Nature does the job

3y.old enjoying the colder weather

We are well into Autumn, and have already had a couple of cold, frosty mornings.  A storm last week coupled with high winds caused some damage in the paddocks, but fortunately dropped branches and entire trees into the paddocks rather than on the house, fences or on the animals!

Fleecy choices - Happy Easter!

Not the Easter bunny, but good to cuddle anyway!

I was up early this morning, well we all were, as little man decided that 6am was a great time to hunt for Easter eggs! Luckily the Easter bunny had gotten up even earlier and had hidden eggs!! Happy Easter :)

2 years in Tassie...toenails, tounge lashings and tears!

Sunrise over MT Arthur - Happy Birthday to us!

On the 16th March, we celebrated our second year in Tassie :)  We had finally caught up on THOSE jobs that always seem to be waiting...for us it was the gate to the chook garden.  Finally we sunk a proper post, completed the fence and remounted the gate...much better!  We re-did the mini-pens inside our main pen (yes, the one Athena put me through), using four boards instead of three and two extra posts per side!

A feverish birthday, the last cria is born and the fleece stats

Cria (L-R) Ceymour, Cairo, Cocoa and Chance

The cria are all doing well, and we were waiting on one more...Vodka then decided to have little Chester...while I was at Playgroup with 3y.old.  Luckily daughter was home and broke the bag covering his head (it didn't break when he dropped to the ground), so that he could breathe. Chester then was up and feeding within the hour - what a star! He is our last cria of the season, so we ended up with five males and only one female!! Hmmmm...lots of fleece tests next year to determine who is wethered and who remains a 'man'!

Acua and Ceymour

Acuaria  the arrival of the 'herd guard's' cria.

With the greatest anticipation we had awaited the arrival of Acuaria's cria...but she held on to the bitter end (and a bitterly cold day, for Australia, it was too!).  The day that Acua decided to give birth coincided with the day Hubby just HAD to slash the birthing paddock.

And again...seeing out 2013 in style!!

Chance and Cocoa

Just as we were recovering from MCQ Cocoa, and marvelling at how big Chance looked in comparison...Malibu (Boo) started panting and wanted OUT of the pen (where I had been feeding everyone today)...I quickly ran back to the house, looking back to see Boo standing at the poo pile - clearly labouring.  I grabbed my phone, shouted at Hubby, and headed back out (Daughter was at the shops - wouldn't you know it?)...

And then...Macquarie Springs Cocoa!!

Probably due to the lateness of shearing this year, and the stress...Daughter's shouts of 'Mum....there's another cria!!!' (29th Dec), didn't surprise me. It was Ambrosia's cria (Eclipse - sire) - a beautiful medium brown little girl with curls!!

Shearing in style

KJ - Happy New Year!

Two days after Christmas and the Alpacas were shorn! We had had to cancel the shearer previously as little man was so sick and Hubby and I had three hours sleep between us.  Mike Snow comes across from Victoria (Oasis Alpacas) to travel (and shear) up the East coast of Australia and covers Tassie too.  He is well sought after and a registered shearer with AAA, so we knew the 'pacas would be in good hands (even though I was anxious abut some of the girls being due in the next three weeks). 

And a week later...

Macquarie Springs 'Good Chance' certainly lives up to his name! I have a very strong little cria jumping around the paddock and causing havoc amongst all of the pregnant girls - and I am so happy about it (even if the girls are NOT!). 

OUR FIRST SHOW (EVER)!!!!

Training for the Huon Show (in the rain)

HELLO!!!! Well, had a bit of a break from blogging as we worked really hard to bring two reluctant 'show team' candidates into line, and taught them (eventually) to walk beautifully on a halter! So I will start at the beginning - grab a drink and relax if you are in for this long haul...

Deep breath and into the ring I go... Royal Hobart Show

No photos sadly - but I did it!!!!

Well, I did it!! I ended up in the ring at Royal Hobart Show, showing some beautiful Suri's for Lori of Spring Rise Alpacas.

Royal Launceston Show 2013

Hello, sorry that my blogging is a little sporadic lately - with shows, birthdays and mini-breaks to Melbourne I haven't had too much time.  Firstly I have to say that the weather has been diabolical! Apparently following the driest summer every recorded for Tasmania, has been the wettest winter! Until today we still had the wood fire burning all day, and it has not...stopped...raining!!

No Show...but getting ready :)

Adlin - as clean as he can get...

It's been extra busy here with the sun showing up amidst the downpours...and everything has decided to grow at once.  First things first - thank you to all the lovely people who encouraged us to lodge Adlin into the Royal Launceston show...I didn't!

Halter training...and 'show' training begins!

Adlin (L) and Melony (R)

I still haven't made up my mind...but Hubby would like to show Adlin at the Royal Launceston Show in October...registrations have to be in, in the next couple of weeks...but I'm scared - we haven't even been to see an Alpaca show yet!

Joined by the white crew!

Adlin (Addie)

Welcome to Addie (6mth male), Adultress, Athena, Astrid and Mercedes...we are still trying to work out who is who (all four girls are very shy) and they have not been sheared very well, so they look a bit funny :) 

Saddest weanlings in the world...new Alpacas arrive :)

The new Alpacas arrive

Hello :) We have been really busy re-allocating Alpacas to different paddocks, dealing with a 2.5y.old's crushed thumb, cold and cough, getting new Alpacas and moving the weanlings into their new paddock! Hectic!!

STILL dry - halter training begins

Tegan- lead for first time.

Some of our girls are re-mating, and although it is quite late, I am wondering if it is the drought is affecting them?  We manage to get some of them to a third spit-off, and then they decide to sit for the stud!  One of two girls is a maiden, and after researching, I am wondering if she is just confused (i.e follows the girls who are spitting him off, then follows suit with another female who obliges)?

A year ago...

A year ago...

CONGRATULATIONS to us!!!! We survived the first year of country living and although we didn't kill any of the animals, we did lose a lot of vegetables LOL!!  WOW, time has passed so quickly (goodbye matching nails and shoes!) and it is hard to remember what we have done...

Maybe a box of chocolates?

Allie- Just not interested!

Why would a female be unreceptive?  What do I do with an unreceptive female?  Suggest the stud wear aftershave?  Bring a box of chocolates?  Get to know each other over a bucket of feed?  What do I do with with another female who is said to be pregnant, spat the stud off three times and then for the last two nights suddenly obliges??  I am so confused!

Spit-offs

GET OFF!!!

Well...if we were a little dubious about this method of confirming pregnancy, we are no longer!!  I can't believe the attitude of the girls' to Eclipse just a week later (although, I have seen similar actions undertaken by jilted girlfriends in pubs, sans the spitting, but a glass of wine in the face is along the same lines!!).