Come on the girls!

Well its been a busy old week, as the girls just keep on coming!

On Thursday it was Ep Cambridge Aria (sire: Ep Cambridge Peruvian Ceaser) who decided that the weather was just right for a special delivery. Aria was due to have our first Beck Brow Explorer cria of the year so we (mainy me actually) were (was) rather excited...Velvet the dog likes a birth, but I don't think she is bothered who the sire is. So I called Amanda to see if she wanted a coffee whilst we waited, then Robyn and Hettie turned up, so Soprano was welcomed in to the world by an appreciative audience

As it would be Amanda and I had been discussing whether we should put Explorer over more coloureds so see what he could produce. We knew that both his dam (Cambridge Camilla) and his sire (Ep Cambridge Navigator) had produced colour, but had one of them passed on that coloured secondary gene? I had commented to Amanda maybe we will just find out by breeding him to whites (both passing on a secondary colour gene). Well we didnt have to wait long...Soprana is a lovely deep apricot colour...and the spitting image of her sire as a cria!

Aria and Soprano

Soprano...the image of Explorer

Whilst this was happening Paul was on his way to Heathrow to collect our Australian females. It was a long trip from New Zealand via Singapore (with stops in between) all the way to Heathrow. Lots of checking on arrival of 92 alpacas and a group of horses, meant that Paul didn't arrive home until 8am on Friday.

I was amazed at how calm all three females were when they were unloaded. It hadn't been our plan to transport such a young cria, but the original plan to fly in March hadn't happened. It was then decided that Cambridge Stargazer would be too pregnant to fly in May. However, she had other ideas, and decided to birth on the 6th April. Stardust was very prem. However, although only 6.5kgs she was a fighter. She needed a plasma transusion and antibiotics, but then never looked back. So we made the decision to bring her into the UK at the start of summer, rather than leave her in NZ at the start of winter.

After clean feacal egg counts and prophylactic Cydectin and Baycox (just in case not shedding), and 24 hours on concrete they are now in with the small birthing group. I just cant believe how chilled they are, coming into the barn for feed straight away.

They are such an exciting addition to the Beck Brow herd. Bred by Ep Cambridge Alpaca Stud; Cambridge Stargazer (white) and Cambridge Summer Solstice (fawn) are both sired by the amazing Windsong Valley Firedragon (bought for $AUS 165,000 if my memory is correct!). Their density has me awe struck. Stardust is sired by Ep Cambridge Spartacus (sire of some of the top stud males working in Aust, UK and mainland Europe) and is lovely...Happy days!

Stargazer and Solstice

 Stardust with aunty Solstice who does seem to do most of the child care!

 Stardust

We have been having some more fencing done in order to create another isolation paddock (the last one!). It seems that I am considered the Imelda Marcos of gates. Our fencer claims not to have seen so many 12 ft gates on our acreage before. I think he is just teasing...I have had a count...32 on fify acres is that a lot...okay maybe I like a wooden gate or two!

It was halter training on Sunday. Four of our boys will be going to their new home in a couple of weeks, so we need to get them fully trained. Below is Craig with Orlando, behind is Robyn with Epic..a new home for Epic...I dont think so!

Halter training (that's Oscar's nose in the photo!)

Well the sun is shinning, ideal for birthing. We have some exciting births due, including Bozedown Celestrial (a favourite of mine) and Bozedown Magic Charm. Both girls were bought at the Alpaca Classic in 2012. Our 2013 purchase, the lovely Bozedown Campari, has had a date with our Timbertop CT Goldmine ...and seems to be rather pleased with herself since...should be a cracker!