This afternoon the rain, which has been falling in what feels like biblical proportions has finally stopped. The wind, which is a cold one is very strong so the alpacas have started to dry out and the standing water is subsiding. It is going to be some time before we dry out though looking at the forecast.
The tea time feed was the first time in days I have been able to go out and come back without being soaked to the skin despite full wet weather gear - not pleasant.
I have done a spot more knitting this evening in between lamb feeding and husband feeding duties. The two lambs that arrived last night have gone off to a new four legged milk bar which is good for them, I think the original two are getting a bit big to go back to a ewe now, but we will see.
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Lady visitors for the boys
This morning when I went to give they boys their breakfast they had ladies visiting. About half a dozen of them, of the pheasant variety! I think the girls were hoping to find a bit left over food or shelter from the torrential rain.
The weather has been appalling, there is water where I have never seen water before even in the September 2008 flooding we had in this area.
It is a good job we moved the youngsters at the weekend because their previous shelter is under water this afternoon. There are rivers running through all the fields, in fact one of the resting paddocks is pretty much a lake - not at all pleasant.
The bad weather has seen an increase in my foster ward!!! I now have four lambs in my care - one has a very healthy pair of lungs one her, the poor little mite was sopping wet and lost in the field having quite clearly only recently been born. Hopefully in daylight hours Alan will be able to locate her mum so she can be reunited.
As for the other three they are waiting for suitable sheepy adoption mums.
The weather has been appalling, there is water where I have never seen water before even in the September 2008 flooding we had in this area.
It is a good job we moved the youngsters at the weekend because their previous shelter is under water this afternoon. There are rivers running through all the fields, in fact one of the resting paddocks is pretty much a lake - not at all pleasant.
The bad weather has seen an increase in my foster ward!!! I now have four lambs in my care - one has a very healthy pair of lungs one her, the poor little mite was sopping wet and lost in the field having quite clearly only recently been born. Hopefully in daylight hours Alan will be able to locate her mum so she can be reunited.
As for the other three they are waiting for suitable sheepy adoption mums.
Monday, 29 March 2010
Swamp
Not much to report today.
Other than it has been really wet here, not at all pleasant, the fields resemble swamps again.
The girls have been in two camps, half round the hay mangers and the other half in the shelter. They'd obviously spent most of last night in too as the shelter was filthy this morning and needed a good clean.
The two lambs are still waiting for a new mum, typically Alan has had no suitable candidates birth again today. With the weather as it is they have not been at all impressed with their outdoor living today!
Other than it has been really wet here, not at all pleasant, the fields resemble swamps again.
The girls have been in two camps, half round the hay mangers and the other half in the shelter. They'd obviously spent most of last night in too as the shelter was filthy this morning and needed a good clean.
The two lambs are still waiting for a new mum, typically Alan has had no suitable candidates birth again today. With the weather as it is they have not been at all impressed with their outdoor living today!
Sunday, 28 March 2010
It broke!
What broke I hear you say..................... one of the chain harrows - I'm glad Paul was pulling it or it would have been something I'd done wrong!
We have had a busy day, the weanlings got some fresh grass and moved up into the next little field so they were very happy. Although this evening they didn't want to go in their shelter despite the rain.
Whilst Paul was breaking the chain harrow I cleaned the weanlings old field and then he harrowed it; with a temporarily fixed harrow! At this point I was pulling the muck truck round the girls field cleaning; maybe we should have kept that old quad after all.
Typically Alan has still had no suitable adoption candidates lamb so I still have my two little lodgers. They really are sweet and I'm getting very attached to them - I won't tell him though or they'll be a permanent fixture and my own ewes will be lambing very soon. The forecast isn't looking good for next week so the sheep are bound to lamb.
We have had a busy day, the weanlings got some fresh grass and moved up into the next little field so they were very happy. Although this evening they didn't want to go in their shelter despite the rain.
Whilst Paul was breaking the chain harrow I cleaned the weanlings old field and then he harrowed it; with a temporarily fixed harrow! At this point I was pulling the muck truck round the girls field cleaning; maybe we should have kept that old quad after all.
Typically Alan has still had no suitable adoption candidates lamb so I still have my two little lodgers. They really are sweet and I'm getting very attached to them - I won't tell him though or they'll be a permanent fixture and my own ewes will be lambing very soon. The forecast isn't looking good for next week so the sheep are bound to lamb.
Saturday, 27 March 2010
Off to a new home
Today was the day when Aria, Milly and Heidi headed off up to their new home in Scotland at Lavender Bee Alpacas.
The girls were extremely well behaved, you never quite know when it comes to pregnant girls how they will react to strange situations but they were great. It was quite sad waving goodbye to them as they drove off up the road. I'm never very good at that bit!
Here are the girls saying their farewells.
As you can see from the next shot the girls are heads down and tucking into their new grass. I am sure they will settle in nicely and be very happy with the Millers.
It was the first time since Heidi was weaned that she'd been back with her mum and they had a good sniff of each other. I think Tenzing was missing Heidi a little this afternoon as those two used to play fight a fair bit together.
Juliet showed me some lovely naturally dyed yarn she was knitting with which she had spun from Guassian (Geena's 2008 son). She happily took home what I had left of Milly and Aria's fleece which will hopefully keep her going until shearing in a couple of months time.
Finally just a quick lamb update, they are both still here and doing just fine. They have been out in the sunshine today waiting for a suitable four legged mummy to come along. In the meantime the Miller children enjoyed feeding them at lunchtime.
The girls were extremely well behaved, you never quite know when it comes to pregnant girls how they will react to strange situations but they were great. It was quite sad waving goodbye to them as they drove off up the road. I'm never very good at that bit!
Here are the girls saying their farewells.
As you can see from the next shot the girls are heads down and tucking into their new grass. I am sure they will settle in nicely and be very happy with the Millers.
It was the first time since Heidi was weaned that she'd been back with her mum and they had a good sniff of each other. I think Tenzing was missing Heidi a little this afternoon as those two used to play fight a fair bit together.
Juliet showed me some lovely naturally dyed yarn she was knitting with which she had spun from Guassian (Geena's 2008 son). She happily took home what I had left of Milly and Aria's fleece which will hopefully keep her going until shearing in a couple of months time.
Finally just a quick lamb update, they are both still here and doing just fine. They have been out in the sunshine today waiting for a suitable four legged mummy to come along. In the meantime the Miller children enjoyed feeding them at lunchtime.
Friday, 26 March 2010
One becomes two
I feel like I haven't stopped again today; no change there then!
My little lamb is much better, after various treatments last night he actually sucked his bottle this morning without me having to 'squeeze' it down. He's also found his voice so has been shouting for milk on a number of occasions during the day.
He is much more active too, he has been running about, although Paul wasn't too impressed to see him running down the hall this evening. I blame Alan (farmer friend) as he was at the door delivering another lamb in need of my attention!
Yes, I now have two in the utility, however as I type they have finally settled down so there is peace a quiet - for a while at least. Both are doing well so fingers crossed there will be a suitable four legged mum available for them very soon.
On the alpaca front it has been very wet, the fields have gone for resembling desserts last week to swaps this week. Milly decided that it would be a good idea to have a sit in a muddy puddle this afternoon! Great timing, her new owners are coming tomorrow to collect her.
My little lamb is much better, after various treatments last night he actually sucked his bottle this morning without me having to 'squeeze' it down. He's also found his voice so has been shouting for milk on a number of occasions during the day.
He is much more active too, he has been running about, although Paul wasn't too impressed to see him running down the hall this evening. I blame Alan (farmer friend) as he was at the door delivering another lamb in need of my attention!
Yes, I now have two in the utility, however as I type they have finally settled down so there is peace a quiet - for a while at least. Both are doing well so fingers crossed there will be a suitable four legged mum available for them very soon.
On the alpaca front it has been very wet, the fields have gone for resembling desserts last week to swaps this week. Milly decided that it would be a good idea to have a sit in a muddy puddle this afternoon! Great timing, her new owners are coming tomorrow to collect her.
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Still here
I am pleased to report my little lamb lodger is still with us, although I'm not sure of the long term prognosis. I fear he was probably starved of oxygen at birth and is slightly brain damaged which is why his mum left him. I will continue to preserve but I am not hopeful he will be able to go back to another ewe as he is still not really sucking from his bottle properly.
The weather has been appalling today, it was so misty I couldn't see the field let alone any alpacas in it. We also had torrential rain overnight so the fields were very soggy, so no paddock clearing for me today.
Pepper, one of my pet sheep is due to lamb in a week or so and is looking extremely large and uncomfortable. I can't see her hanging on much longer, I think she may have a race on with my sister in law who is due around the same time.
We received our copy of Alpaca magazine today and I noticed our brown stud Golden Guinea had made an appearance - can anybody else spot him?
The weather has been appalling today, it was so misty I couldn't see the field let alone any alpacas in it. We also had torrential rain overnight so the fields were very soggy, so no paddock clearing for me today.
Pepper, one of my pet sheep is due to lamb in a week or so and is looking extremely large and uncomfortable. I can't see her hanging on much longer, I think she may have a race on with my sister in law who is due around the same time.
We received our copy of Alpaca magazine today and I noticed our brown stud Golden Guinea had made an appearance - can anybody else spot him?
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Tube feeding and floor warming
We woke to rain this morning but thankfully it soon stopped and dried up which was good as I had some vaccinations to do this afternoon. I'm pleased to report that everyone was very well behaved, even Kate. She did have a swiping kick as she walked past me on the way out of the pen but missed!
Our fence had taken another hit today from a huge falling tree branch from a neighbours tree. More annoying it has broken two hurdles which were in place following the previous tree branch trashing the fence. Oh to have a nice big farm where everything is in our own control.
I have another little foster lamb. This poor little chap was not at all well when he arrived this afternoon. He had been born and abandoned in the field by his mum so he was very cold and hungry.
He was too weak to feed so had to be tube fed and was left to warm up on the underfloor heating.
After a couple of tube feeds and a few hours on the heated floor he has found his feet and was wandering round the utility! With all this improved strength he has even taken a little bit of bottle which is good, so he is now in a pen to stop any wandering!!
Our fence had taken another hit today from a huge falling tree branch from a neighbours tree. More annoying it has broken two hurdles which were in place following the previous tree branch trashing the fence. Oh to have a nice big farm where everything is in our own control.
I have another little foster lamb. This poor little chap was not at all well when he arrived this afternoon. He had been born and abandoned in the field by his mum so he was very cold and hungry.
He was too weak to feed so had to be tube fed and was left to warm up on the underfloor heating.
After a couple of tube feeds and a few hours on the heated floor he has found his feet and was wandering round the utility! With all this improved strength he has even taken a little bit of bottle which is good, so he is now in a pen to stop any wandering!!
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