Bought some Alpacas
Discussion
We bought two more. Males this time to join our 5 females. A dad and son from 2 hours south. They came from a bit of an odd collection (we seem to pick them!).
The couple started with one male and three females. And before we bought the two males....they had accumulated 11 without buying any in. Think some inbreeding has occured in that group but we could be wrong. Some were a bit googly eyed!
Anyhow, within two minutes if that of leaving the float - no joke....
We are thinking of letting the dad have a bash as the son seems too young, not yet sexually mature. Then possibly castrate the dad and maybe the son, or leave the son for now. Depending what becomes of the girls.
11 months duration to an Alpaca I believe. See what happens this time next year.
Currently the females still wonder together and the males together away from the girls most often. They do come together but they all seem happy so far.
Baby pacca didn't get up and about today. Noticed she hadn't moved and wasn't following the others around the field. Had a vet friend out to see her and we think she might have a paralysis tick bite. Kinda does what said on the tin really.
She has energy and wants to stand but can't.
She's now in our back bedroom and we're (well the wife is) giving her fluids and we'll keep an eye on her. Hopefully she pulls through as she's very cute, but time will tell.
She has energy and wants to stand but can't.
She's now in our back bedroom and we're (well the wife is) giving her fluids and we'll keep an eye on her. Hopefully she pulls through as she's very cute, but time will tell.
Baby Alpaca - Spice, survived. Currently sporting a dogs tick collar.
The pictures are linked straight from my Google Photos, I'll see if I can redo them.
We noticed today that the original white one - Salt, seems to be pregnant which is a good sign as they will only sustain a pregnancy if they're in good condition. Others might be as well as the Males we got in, the older one mated most of them, so could have a few on the way.
If so we'd be in larger numbers than we could house without supplement feeding. Unfortunately we only have the one field, so it makes it harder to control any worms as it can't be rested. Many people who turn up at ours mention the Alpacas and that they'd be interested in some in we ever sold.
To help combat the tick problem that took the baby alpaca down and then took the dog down also (both survived and are fine). We currently as of yesterday have 17 baby Guinea Fowl keets in the back bedroom under a heat lamp getting ready to take on the land and eat all the insects in their path.That's the theory anyhow!
Next stop after them is a few ducks. It's becoming a farm!
The pictures are linked straight from my Google Photos, I'll see if I can redo them.
We noticed today that the original white one - Salt, seems to be pregnant which is a good sign as they will only sustain a pregnancy if they're in good condition. Others might be as well as the Males we got in, the older one mated most of them, so could have a few on the way.
If so we'd be in larger numbers than we could house without supplement feeding. Unfortunately we only have the one field, so it makes it harder to control any worms as it can't be rested. Many people who turn up at ours mention the Alpacas and that they'd be interested in some in we ever sold.
To help combat the tick problem that took the baby alpaca down and then took the dog down also (both survived and are fine). We currently as of yesterday have 17 baby Guinea Fowl keets in the back bedroom under a heat lamp getting ready to take on the land and eat all the insects in their path.That's the theory anyhow!
Next stop after them is a few ducks. It's becoming a farm!
Edited by Gingerbread Man on Sunday 10th November 10:56
ASA569 said:
Thank you for the update and this time the pictures worked 
Glad Spice survived (and the dog).
Looking forward to more updates as your farm develops
It wasn't meant to be a farm! I should have known my wifes methods! Currently manic bushfires ravaging the area. Smoke fills the sky a lot these days. There's a 335697.603 acre (manic hey!) 'out on control' fire burning 35/ 40 minutes away from us. A nearer 484 acre fire which is under control burning on my way to work. Glad Spice survived (and the dog).Looking forward to more updates as your farm develops
condor said:
Thanks for the update - pics working for me now too 
Do you sell the Alpaca fleeces?
Sorry to hear that the fires are close to you - it must be very worrying.
Gave the first ones away as many of the animals hadn't been shorn in years, rather than annually, so the fleece was crap. Do you sell the Alpaca fleeces?
Sorry to hear that the fires are close to you - it must be very worrying.
This time around my wife is taking to the same group, but learning to spin with some of it.
My wifes very into clearing the gutters. She's been on the roof today with the blower.
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