Freedom for All!

Its been a funny old week...I set off being excited by my new found freedom...no more being tied to the farm waiting for births...I could do what I wanted for the first time in six months. So what do I do?...On Monday I clean and tidy the store room, aka Paul's games room...I rediscover the snooker table under tons of yarn. Tuesday, Robyn and I give all the livery girls a dose of Ovithrive (mineral and selenium drench. I am changing back to Maxigro, as they hate the taste and so do I) and treat them for mites with Deosect. Wednesday, Amanda and I do a load of spit-offs with our girls.

I seem to have forgotten what there is to do off the farm. By Thursday I am feeling glum...and then I realise why...no more waiting for births...nothing to be excited about quite the opposite...I actually like getting up each morning full of expectation of what might be born today.

So what shall I do?...two things. Firstly I check to see if I still have any non-alpaca friends (after being unavailable for half of the year)...thankfully I do and they are willing to drag me away! Secondly, I break my recently made plan to shorten the birthing season...Yes, Explorer has had a few extra dates (including Pepsi who is brown) but today is definitely the last day.

I have just totted up the cria on the farm...forty three...that's forty three to halter train...cor blimey that will keep us busy. At least we will have some large weaning groups which will be good for them.

Paul has been making good progress with his belter of a field shelter. So much so that we decided that it could be put to use. With birthing over, the livery girls have now been moved on to more grass and further away from the house. The livery group are still in isolation so our girls have also been moved. I love moving alpacas around, they are so nosy it is so easy...just open a gate and off they go...

Paul opening the gate to freedom for the livery girls (Sparkle and Edelweiss on the left)

Really? Should we?

Yes go for it girls! (how gorgeous is the little brown Prophecy male on the left? I want him!)

Venous (black cria) makes a dash for the front...

and makes it first...look at all that grass!