Enough already - Breakout attempt

Yesterday Cocoa Blanca decided if you are not going to come in and feed me then I am going to jump the gate and get to the good food myself.

It all started with the neighbour down the road coming to get his trailer that we fill each week with Manure and waste straw. This was about 330pm, which is a bit early for the evening grain feed and hay top up but close enough with activity in the barn it is time for the herd to come in.

At 430, I was showing so farm visitors the alpacas after they came to buy a used woodstove we had for sale. More activity but no food being served.

Just as they left the neighbour returned with his empty trailer which we then put back in the barn. More activity but now it is 5pm which is when Caroline usually feeds them at this time of year.

I had just finished locking up the big barn doors and was making my way to the feed cans when I turned and saw Cocoa Blanca on two legs with her front leg over the gate and her head sticking through the gateway. She was just about to attempt to leap through before a scared her to retreat.

Nothing like teasing an impatient alpaca to cause an attempted breakout.

Cocoa did get her head in the feed bucket before I made it to the feed troughs. So she did get a little reward for her efforts.

Of Barn Cats and Alpacas

This past week we have had some cold nights, in the -15 to -20c range. Ok, not sooo cold, but it's cold for Nova Scotia.

Each morning and evening at chore time I noticed Tab the cat's food dish was empty and upside down on the barn floor. Hmm, it appears we are helping a stray cat get through a cold spell as Tab never tosses her dish to the floor. No worries, always glad to help a critter in need.

This morning I dutifully picked up the dish and filled it up, then carried on with the chores.

Not 10 minutes later I notice the dish empty and on the floor and no stray cats in sight. Hmmm!
Then I notice one of the alpacas stretching her neck to the back of the shelf where the cat dish usually resides and she appears to be reaching for stray bits of cat food.

This cannot be what it seems! To test my theory, I re-fill the cat dish and hold it out to the mooching alpaca. Sure enough, she looks me right in the eye and takes a big nibble of the cat food.

I cannot say how this gal developed a taste for cat food, nor am I convinced that it's a good thing for alpacas to eat. Her efforts have been thwarted and the cat bowl moved to higher ground.

Alpacas and cats do indeed have similar personalities!

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

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

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

Farmer's market

See you at the Halifax market on January 28!

Winter....

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

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

Picture Day at School

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!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.