.

Finally Willowbank Rum finds the milk bar, he is a lazy cria!!! 

Wellground Lora Finally Has Her Baby

Hello all

The day has finally come 364 days and Lora has given birth to a fantastic little girl, poor Lora had a tough birth all a bit of a tight squeeze with her being a maiden, Lora needed a bit of help getting her cria out.

But she is very much in love with her new baby girl.

Its a special little girls birthday on Thursday, Lily our daughter will be 6, so we have decided to call the cria Willowbank Lily.

Willowbank Lily is sired by Wellground Close Encounter, with his top elite genetics combined with Lora's eliteness, we should have a little cracker.

That's all for tonight from a very happy Willowbank.

Come On Wellground Lora

Hello all

Well i'm still waiting for Wellground  Lora to give birth she is now 351 days, It's like waiting for christmas, i'm so excited to see what she will produce.

She is mated to Wellground Close Encounter, a stunning male that produces really fantastic cria's, our up and coming male  Willowbank Prime Contender is a Close Encounter baby, and another boy coming through the ranks is Willowbank High Flyer, again a Wellground Close Encounter son, who also has a bright fleece thats full of beautiful staples and crimp. 

Will keep you posted on Lora, but for now i'm back off to paint. 

Wellground Tchaikovsky

Hello all

I thought I should put a few pictures up of Wellground Tchaikovsky, to show you who Rob & Les at Wellgroung Alpacas stud are talking about.

He is the most handsome
boy with a fleece to die for, so soft and what surprised me most was the weight of his fleece when shorn. Ted as we call him is Sired by Silverstream Czar of Anzac and the Dam is EP Cambridge Assertive Lass, who has Jolimont Commisario and Jolimont Conquistador in her genetics.

Wellground stud have had some cracking off spring from our boy this year, can't wait to see the fleeces of these animals in shows next year and our own babies being born from him next year to, very exciting time's ahead for us at Willowbank. 

Some Of My Painting!!!

Hello all

Thought I would put a few pictures up of what I've been painting.

This is the top barn, Karl has in closed the front a little bit more so the weather keeps out in the winter. Then once Karl has done his magic touch it's my turn to paint it all up.

After painting all the wall's with under coat, their final colour is Mid Stone, I should have taken a picture inside the barn, I wonder which alpaca will be the first to spit on my nice wall's.

The bottom yard is also having a make over, painted inside and out. All it needs now is the new doors making which when Karl gets a day off work bless him they may just get made.

This is what it looks like from the drive way, I've still got more painting to do but I'm getting their. 

That's all for tonight, Karl has got home from work, so I'm going to make him a nice cup of tea.

Lily's World

Hello all

I'm still doing DIY here, and it is starting to take shape. The heaven's have opened so I've taken to the computer to up date you all on whats been happening here at Willowbank, I am still waiting for Wellground Lora to give birth, she is now 10 days over her due date.

As for Lily the bear......

Or should I say Lily the sheep???

Have you even seen a sheep riding a pony????.  As well as dressing up I found her building 

She makes the most of the space she has to play in.

That's what our Lily has been up to so far this summer holidays.

Will be out with the camera when it stops raining to take pic's of the barn and the Alpacas.

DIY Around The Farm.

Hello all

Karl and I have been busy doing jobs about the place, while all the alpacas are sleeping out we have been making improvements to the top barn, we were finding in the winter the wind and rain was going into the barn so we wanted to keep the air flow but just make it a little more protected for the alpacas.

Lily and I jet washed the barn out and painted the wall"s on the inside on Friday/Saturday. We now have all the wood work to paint up next then start on the bottom barn"s improvements and re paint.  we are getting their slowly and soon we will be ready for winter again. 

I found Lily rummaging through the Alpaca fleeces, it's nice that she is interested in what we do here at Willowbank, she is very much apart of the business and want's to help with all the animals etc. I have to say she can pick a good fleece out. (starting her young). 

That's all for tonight xx 

Willowbank Lottie

Hello all

Busy bee's back here at Willowbank, while alpacas are out enjoying the sunshine I've picked up the paint brush, time to give the place a lick of paint again and a good tidy round, bit like spring cleaning but out side.

Willow the dog helping too.

We have a cracking little cria Willowbank Lottie, she is a very sweet little girl and  along with her mum Cambidge Ginny, both owned by clients of ours and have always remained on our farm, these two are being released for sale at £4000 plus vat. Please call for anymore information.

They offer fantastic genetics having EP Cambridge Peruvian Spartacus, Jolimont Commisario in their pedigree to name just a few. 

This picture is taken by Karl as he sat on the decking, the alpacas always come over to be with us when we sit out etc. I'm always enchanted by these wonderful animals.

Well it's a new day, my paint brush is waiting and the girls who are due to birth to keep my eye on.

Enjoy your day