Wishing all a Happy and Prosperous New Year

We would like to wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous 2011.

Looking back at 2010, we have had a fascinating year with it's challenges but in the main, an extremely positive one. Our breeding programme this year has been a great success with 13 healthy cria born and we are looking forward to an exciting 2011. We would like to thank all of those that have encouraged us and given sound practical advice during the year......no matter how much experience one achieves, there is a fountain of knowledge out there amongst breeders who are only too willing to share this and for that, we are eternally grateful.

Finally, I would like to close this short blog with a few memorable photo's captured during this past year.

Ice Diamond - born in October 2010

Navigator's first fleece award from the GWR show before we sold him!

.....and we finally secured the "Go ahead" for our Canadian Log Cabin!

This is Latte....his fleece is exemplary.. a testament to genetic improvement by mating quality with a mid range female!

Have a fabulous 2011!!

Cold, Cold and even Colder!!

The last couple of weeks has certainly been challenging on the weather front and whilst we all conviced of our Alpaca's resilience to extreme weather conditions, one can't help wondering how they can cope! We have, like so many other breeders, felt the need to give them extra comfort in the form of a warm (ish) barn to spend the cold nights in but we are always surprised to note that they are so eager to get out the following morning. We are still experiencing seriously cold nights at the moment with little let up in sight.

The ice and snow has prevented us delivering Easter-Wood Navigator and Easter-Wood Polaris to their new home in the New Forest last weekend so we will have to review the road conditions again mid-week. We are very sad to see them go but we know that the new owners, Brian and Sue are very keen to welcome them to their new farm.

We had a visit from a family in France who are keen to set up an Alpaca breeding enterprise earlier this month. We had a long conversation about husbandry and welfare, etc over coffee and then took a tour around the farm, introducing them to both weanlings and adults, all of which generated much interest. It is so nice to see the excitement and passion of breeding Alpacas that we experienced in others.

We also had another student contact us recently with a view to gain work experience with Alpacas and so we welcomed her along with her father last weekend. This visit also coincided with our routine AD&E injections for our weanlings and therefore her help during this procedure was most welcomed. She is studying Zoology and has agreed to work along side of us, gaining experience of general husbandry skills, etc. for the next few weeks.

What, No Alpacas!

 It is currently -11 degrees C but the Alpacas will need to be let out so I will be back again soon.

In the Bleak mid-Winter!

Having survived last weeks bitter weather and fairly light snow, we had a brief respite this weekend only to be hit with freezing fog and heavy frosts again. It seems however that northern counties have fared so much worse than we have so I guess we should be thankful for that but our thoughts go out for our northerly (and easterly) colleagues!

All of our pacas have been coming into the barn at night now and until the weather improves, we shall continue to spoil them despite the mammoth task of cleaning out the barn each morning! Here is a sample of pics I have taken over the last few days:

First snow of the year for us!

 Where is the grass?!!

 Crowding out the hay feeder!

 In the bleak mid-winter!!

The freezing fog is slowly lifting.

 The boys are not enjoying this!

 The boys look fawn in contrast with the snow!

I am off now to break the ice (again) on the troughs and replenish the water in the portable buckets in each of the paddocks. I will return soon.