Rocaro Alpacas - a new adventure in farming

A change is as good as a.....?

2012-01-30T18:17:00.003-04:00

The other morning I thought I would change the order of the morning chores in the barn.

Up until now I always dished up the sweet feed first then the hay and then the clean up. Problem was, I was usually ready to do the clean up before the barn breakfast was over.

My new method is hay first, then clean up and the feed last.

The first time I tried the new order I was met with a barnful of confused looking faces. You could almost hear the critters thinking "What??? No sweet feed?? This means revolution!" Even the cria had woeful looks on their faces when I entered their part of the barn with only an armload of hay.

Hopefully in time they will adjust. In the meantime......

Shearing 2012

2012-01-27T10:58:00.002-04:00

Shearing Day will be 19 May. Helpers are always welcome!

Farmer's market

2012-01-20T12:57:00.000-04:00

See you at the Halifax market on January 28!

Winter....

2012-01-19T09:32:00.003-04:00

So far the winter has been easy, warm and no snow so the chores are easy. The critters are outside most of the time nibbling on what ever grasses they find.

A week in Cuba helped, Cayo Santa Maria is lovely and very quiet. Just the place to let go and relax.

Alpaca Sale

2012-01-02T11:25:00.002-04:00

Check our website for new alpaca pricing. Now is the time to add to or start your herd.

Picture Day at School

2012-01-01T12:55:00.008-04:00

Last summer's cria are in school now, learning to walk on a lead and getting used to handling in anticipation of the spring shows.

Today we led them outside for "class pictures".

First are Domino and Donatella, then Diablo and Dolce Vita, Damascus and Dartanyan.

Alpaca Teddy Bears have Arrived!!

2011-12-28T20:42:00.004-04:00

Alpaca fibre teddy bears have arrived. These scrumptious bears are hand crafted in Peru and each one is unique. We now have 16 inch, 9.5 inch in stock. All white and other natural colour combinations are available. Visit the webstore for more information or to order. Our next expected Halifax Seaport Market day is January 28th. Stay tuned.

Last chance before christmas

2011-12-19T18:47:00.002-04:00

We have had great success at the Halifax Seaport market and the Wolfville Market on the Saturdays in December.

While stock is getting limited we do still have a variety of socks, knitted and woven products. This week we will be at the Seaport Market on Thursday Dec 22 and Friday December 23

Merry Christmas

Halifax Seaport Market

2011-11-11T15:47:00.002-04:00

Starting November 12th we will be at the Halifax Seaport Market every Saturday till Christmas. You will be able to find us in the Pavillion section which is at the south end of the market.

Products we are bringing include: socks, insoles, teddy bears, scarves, mitts and samples of the Alpaca Duvets.

Come visit us!!

The new truck

2011-10-09T18:34:00.003-03:00

Well the old truck finally died and we have spent about a month looking for a new one. New to us, that is....finally we found what seems to be a good one in our price range. The dogs love the back seat.

October Nor'easter

2011-10-07T10:15:00.007-03:00

We were hit with a surprise storm this week. The forecast was for a bit of rain and some wind so the resulting storm caught us by surprise.

We had a deluge of rain, some flurries in the air and of course incredible winds.

The Boy's summer shelter was blown upside down, broke one fencepost and was impaled on another. Just after it happened the guys gathered on the tent floor looking around with puzzled expressions, wondering where their house went.

Out I go in the gale force winds to take the sides off the tent as they are acting like giant sails in the wind. The sides came off, and in the final ravages of the storm the remainder of the tent was blown across the field and came to rest upside down.

We are expecting summer weather on the weekend; the first job will be cleaning up the mess.

Wwoofing season over again

2011-10-07T10:12:00.002-03:00

Many, many thanks for all the volunteers who helped out on the farm this past season. Without your help we would not have had completed all the fencing, the haying was an easier job and the gardening and firewood were put in good order. The list of other accomplishments is longer than I can list.

Thank you again.

Diablo

2011-10-07T10:10:00.002-03:00

We stopped hand feeding Diablo in the middle of September and he is continuing to do well. Still smaller than the rest, and fiercely attached to his mother.

Dyed rovings

2011-08-08T17:26:00.001-03:00

All the rovings are dyed now. What a big job, and I was grateful for the help getting it done. Now they just have to dry! It's a riot of colour.

Toblerone's cria

2011-07-23T14:09:00.004-03:00

Dartanyan is the first offspring of Toblerone Ben. He shows good straight confirmation and a lovely fawn colour. Here he is just a few hours old. He is the final cria of the season.

Our first Oreo cria

2011-07-23T14:01:00.002-03:00

Oreo has come through with a strong, sturdy gal although we were hoping for colour. The dam is William's Sweet Dreams, a white daughter of Jolimont Peruvian Sweet William.

With black and white in her lineage we just had to call her Domino.

Alpacas in the garden

2011-07-21T21:43:00.002-03:00

We had a bunch of marginal fibre left from shearing over the past couple of years. Mostly lower legs, belly etc, which is not good enough for yarn and too short to card or felt.

We spread it pretty thick in the garden rows as mulch to control the weeds. It works well and the fibre keeps the plants snugly warm. At the end of the season it will be tilled in as compost.

Never waste anything on a farm!

Picnic Table Art

2011-07-21T18:28:00.002-03:00

We had an old table near the barn and some left over paint. The results are pretty cool.

Thanks to all the helpers that had a hand in the creation.

First cria for Coco

2011-07-12T08:42:00.004-03:00

Coco had her first cria on Monday. He is a beautiful dark brown fellow we named Diablo.

Even though she's white, Coco's dark genetics came through as expected.

Hay Days!

2011-07-09T09:33:00.006-03:00

The weather has finally cooperated long enough to get the hay cut, cured and in the barn.

We contract our neighbour to mow and bale for us, and he had problems of his own with tractors not working the way they should.

With the help of our current wwoofer Caileigh, we were able to get the hay baled and stored on Friday.

This year we had the loan of a hay elevator to help move the bales along. It's basically like Disney Land for hay as they ride along the conveyor. Caileigh and I were the "carnies" making sure each bale was properly seated for the ride to the top.

Now it's time for a day off!

Newest addition

2011-07-02T21:04:00.005-03:00

While we were away delivering alpacas to New Brunswick, Sedona decided it was time to add a new fellow to the herd. He is healthy and happy, with a name yet to be decided.

A new home for the boys

2011-07-02T21:02:00.003-03:00

Congratulations to Denis, Gabrielle and family on the purchase of a fibre male package. SweetNS, Barolo, Andele and Bartholomew have moved to New Brunswick.

Good luck with your new adventure!

Super Pooper Scooper

2011-07-02T20:58:00.004-03:00

We have finally had some dry weather and have been able to use the pasture vacuum. It's an amazing contraption that attaches to the back of the tractor. Just drive around and have a helper use it like a vacuum, sucking up all manner of poop from even the longest grass.

The manure is pulverized and we bag it up ready to sell for compost heaps or flower gardens.

Dying to Dye

2011-06-16T17:12:00.005-03:00

I have been hand dyeing rovings for some time now, but decided to take a fibre dyeing course to pick up a few new techniques.
Check out the results! The yarn is two toned and looks like a summer dessert.
I also dyed a raw fleece in multi colours and can't wait to use it in a project.

Alpaca Mud Wrestling

2011-06-15T10:14:00.003-03:00

You guessed it, I have added a new accomplishment to my already long list.

We have had 2 days of solid rain, and the girls in the temporary shelter have worked the floor into a sae of mud. It's still raining today and I just couldn't leave them in a mud hole any longer.

So, Off I go first thing in the morning all by myself armed with raincoat, halters and sweet feed as a tempation and determined to move the herd to the barn.

The sweet feed works, and I have all the ladies enclosed in their shelter.

Now, the girls are not interested in being caught! Around and around we go in the enclosure, all the while churning up mud and slipping & sliding. Feed buckets are flying and I'm clamly wiping rain & mud from my face. Sort of calmly.

I manage to catch the first 5 girls and somehow manage the gates alone and lead them to the barn.

Back for group 2. Another bunch to the barn, and a few follow the group on their own. This looks promising.

Group 3 is a challenge as they want to join the rest of the herd but really don't want to be caught. I managed to get two of them and the rest escaped. Thinking they would follow the group I was not worried...but they went in the wrong direction.

With much noise and coaxing the group made it to the barn. So, the boys are on the girl's side, the girls are on the boy's side and everyone is confused.

Just as things were settling down, my dear neighbour arrived and with a laugh said "Look at you!". Soaking wet, covered with bits of mud and grass and a big smile for a job accomplished.

Barn Door Art

2011-06-11T17:12:00.002-03:00

The weather has finally cooperated and with the help of Michelle the barn doors are painted!

Moving Day

2011-06-08T21:16:00.002-03:00

The girls have had their usual access to the main pasture restricted in order that it can grow into hay for the winter. In past years, the smaller area assigned to them was adequate.

This year however they have eaten the grass down more quickly.

Today I noticed that two of the girls were "living life on the wrong side of the fence" and munching on the grass that we are trying to grow.

It became apparent that we would need to move the girls onto the new pasture we created for the guys, and move the guys to another area.

We started by moving the most of the girls into the paddock close to the barn, leaving the two strays in the pasture.

It wasn't long before our resident "drama queen", in her efforts to join the rest of the herd stuck her head through the fence and got caught. A fence tool is a wonderful invention and we had her cut free in no time.

Next step was the move.

We removed the boys from their new pasture and secured them in the barn. Then we escorted the gals and cria in groups of six to the new lush pasture that the boys have vacated.

With the help of Michelle, Kailin and Mikhail the move went smoothly. We have happy girls.

New pasture for the Boys

2011-06-04T21:16:00.006-03:00

The paddocks that the boys were using were just too small. They had eaten the grass down to nothing and desperately needed more space.

So, over the course of the spring and with much help from neighbours Rick & Bill and helpers Roy, Patricia, Els and Clotilde and little to no help from the weather we managed to get a new pasture fenced.

The guys moved in yesterday while Rob and helper Kailim put a few finishing touches on the fence and built the shelter.

This morning Kailim and I erected a temporary fence to allow four of the younger males access to the new pasture without being molested by the adults. The temporary fence was to buy us a bit of time while we put in a more permanent fence between the two groups.

It took Perilli, the main stud, about 3 minutes to jump the temporary fence and put the run on the youngsters. There was much wrestling and protesting and all we humans could do was watch. Finally we were able to separate the fighters.

The temporary fence became very temporary and Rob spent the next three hours pounding in permanent fence posts while Kailim and myself attached page wire.

All is quite now in the new pasture; the males respect the new fence while keeping a watchful eye on the young lads.

Spring cria

2011-05-21T09:46:00.003-03:00

The first of the 2011 crias have arrived safe and sound. Kiana was first with a good sized Perilli daughter who we promptly named Dolce Vita. It was a cool drizzly day so we immediately outfitted the little one in a cria coat to keep her snugly warm.

Nikki followed suit the next day. It was a hot one and she must have sneaked off under the trees to deliver her cria as we didn't really notice a second cria until feeding time the next morning. Nikki wasn't showing any signs of being ready to deliver and when I saw two cria in the barn I did a double take before I realized there were two. Nikkis' gal is an Icelander daughter who we named Demoiselle.

Shearing, weather and coats

2011-05-15T10:11:00.004-03:00

It's the day after shearing and the weather remains cool; no, cold and wet. The poor naked alpacas are huddled in the barn and shivering.

I happened to have a half dozen alpaca coats cut out of fabric and ready to sew together. I had prepared them for shearing last season but they were not needed. So here we go with a group effort to construct the coats and get them on the animals. One wwoofer, Patricia is pinning them together as I sew and another wwoofer, Clotilde is running the stitched parts right side out.

As each coat is completed Patricia and Clotilde take it and head for the barn to dress the coldest looking alpacas.

Before long we have the chilliest animals warmed up and we're praying the cold weather will break.

Successful Shearing Day

2011-05-15T09:33:00.002-03:00

Another successful shearing day with out to many injuries to the humans. A couple of scrapes, a few knocks and a lot of sore muscles. Alpacas made out fine except a little chillier as today is damp and grey.

Thanks to Dianne, Liz, Clothilde, Patricia, Roy, Lynne, Don, Thomas, and Steven. Special thanks to Kevin, David and friends (sorry I missed your names) from the Agricultural College. The extra hands and strong arms were a huge benefit in making the day go smoothly. Thank you again Lucas for another good day of shearing that went by without major incident.

There were the stubborn girls who decided to cush every so often on the route to the Shearing site, the escapee at the end of the day that needed to be herded back into the barn from the pasture, the couple of screamers and only one spitter.

Thanks again for helping shear our 25 animals.

Note: For the second year in a row a pair of sun glasses were left behind.

Shearing Day Saturday May 14th

2011-05-13T19:23:00.003-03:00

Shearing day is on. The animals are quite dry. The fun begins at approximately 9am. It takes about 15 minutes an animal so come by later in the day to see the fun.

Finally dry weather

2011-05-13T19:20:00.002-03:00

For the first time in weeks we had more than 24 hours with out rain. This is good timing as tommorrow is shearing day and a dry windy day with sunny breaks has got most of the animals dry. We have locked them in the barn tonight to be on the safe side.

Mayflower Show

2011-05-13T19:14:00.002-03:00

May 7th was the Mayflower Show in Crapaud PEI. This was our third year at the show. Each year the show runs a little more smoothly. So our hats off to Heather and Paulette of Alpaca Bay Farms the organizers.

We took eight animals this year with Andele and Bartholomew taking 2nds in their Class. Bechamal and Bacio were second and third in their class. Anuone, Alteza, and Arwyn finished 1st, 2nd and 4th in a class of 7 animals. Anuone went on to win White female Champion.

The drive home saturday night unfortunately was a wet affair with heavy rain and fog over the Cobequid pass. But we all made it home safely.

A bird in every.....oven?

2011-05-05T09:59:00.002-03:00

We have had some excitement at Rocaro Alpacas.

During a quiet moment, and there are few here in the spring, our Wwoofer Els and I noticed a scratching noise coming from the overn chamber of our wood fired cook stove.

The first assumption was that a squirrel had found its way into the stove and we had great discussions on the demise of the squirrel as we didn't want to run the chance of it escaping into the house.

We left the problem until the next morning, hoping the situation would resolve itself.

The next morning it became evident that the visitor was not a squirrel but a bird. We discussed our options to remove the bird and settled on using the live trap we have on hand. We arranged the trap tight to the stove and opened the door. Nothing.

We decided some bread would be an enticement for the bird and stuffed a crust into the trap. We waited...and waited....and finally the bird headed towards the bread. We quickly shut the door to the trap and scuttled the whole thing out to the woods.

The bird was grateful for his new freedom and we were glad we were not having Starling for dinner.

Saltscapes Expo

2011-05-02T10:09:00.003-03:00

Our attendance at the Saltscapes Expo was a success. Thank you to everyone who visited the Rocaro Alpacas booth. We hope to see many of you at the farm over the summer.

Many thanks to Roy, Particia, Els and Elizabeth for your invaluable help.

Show success

2011-04-13T14:34:00.002-03:00

We are home safe and sound after a long trip for both alpacas and humans. The Alpaca Ontario show was a success again this year with Oreo Ben taking the Black Male Huacaya Colour Champion for the second year in a row. Toblerone took a first in his class, Blizzard and Bacio were each awarded second place in their respective classes. Now to prepare for the Mayflower Show in PEI May 7 and then shearing day.

Final preparations

2011-04-05T09:02:00.003-03:00

Today I am working on the final prep for our departure to the show in Ontario. It is drizzly outside and the wee ones are pretty damp so they will be spending the day inside in hopes they will dry off a bit. To give the show-goers a little more room in their section of the barn, I put the two of the group who are not attending the show in with the moms. There was much curiosity on the part of the moms with the new additions to their herd, and the four left behind were quite concerned at the loss of their pen-mates.

The big trip

2011-04-03T12:59:00.003-03:00

We are in full swing with preparations for the long road trip to the show in Ontario.

Last year I had the help of a wonderful wwoofer, but I'm not so lucky this time around.

The straw and hay are in the truck and the alpacas have been in the trailer a couple of times.

This week I have to seriously get the rest of the prep work done or I'm not going anywhere...so much to do.

Spring must be here.

2011-03-09T11:59:00.002-04:00

This morning after breakfast the girls traveled single file across the pasture to their favourite summer hang-out. A sure sign that spring is here!

The Rodeo Part 2

2011-03-07T19:15:00.004-04:00

Today marked the first day of lead training for the Rocaro cria, after having the month of January lesson free.

It was a warm day, the kind where you don't have to bundle up or wear gloves. It's icy outside so the first session is in the barn. Normally there are two people working on lead training so the whole group can go together at first...safety in numbers from an alpaca point of view.

This is not the case today as I am here alone. I managed to get halters on and everyone tied without trouble. Then the fun begins.

It made sense to take two cria along with Andele for the first lesson because Andele, age 2, is already lead trained and the non-trained alpacas should follow along. Step one is get the girls out of the barn so I don't have a repeat of The Rodeo. Accomplished.

I then get Andele in hand along with two others and head for the door. Andele follows well, however the other two are having nothing to do with this. A little alpaca is surprisingly strong when leaning backwards with front feet splayed and determined not to move. Hmm, I have no one to get behind and give them a shove. Somehow I manage to keep the leads in front of Andele and reach behind the stubborn ones and provide some incentive. We make a tour around the barn and back home. The first lesson is always short.

Away we go with group two, Andele in the lead. Same situation however this time in my wisdom I wrap the excess leads around my hand. Or so I thought...really they were around my fingers. Fingers are not meant to bend in that direction! Thankfully nothing is broken.

Along with the commotion of trying to get the second group moving, the dogs caught a glimpse of Tab the barn cat prowling the barn near the gate, right under the dog's nose. Of course this is too much for a dog to ignore and the barking and leaping on the gate commences. Naturally the gate flings open, the cat disappears and the dogs bound through and towards the cria who have just stepped past the door.

Panicked cria; once again this is not how fingers bend. There is nowhere handy to tie the alpacas while I get rid of the dogs & shut the gate. Arrgh!

Eventually everyone had their lesson, and I can't wait to do it all again tomorrow.

The Rodeo

2011-03-07T17:58:00.003-04:00

A couple of days ago I was doing evening chores as usual. Things were still frozen tighter than a cannon ball, including the door that separates the cria from the moms. The door being frozen is not a big deal, it simply stays shut for short times while hauling water & hay.

As usual, I didn't latch the door. Well, along came a huge gust of wind through the barn and blew the door wide open, with me nowhere in sight.

So the wee ones took advantage of the situation and wandered over to see their moms. Now this is not cause for concern however Andele, a teen age male is also living with the little ones. Being a bundle of raging hormones Andele wasted no time making his way to the girls of his age. He's not really old enough to do any damage (he thinks he is) but we don't want to take any chances.

I start to herd him around to the open door to his residence and away from the ladies, but on the way he ducks through the door to the pasture that is frozen open. Around we go in knee deep snow, Andele much more agile than myself. Finally I get him back in the barn and the outside door blocked off. Around the barn we go, all the while the girls providing distraction for the young man. At one point someone kicked open the gate to the main barn area. The dogs delighted in this new development and added to the confusion by barking and trying to join the chase.

Eventually Andele is back where he belongs and the door latched. Training for the cria is to begin in a week, so I need to get 5 cria back to their home.

One at a time, I manage to herd them towards the latched door, however keeping a hold on them and trying to get to the hook on the opposite side of the door and get it open is nothing short of a challenge.

After an hour and a bit all was back to normal.

Shearing 2011

2011-02-28T13:50:00.001-04:00

Shearing day is confirmed for Saturday May 14. We usually get started at around 9am.

If you would like to volunteer let us know.

Wasn't that a Party!

2011-02-25T11:34:00.002-04:00

Winter is still fast upon us, and everyone is hunkered down therefore things are pretty quiet these days.

Although....when I arrived in the barn to do chores yesterday morning I found some very innocent looking alpaca faces standing amid a mess.

The hay boxes in both the male section and female sections of the bran had been turned upside down, the girls had knocked down a couple of railings and even the cat dish was on the floor.

Sometimes it just better not to know....

Driving a Zamboni

2011-02-10T17:59:00.002-04:00

We have been home from our southern escape for a couple of weeks now and winter has settled in full force.

Two of the three barn waterers are still frozen and there are mountains of snow everywhere.

This afternoon I was doing yet more snow clean-up in front of the barn. The tractor doesn't have chains on the tires, one of those fall jobs that didn't get done. With all the layers of snow and rain the area in front of the barn has become a skating rink.

The tractor slipped and skidded as I was blowing snow.

Who hasn't wanted to drive a zamboni?

Gettin' Outside

2011-01-21T12:08:00.003-04:00

We had a couple of round hay bales delivered and strategically placed in the pastures. The critters are enjoying nibbling away at them and it encourages the animals to get outside.

At first they were only curious about what these incredible structures were but once I peeled away a layer of hay they were right at it.

School days

2011-01-11T10:50:00.003-04:00

This year's crop of cria seem to be particularly smart, they have learned to stand quietly while tied after only three lessons.

We are now working on manners; inspecting fibre, lifting feet, and checking teeth and under tails. These activities take a bit more convincing. Little Barolo makes all kinds of interesting camel noises in protest.

First Yarn

2011-01-07T11:00:00.002-04:00

Well, I have started to learn to spin and what a hoot. Spinning takes a sense of rhythm and timing along with manual dexterity and coordination. All of which I do not possess.

Anyway I got through 3 skeins of hand dyed alpaca rovings...you can see the results.

My teacher is appalled to hear that I intend to sell my first efforts. Apparently first yarn is rare because the textures disappear as a spinner improves.

As I don't knit, I'm willing to let a knitter have the fun.

Yahoo! New doors.

2011-01-07T10:31:00.002-04:00

Wonderful thanks to the guys who had a direct hand in our new doors.

Ted was instrumental in repairing the doors that took flight in the wind storm, installing new track and re-hanging them.

Don installed a man door in the front of the barn, alleviating the need to struggle of opening the big sliding doors each time we want to get into the barn.

As soon as warm weather arrives the paint brushes will be busy....

Kindergarten starts again

2011-01-06T16:54:00.004-04:00

With weaning complete, school starts again for the cria at Rocaro Alpacas.

Step one is catching each cria and introducing them to their new best friend the halter. If you are familiar with horse halters, cria halters are miniscule in comparison.

Most of the kids took well to the halters; Bartholomew made all kinds of noise and Bacio was none to patient while I found the buckle hole in all her fibre.

They were quick to run outside into the sun as soon as they were "dressed". The halters will stay on for a few days and then lead training begins.

Newspaper article

2010-12-31T09:09:00.002-04:00

Check out the media page on our website for the latest media coverage of Rocaro Alpacas.

Winter weather

2010-12-30T15:04:00.003-04:00

Winter has arrived full force at Rocaro Alpacas. We were blessed with 6 inches of wet snow followed immediatley by several inches of rain to equal 6 inches of slush. Yippee!

The day is sunny and cool, perfect weather for pruning trees in the pasture.

Oh, $%#*&

2010-12-22T16:54:00.001-04:00

We have had several days of high winds and so far the old barn has stood up to the challenge.

Except for last night, when one of the big front doors blew off.

Not only did it blow off, it is well damaged and took some of the sliding track with it.

Now I am not impressed; it's right before Christmas and I have to find a carpenter (we need the new door to be square) and convince the door company that we need a new runner fast.

Meanwhile the girls look over their gate thinking Hummm, this is new....what should we doooo?Hopefully we are not in for more wind & rain, or worse yet snow or we will be shoveling out the barn. Arrgh!

Weaning time again

2010-12-22T11:45:00.004-04:00

We have all this year's cria moved to the "Cria Club" area of the barn to be weaned from their moms, and then start learning some manners (halter & lead training).

The move went well and without too much fuss from either the moms or the babies.

During halter training we will decide who will be going to shows and who will be in our breeding program.

Jewellery for the Girls

2010-12-09T16:08:00.002-04:00

Well, the herd is large enough now that it has become hard to tell some of the critters apart. This is particularly true of the yearling girls and this years' crop of cria.

We found a way to ID those in question with the use of plastic chain and cattle ear tags. We attached the ear tags to the chain, added the name and parentage of the alpaca needing ID to the tag, and attached the chain around the neck.

While not particularly high-fashion, it is serving the purpose.

Alpaca Gargoyles

2010-12-05T21:58:00.005-04:00

Add to your herd or start a new herd with one of these cute alpaca gargoyles. These gals are hand crafted clay with plenty of attitude and can be ordered from our webstore. Have a good laugh.

http://www.rocaroalpacas.ca/sunshop/index.php

Wolfville Market

2010-12-02T21:11:00.004-04:00

Only three more Saturday's at the Wolfville farmers market until Christmas. Come by and visit us on the second floor of the market to get your special christmas gifts. Or as always you can visit our online store. www.rocaroalpacas.ca

Our past 6 weeks at the market have been a great success and now the online and farmstore sales are picking with christmas coming. We have even sold out of somethings.

If you are wanting Duvets, pillows or other bedding products to keep you warm this christmas will need to be ordered soon as free delivery with Canada Post. Extra charge if you want by courier.

This weekend at the market is titled "Get Unscrooged" with special draws and events.

Tucking in for winter

2010-11-30T13:55:00.002-04:00

My saving grace is that winter comes late to Nova Scotia.

I have turned my attention to planting the last few fall bulbs and getting the flower beds cleaned up for winter.

Six beds have been trimmed and weeded leaving only the two big ones to do. With any luck the weather will hold just a little longer so I can finish...

Barn Door Ballet

2010-11-05T11:16:00.002-03:00

The weather became wet and windy overnight and I was not inclined to go to the barn in the dark this morning.

At first light, I realized I had a problem with the new double Dutch style barn doors. Each of the 4 individual doors were taking their turn swinging & banging in the wind, and at this point I have no idea if the animals were in the barn or had taken advantage of the situation to go "walk-about".

Off I go to the barn.

Upon my arrival I see the alpacas huddling in a corner of the barn looking concerned that something isn't right, Tab the barn cat is meowing like crazy and trying to get to me while the dogs are responding by barking and trying to get at the cat. Meanwhile the doors continue to bang.

After analyzing the problem I had to construct supports to attach to the inside of the barn doors to add stability, after which I nailed the hay feeder to the doors for added security (will probabaly catch hell for that) and then replace the small outer supports with big long ones firmly attached by long screws. All of this while fighting against gale-force winds, arrrgh.

Once completed the alpacas relaxed and settled in for a morning nap, the cat got a cuddle and the dogs snoozed on the hay.

The doors appear to be holding...

Wwoofing season over again

2010-11-03T08:18:00.003-03:00

Once again we had a great time with all the Wwoofers who passed through the farm this year.

As always, the help was invaluable and we learned from each other. Everyone participated in the barn chores and I will miss the company and help in the barn.

Also, thanks to Cathy in the garden, Lilian for weeding and planting beans, Ching & Sara for all the painting, Tracy for weeding, fibre prep and jellying (Carly for keeping the squirrels at bay), Tosca for more weeding and jelly making, Betty, Gerry & Muriel for the help on Open Farm Day, Laura for gardening & soap felting and the farmers market, Jim for door building and gardening, Jill for the garden help and soap felting and the farmers market, Hollis for wrangling alpacas and helping at the market, and last but not least Fabian for helping to hang the new barn doors.

We couldn't have accomplished so much without all of you.

Farmers Market a Success

2010-10-26T10:40:00.003-03:00

We have attended the Wolfville Farmer's Market two Saturdays in a row, and expect to be there if space is available from now until Christmas.

We have had excellent success so far, this is very encouraging. We have met some very enthusiastic people and everyone is curious about alpacas.

There is a lot of organizing required to prepare for the market along with loading & unloading the truck, set up, break down and loading & unloading all over again. Every time we go we get better at it though.

Swirling wood ash

2010-10-10T10:17:00.003-03:00

As part of the Nova Scotia Nutrient Management Plan for our pastures we received a tractor-trailer load of wood ash to be spread.

The ash arrived on a beautiful calm Thursday afternoon, and I called our neighbour with the equipment to let him know that Friday would be a good day to spread the as beecause rain was forcasted for Saturday.

Friday morning arrived with a stiff breeze. The neighbour arrived and the breeze became a strong wind. We spread the ash anyway in a cloud of blowing black soot. By the time we were finished the wind was gale force. It was a good thing that we received more ash than we really needed as a good portion of it blew into the woods across the road.

Each one of us was covered in black ash, and soap and showers were running full force that afternoon.

A new toy

2010-10-05T07:37:00.002-03:00

The old manure cart, a steel type trailer has finally given up the ghost. We have replaced it with a heavy duty plastic one that good or bad, carries twice the load. It's easier to load & unload & doesn't leak. That in itself is a good thing.

Thank you

2010-10-05T07:33:00.002-03:00

A very big thank you to all who have helped at the farm this past year.

Thank you to all of our customers who support our business. Without your support our farm would not be as successful as it is.

New socks

2010-09-22T16:28:00.002-03:00

Just arrived: A brand new sock order! We have a new supplier for thermal socks, hiking socks, cable dress socks and ever so cute kids socks. All 80% alpaca.

Open Farm Day - another success

2010-09-20T07:45:00.003-03:00

Open farm day 2010 was another great success. Thankfully we had the help of three wonderful volunteers to manage parking, run the shop and oversee the over 200 visitors to the farm leaving us to chat and provide informative talks.

Members of the Atlantic Spinners & Handweavers did spinning & weaving demos, also a great addition to the fun.

Live At 5

2010-09-16T14:25:00.002-03:00

The CTV crew and the NS Department of Agriculture was here today to do an interview and promotion for Open Farm Day, featuring non-traditional farm products. We had a great time tapeing, interviewing and getting up close and personal with the alpacas. We all had a great time and I think alpacas have wiggled their way into some new hearts.

Check Live At 5 to see the results!

Home from Fredericton

2010-09-12T18:43:00.004-03:00

What a weekend at the "FREX"! We caught up with old friends and certainly made some new ones too. Typically about 15,000 march through the doors of the Ex over the course of a week, and by the end of the day on Saturday it felt like we had spoken to them all.

We sold alpaca product, gave away magazines and of course participated in the first ever New Brunswick Alpaca Show.

The four we took to show Oreo, Toblerone, Blizzard and Anuone all took First in Class. The show was not large enough for colour Champions.

We need to make room in the barn

2010-09-06T21:08:00.001-03:00

With seven females bred for the 2011 season, we need to make some room in the barn.

Check our website for specially priced alpaca packages.

We Survived!!

2010-09-04T21:29:00.002-03:00

All the Alpacas are well and Hurricane Earl did little to our farm besides a few broken branches.

Power went out abruptly at noon and the storm pretty much ended by 5pm for us. We even had some sun about 4pm. A few downed or broken branches but otherwise all is fine. It even got so humid again that Caroline and I went into town and found the local cinema's had power. So 'The American' with George Cloney. A good classic style spy like movie. None of the flash bang of the movies today. Very enjoyable. Caroline also enjoyed it as the movie played on the expression and the tension that was always present.

On the way home we kept looking for the next yard light as we turned each corner. We were feeling pretty good when there were lights on Georgefield Rd. So yes we have power after only 8 or 9 hours without.

We are thankful.

Alpaca Canada Days Sept 25 and Sept 26

2010-09-04T10:33:00.002-03:00

This year we are participating in Alpaca Canada Days which is on Sept 25th and Sept 26th. Come visit us between 10 am and 4 pm. This is a also a good time to visit us if you could not make it out on Sept 19th.

Come learn about alpacas and have the opportunity to feel how soft they are. We will also have our farm store set up so you can get an early jump on christmas or winter shopping. Besides yarn, scarves, socks, and other alpaca items we will have jams, jellies, and some farm produce for sale.

Additionally we do have some of our Alpacas for sale as we need to rotate a few bloodlines.

If you cannot make it this weekend we always accept visitors by appointment.

Hope to see you here.

Hurricane Earl

2010-09-04T10:31:00.003-03:00

Hurricane Earl is now battering our Alpaca farm with steady heavy rain for over an hour now. The winds are increasing but so far so good. Earl did hold off long enough this morning we were able to get the alpaca chores done. While we still have power we expect to loose it at some point today. Fingers crossed it is for a short period.

Nova Scotia Farm Day Sept 19th

2010-09-04T10:26:00.002-03:00

This year we are participating in Nova Scotia's Open Farm Day which is on Sunday Sept 19th. Come visit us between 10 am and 4 pm. Last year we had over 160 people visit.

Come learn about alpacas and have the opportunity to feel how soft they are. We will also have our farm store set up so you can get an early jump on christmas or winter shopping. Besides yarn, scarves, socks, and other alpaca items we will have jams, jellies, artisan breads and some farm produce for sale.

Hope to see you here.

Fredricton Alpaca Show

2010-09-04T10:20:00.003-03:00

Next week we are off to Fredricton for the NB Alpaca Show. This a composite show which we have never competed in. So it will be interesting. We are taking Aztec Artic Blizzard, Toblerone Ben, Anuone Ben and our black Oreo Ben.

As the show is part of the Agriculture exhibition we are also bringing a bunch of product to sell.

Hurricane Earl arriving 9 am

2010-09-04T08:57:00.002-03:00

So far so good. The outer bands have reached us with some wind and intermittant rain. The alpacas are currently out in the pasture probably enjoying being cooler after being over 30 degrees celcius for the past week.

Hurrican Earl did shift to the east from last night which means Nova Scotia will get hit harder as the eye should move right up the province. But should have less intensity by the time it reaches up.

Will keep posted as long as we have power.

Earl

2010-09-03T20:37:00.002-03:00

Hurricane Earl is due to arrive in Nova Scotia tomorrow morning.

This of course means that anything loose must be secured or brought in under cover. Chances are high that we will be without power for some period of time, which also means the well doesn't pump, so no water.

The alpaca pools are filled to the brim, they like that, also meaning if necessary there is water available. Clean water is drawn for them to drink, and stashed away. Pots and buckets of household water are stored, the yard secured and all the glads now reside in a vase on the table.

Hopefully the corn, tomatoes and the rest of the garden make it.

The alpacas will have free access to the barn but won't be locked in. If our old barn becomes unstable they will be better off outside.

Wish us luck.

Gym Membership not required

2010-09-03T20:31:00.002-03:00

We have a neighbour who cuts firewood for a living. With fall approaching (although you wouldn't guess it by the 34c temperature today), he has been very busy.

We had previously asked him if we could have the wood chips for alpaca bedding, and he was glad to get rid of them.

Today he delivered 5 loads of shavings to the barn.

The first load I had him drop outside the barn, but on the second load I got smart, and asked him to unload the rest inside the barn.

I shovelled 2 loads into the shavings crib for storage, pouring sweat the whole time. By the time he brought the rest of the loads, it was just too hot to continue.

I will sleep like a baby tonight.

Pool felt

2010-09-03T20:25:00.002-03:00

We had a wonderful volunteer at the farm who was up for all my crazy ideas.

It was a very hot day, and we were both eyeing the alpaca pools with envy. Suddenly it came to me, lets dump 2 bags of scrap fibre into one of the pools, add the soap and squish around in it barefoot. Surely we can make a big felt this way.

In we get to slip and slide around with the alpacas looking on curiously. After a while it became apparent that this method will make a lot of small felts but not one large felt. Probabaly we should have used carded fibre.

A fun learning experience and we did get to cool off.

Must be jelly 'cause jam don't shake like that!

2010-09-03T20:20:00.002-03:00

We took the apples from our "Summer apple" tree to the Annapolis Valley to have them pressed into soft cider. This cider is not pasteurized and has a limited shelf life. I came home with 96 liters of apple juice. We are fermenting some for hard cider, sold some, froze some and still had lots leftover.

The only remaining option was to make jelly! Six cases later, we have apple jelly, apple ginger jelly, apple lovage jelly, apple basil jelly, spiced apple jelly, apple red pepper jelly, apple lemon balm jelly....you get my drift.

Get 'em now at 4.50 each.

A girl for Wyonna

2010-08-23T13:53:00.003-03:00

The last cria of the season was born today, a girl for Wyonna. I was in the barn getting the chores done and before I knew it the little thing was on the ground. Wyonna is an experienced mom and did not require any help at all.

The little one was on her feet in good time and has made her way out to the pasture.

It is late in the season so we will give Wyonna a winter rest and re-breed her in the spring.

Another win for Oreo

2010-08-23T13:51:00.002-03:00

We sent some fleeces to the Navan Fair Alpaca Show which was held outside Ottawa on August 14-15.

Oreo's fleece won Black Champion and Toblerone's fleece took a first.

Maitland Launch Day

2010-08-23T13:48:00.004-03:00

August 21 is Launch Day in Maitland NS. It is the anniversary of the launch of a boat into the Bay Of Fundy.

The town puts on a parade, events and local crafters set up displays. Somewhere around 300 or so people attended the event. Our table was a popular spot as people were keen to learn about Alpacas.

www.maitlandns.com

Pasture rotation

2010-08-23T13:43:00.002-03:00

The boy's side of the pasture was looking a little worse for wear so we began a pasture rotation program. We moved all the males to a larger pasture area behind and next to the ladies area.

This worked for about a day.

Perilli our main stud decided that now that he could clearly see the female herd, they all belonged to him. He put the run on the other males which defeats the purpose of the pasture rotation. We moved Perilli and a "buddy" back to the original area, leaving the rest of the herd (the young guys) by the girls.

They still hang out along the fence looking wistfully at the ladies but at least all is calm.

Toblerone's First Breeding

2010-08-04T21:03:00.002-03:00

Now that our young studs are two years of age we are giving them a chance to breed. Toblerone got his shot a couple of weeks ago. It seems to have taken as Karmelita was not interested in the spit testing we did this weekend.

Barolo and Karmelita

2010-08-04T20:50:00.003-03:00

Pictures from Barolo's first day.

Ways to keep cool

2010-08-04T20:32:00.000-03:00

A busy time in the pasture

2010-07-28T20:42:00.003-03:00

Sweet Dreams finally delivered a beautiful girl after a very long wait. This was her first.

We had been working in the vicinity of the barn and stopped to have a look before heading in for lunch, and noticed that S.D. was walking funny. It was then apparent that there was a head and 2 legs, but the legs were in an incorrect position.

We geared up and went to help. Well S.D. did not think we were going to help, so she took off to the back part of the pasture with a half-born cria in tow. It took four of us maybe 20 minutes to get her in a position where we could catch her and assist.

Thankfully the cria was breathing during this time.

We finally birthed the cria and mom and baby are doing well.

She has earned the name Bacio, Italian for kiss, as all the alpacas came to the new addition to give her a nose-kiss.

Bechamel is Cria # 3

2010-07-27T09:17:00.003-03:00

On Sunday, I headed to the barn in the soft rain to give the morning mineral mash and close the animals in the barn as few needed shots and we wanted to do some breed Karmelita. In the morning stuper I did not see notice that not all the girls came. We organized the first breeding of Toblerone to Karmelita and started give a few shots. We were looking for one of the animals and realized she was not in the barn. A quick head count showed 3 must have been on the far side of the pasture so I did not see them when I called them in. Opened the door and there was Cadence giving birth to our first girl of the the year Bechamel.

All is well with mom and baby and the woofers got to watch and video the birth. Pictures should be up shortly and we will advise when we post the videos.

A happy accident

2010-07-21T17:55:00.002-03:00

Somehow this morning one of the gates between the adult males and the juvenile males became unhooked.

We really didn't notice this until after lunch when we are working in the barn area. I glanced up to see that the juveniles had entered the forbidden territory of the adults. They were all happily grazing together without incident, perhaps because they have been fence-mates for quite some time.

We were planning to introduce them at the end of the breeding season to ensure a smooth transition. We need not have worried, as nature takes care of things herself.

Welcome to Barolo

2010-07-21T17:53:00.002-03:00

Our second cria of the season arrived on July 11. Bartholomew is happy to have a playmate to romp with.

Beating the heat

2010-07-09T07:37:00.002-03:00

The dog days of summer have arrived with full force and we are all trying to stay cool. It has been hot 30c with heavy humidity. This puts us in the danger zone for alpacas (80f and 80%humidity is the benchmark) so we need to provide methods of cooling.

The girls and the juvenile males like to dip in the pools. The adult males prefer that we spray the trees so they can stand under the dripping water.

The dogs seek the shade, and for us, we do what we can.

Home again

2010-07-06T12:53:00.003-03:00

Home again and busily trying to catch up on farm work after a week at Olds Agricultural College in Alberta.

I attended the annual Fibre Week, taking a 2 day class in making felt boots and a four day Alpaca fibre sorter/grader/classer program.

The fibre program has a two year apprenticeship during which time I need to sort and grade 250 alpaca fleeces. Needless to say I will be looking for farms that need help with this step.

My boots are quite funky and just require the addition of soles to be ready for this winter.

Being surrounded by 400 plus fibre artists for a whole week certainly was inspiring and I have returned with many new ideas.

Hay Days

2010-07-06T11:59:00.001-03:00

Bill came down and cut the hay last week and then turned it on the following days. On Monday, with Caroline now home it was time to bale. Thankfully Caroline was now home as being a Monday some of our regular help was away at work and then the other local boys who often come on baling day did not show. That left Caroline, Bill and myself to move the 900 odd bales into the barn. Bill, who has the equipment would help us finish each load so he could dump the next one. Became a very long day as we started at 130 and finished about 9pm. Thankfully another neighbour Mike came by looking for Bill and helped us finish things up for the last hour just as Caroline and I were at the point of total exhaustion.

We did get another good crop in the barn and things are set for another winter season. We only need about 300 bales for the year so we are selling some again this year.

Bartholomew arrives

2010-06-08T11:13:00.004-03:00

Our first cria of the season arrived on Sunday June 6, right on schedule. A good size guy, he has been named Bartholomew although we don't know why; it just seemed right.

He got off to a rough start with Mom not wanting to feed him. We had to take quick action and gave him a NurseMate supplement. Mom was still none to interested so we had to administer colostrum by bottle during the first 24 hours.

One of us would sit on the floor holding him while the other held the bottle. This process was interesting to Bartholomew's big sister Anuone, and she checked it all out.

The second time we went to the barn for feeding, Anuone positioned herself immediatley behind and slightly over Bartholomew and guided him right over to where we were preparing his feeding, by using her legs and pushing him along.

It took us a moment to realize what she was doing...alpacas are pretty smart.

Mom has now settled down to business and little Bartholomew is getting along fine.

EEEK!

2010-05-27T13:40:00.002-03:00

It's showering off and on meaning it's a perfect day to get the greenhouse cleaned up and planted.

Yes, I am really late in attending to the greenhouse this year but better late than never.

Upon wrenching the greenhouse door open I was greeted by an astounding sight. Weeds beyond belief...laying unhampered for the winter and early spring in a nice blanket of Alpaca beans, the weeds had taken off and were nothing short of knee high.

Two years ago we got rid of the snakes in the greenhouse by pouring a box of salt down the snake hole. After removing the snakes, the next spring I found that a rat was chewing off and absconding with my newly planted tomato plants under the cover of darkness. Hence the barn cat. I'm not sure which is worse, snakes or rats.

No sooner had I begun the task of clearing out the weeds, a movement caught my eye. It's no secret that I hate snakes, and the movement turned out to be a long, grayish snake just inches from my foot. The mandatory scream brought the dogs running.

At the sight of out trusty Spaniel, Sultan I yell at him Get it!, Get it! while feebly pointing in the general direction where the snake disappeared. With tail wagging he happily snuffles through the long grasses. I see the snake again, screaming and encouraging the dog to Get it!

Sultan (my savior) does get the snake, shakes it until it no longer moves, and happily deposits it on the grass outside.

With heart a-pounding and a wary eye for what I'm sure will be many more snakes, I continue hoeing out the weeds.

The dead snake will lay in the grass and make my heart pound in fear until I can convince someone else to remove it. Even dead I am not going near that thing.

As for Sultan, he deserves a steak!

High Speed Arrives!

2010-05-27T13:37:00.001-03:00

After waiting patiently for the past 5 years, high speed internet has arrived in our rural location. Last week the guys spent the better part of the morning installing the stuff they install and got things up and running.

Thank God!!!

Shearing Day 2010

2010-05-18T01:58:00.004-03:00

Once again shearing day was a great success. We had 12 wonderful volunteers helping with everything from using the shop vac to vacuum the animals, weighing alpacas, holding them on the shearing table, trimming nails and skirting fleece.

The day began at 9 AM with the arrival of the first volunteers and followed shortly after by Lukas the shearer. Two stations were set up for shearing, one on the table and an area on the floor. This way Lukas could move from one alpaca to another without having to wait.

We began with the darkest alpacas, moving to the whites. It's easiest to see the dark fibre when the eyes are fresh. As usual after they are shorn alpacas look pretty pathetic. I had made some "apres shear wear" (coats) for two of the smallest animals to help keep them warm until they adjusted to being naked.

We did some skirting right off the alpacas, the really hairy bits and lower leg fibre went directly into the felting bin. This made the process of bagging the shorn fibre a little easier.

The day wrapped up at 3 PM. The crew was tired and dirty and more than ready for the beer and barbecue that followed.

We are very grateful for the help of both old and new friends.

Mayflower Show 2010

2010-05-10T09:31:00.003-03:00

We're back from the PEI show with more successes.

Blizzard won White Champion and Callibaut took Reserve Brown. Oreo was first in his class, however there were not enough blacks for a Championship class.
Oreo and Anuone took Produce of Dam (Sedona) and Anuone, Arwyn and Alteza were first, second and third in Junior White Female. Last but not least, Toblerone was first in his class for Fawn Yearling Male.

We enjoyed the high-speed access at the hotel, and now that we're home it's back to dial-up. ARRGH!

Road Trip

2010-04-29T15:19:00.002-03:00

We are back safely from the big adventure of driving to Ontario. We girls, myself and the First Assistant headed off with a trailer full of six alpacas for the 2 day drive to Orangeville.

We were fortunate to have excellent weather in both directions although the weather in Ontario during the show weekend was cold, windy, and snow was in the air.

In retrospect, the drive through Montreal at rush hour was a piece of cake compared to the 401 through Toronto, (not during rush hour!). The newly acquired GPS (thanks Mom) was a god send navigating the 401 exits, however "The Voice", I think her name is Laurie, punished us for mis-understanding her directions.

There are few show pictures as we were both busy ferrying alpacas to and from the show ring, and standing in the ring while the Judges inspected the animals.

This was our First Assistants first time showing alpacas and she pulled it off like a pro. We were pleased with our results at the end of Saturday and decided that if we were to win any ribbons on Sunday that would be icing on the cake. Sunday came and we continued to win ribbons, in spite of Oreo rolling in the dirt and Anuone being wet.

We headed for home Monday morning, and "Laurie" punished us once again. We had a lovely tour of Riviere du Loup and met a charming gas station owner who reassured us that a lot of people stop at his establishment looking for the highway.

It was a long trip but worthwhile just the same. Next trip is to PEI for the Mayflower Show.

Success at Orangeville Show

2010-04-12T13:13:00.003-03:00

Caroline, this weekend took six animals to Orangeville for the Alpaca Ontario show. She will post more about her adventures but here is a quick snapshot of the results

On Saturday,
Blizzard 1st place Yearlying white male
Alteza 1st place young junior white female
Oreo 1st place yearling black male
Anuone 2nd place older junior white female
Toblerone 3rd place yearling brown male

On Sunday
Oreo Black Male colour champion
Altezza Reserve white female colour champion
Sedona 2nd place get of dam (Showing of Anuone and Oreo)

All in all a very successful weekend.