Paul gets a new squeeze

Apart from the fact that I am in love, and Paul has a new squeeze, there's not not really much to report

A quick photo catch up...

We have had a few cria born since my last blog, but on Sunday I fell seriously in love. I know you probably cant see it, but he is the cutest cria ever, he is the spitting image of his sire, hence the bias. He even makes the same grumbling noises...Welcome Beck Brow Adventurer. His dam Beck Brow Lucie (sire: EPC Top Account of Fowberry) is a pretty girl, so he is easier in the eye than Gorgeous was at the same age! However he was being coy for the camera today...

Beck Brow Adventurer and Beck Brow Clould Nine (sire: Lillyfield Jack of Spades of Inca)

and again

Yet to be named, below is a Beck Brow Explorer daughter. She is such a character, always rolling in the dust bath, she is brilliant white underneath (looks like she has gotten some dust in her eye...can you see the tear)

Biba had a Black Sabbath son on Friday. I have named him Banjo (note your name gives you a clue as to whether you are likely to make the show team!)

Biba and Banjo

Somebody who will be making the grade is Beck Brow Bottoms Up...and don't she just know it!

Beck Brow Bottoms Up

Beck Brow Jimmy Choos thinks that he is going to make the stud grade...chasing the girls already...

Bottoms up chased by Jimmy Choos

As you can see in the background we have some big bales this year. We actually made some last year but sold them off the field, but as we then bought haylage in small bales, it made sense to keep some this time. The problem was...how do we move them about...well Paul has bought himself a squeeze for the back of the tractor. Probably cost more than we will save buying haylage, but it will keep him happy!

Beck Brow Honey Bun (sire: Waradene St Patrick of EPC)

Bozedown Celestrial has had an Explorer daughter who has missed the photo call. Next time

Below is a photo of a part of our farm. If you have good eyesight you will see some alpacas dotted in the far field. The shelter in the centre is where Explorer and Goldmine live at present (the only males to live near the girls without fighting). So where are the rest of the girls...did someone mention feed time...

Looks like it...

Leaving Timbertop CT Goldmine wondering where all the girls have gone..

Timbertop CT Goldmine of Beck Brow...our little gem!

Finally some Jimmy Choos!

 Gee whizz...my body is too old for the life that I lead...I thought I would write a blog in order to justify a sit down. Trouble is it's all a little bit groundhog, my blogs are blurring into one; births and matings!

However, we have had a bit of excitement with the birthing. On Sunday morning, wide awake at 5.30 am..I decided to don my pyjamas and check out the birthing paddock. Well just as well I did. All the alpacas were in the barn as usual, but there sitting kushed in the paddock was a little black cria. It took a second or two to register that this belonged to Beck Brow Snooty Boots (sire Waradene St Patrick).

I ran for the birthing box, and such was the excitement that I nearly tripped up when the ribbon of my PJ bottoms came undone, and my bottoms ended up at my ankles (luckily we have no very close neighbours). The cria was cold (33 degrees) so he was promptly brought in and warmed with a hair dryer. By 7.30 am he was suckling and bright as a button. And I went indoors to put on some more suitable attire (by this point I needed warmed with a hair dryer too).

Last year we decided to mate Boots with our black male, Viracocha Black Sabbath, as we knew St Patrick, her sire, could produce black. The trouble was, Boots went berserk at the mere sight of Black Sabbath. So rather naughtily we tricked her, using Explorer (white) to get her to sit, then swapped the males. I did have a niggling concern that if she had a black cria, would she reject it. Thankfully she loves him. She does get a bit confused now and again and goes looking after white cria, but she is very proud of him. A beautiful blue black male from a lovely fawn dam...could be exciting! In recognition of his dam being called Boots, he is to be named Beck Brow Jimmy Choos.

Jimmy and Boots on day one

and again today...Boots always tries to look elegant whatever is going on!

 Earlier last week one of the black female on agistement gave birth to a lovely smoky coloured St Pat cria (above) behind is Prima Sebastian sired by Black Sabbath

Yesterday it was all go, with two births and a farm visit. In the morning Cambridge Scarborough gave birth to a blue black male, sired by Black Sabbath (below). I have yet to think of a name...not sure about Skeggness?

and in the afternoon Ep Cambridge Sparkle (agisted) gave birth to a Beck Brow Explorer daughter (below at 3 hours old). This little female will be going to Switzerland in the spring. I have never seen a cria born as lively as this one. She was trying to stand with her front legs before she was completely out. A proper little character with a very curly fleece.

Then this afternoon Garnet (agisted) decided to give birth in the middle of drive-by matings. Amanda was watching the paddock and alerted me to the fact only one leg had presented. So matings over Explorer was left in the pen as I went to investigate. I couldn't find the room to get it turned. So the vet was called. As the vet was some distance away, we were lucky that our neighbour could come round. He eventually eased the cria out with the knee locked back. Good job, with no tearing. The cria (sire: Lavender Park Tulley) was up and drinking within the hour (below)

I am rather smitten with Beck Brow Stardust (sire: Ep Cambridge Spartacus) she is such a poppet

Beck Brow Stardust

You may have noticed through out this blog, my referring to alpacas on agistement. It has rather got out of hand with 50% of the alpacas on the farm not owned by us. However, after a few delays, one of the herds here will be reducing their numbers, and will be putting most of their herd up for sale. With some top notch Australian genetics...could I resist?...no chance! So having purchased her dam, this little St Patrick female is now ours. Here is Beck Brow Bebop A Lula. This female line is exceptional, thus two of her sisters will also be staying at Beck Brow. The third (2013) female will be for sale pregnant to Goldmine, when I get the time to get her on Alpacaseller .

Beck Brow Bebop A Lula (sire: Waradene St Patrick)

Gorgeous Mark II

Some of you, who have been kind enough to read this drivel for a number of years, will remember that we used to call Beck Brow Explorer...Gorgeous. Now you might have seen him of late and be thinking; well he is rather gorgeous. But the name was meant to be ironic, because believe me, he was no George Clooney as a cria. 

But he blossomed into a swan, and the decision was made, his parents needed to be reunited. So it was, Cambridge Camilla was taken down to Houghton Hall Alpacas for a date with Ep Cambridge Navigator last year.

On Thursday morning, I knew Camilla was thinking of unpacking, and by 1pm I was certain. Amanda was telephoned...this needed an audience. By 3pm we had a head and one leg. I could feel the other leg but couldn't straighten it. I can't pretend otherwise; stress levels were high. Then Paul drove down the lane. Still in his smart clothes, he was supplied with Hibiscrub and lube. Eventually he figured out that the cria was upside down and locked in a position with no room to be delivered. With a 180 degree turn, out he came. Yes, he, but happy on this occasion.

Camilla was given antibiotics and pain relief, and the cria was up and about in no time. He is a proper little character, tearing about at a day old. He looks very like Explorer but rather cuter I think. As this is Camilla's  fifth cria, we have named him High Five.

                                                                   Beck Brow High Five

                                  Beck Brow High Five's fleece at 24 hours. Looking organised

                                         Drinking from mum, Cambridge Camilla.

Cambridge Camilla (sire: Accoyo Remarque) is undoubtably one of our very best females. She has consistently produced show quality progeny from different sires. One of those is Beck Brow Advantage (sire: Waradene St Patrick). Advantage has been rather in the shadow of big brother Explorer, we knew he was good, but had no intention of ever selling him. That was until our good friends Michael and Judith from Cockerham Alpacas approached us about a suitable stud male. A real tough decision, but he is far to good to not be allowed to leave his mark. So it is congratulations to Cockerham Alpacas on securing the first release from Cambridge Camilla.

One her offspring is Beck Brow Rumour Has It (sire: Ep Cambridge Top Account of Fowberry) who had a beautiful female earlier in the week. Sired by Ep Cambridge Mirage of Minster Alpacas, she has been name Illusion...but seems to get called Lilly Lusion!

                         

Beck Brow Rumour a Has It with Lilly Lusion

Snazzy is looking snazzier by the day...

I am going to make more effort to blog as I lose track of what has happened. If I said lots of matings and plenty of good company and wine...that sums much of it up! We had a lovely evening with Liz and Shaun (The Alpaca Farm) and Stuart and Jean (Velvet Hall Alpacas) last week...some were better behaved than others...no guessing which camp I was in!

Lastly here is a photo of Prime Suspect...now if you are wondering where he has come from...it's because he has had a change of name...more on that another time!

Garland has a tough time.

 On Saturday I decided to give myself a day off. Ben (son) was home from London, so along with baby Hettie and Robyn we headed off to the outdoor pool at Lazonby. After a couple of hours, with the sun shining, I was just thinking how nice it was to have, a non-alpaca related, day off from the farm...it was at that point we received the call...Inca Garland was in the second stages of labour and it wasn't progressing...everything was thrown into the car and we dashed home.

Paul had called the vet who arrived at the same time as I did...so there was I, in a bathing suit, kaftan, and flip-flops...holding Garland whilst the vet, dressed in the appropriate protective clothing, tried to get the cria out. Poor Garland it was a tight fit, and she wasnt dilating...eventually a beautiful fawn female was delivered...and although bruised and sore, Garland was not torn.

Garland was given pain relief and antibiotics, and the cria who was a bit dopey, was given bicorbonate of soda, steroids and later some vitamin B1. She was bottle fed cows colstrum as Garland was rather too sore to be thinking of feeding.

Unfortunately that was not the end of the trauma for Garland as she failed to pass the placenta. The next morning we gave a dose of Oxytocin, she kept straining and was obviously very uncomfortable, but no placenta. As Paul had gone mobile mating with St Patrick first thing, I was on my own...umming and arhhing ...when the  three females booked in for drive-by matings arrived, with their owners of course...opinion was sought.

Their females hadnt even been unloaded...their owners had never been to the farm before...but the decision was made to see what was happening. I wont go into detail...but one of our visitors was doing the back end inspection, and ended up in the boot room, in her underwear, with her clothes in the washing machine. That was within 15 minutes of arrival...what a welcome!

The vet was called and a uterine washout was given, the placenta was rupture but did come away eventually. She was then given an antibiotic washout and started on Marbocyl. After all that Garland loves her daughter (Beck Brow Dixie Chick) sired by St Patrick, and she is feeding her and smoothering her with kisses.

 Beck Brow Dixie Chick

After hearing last week that Nero Black Alpacas had had a lovely fawn St Patrick male, from Nero Black Rose. This week black cria from our boys, seem to be the order of the day. Prince Bishop Alpacas reported the delivery of a beautiful blue black female from Beck Brow Sophie (fawn) and Waradene St Patrick (fawn). Today Eden Valley Alpacas have also had a blue black female from a dark fawn dam (sire; Viracocha Black Sabbath). And earlier in the week, Amanda (Florens Alpacas), had a blue black male from a light fawn dam (pictured below)

We also managed to get the hay in. We only cut 2 acres and managed to get 295 small bales...not sure what we are going to do with all the rest of the grass...thinking we will be able to get it big baled and sell some.

Hopefully we will get some births this week....some of our key players are now due...come on girls!

Crack from Beck Brow...

 It's been a while since my last blog; but the sun continues to shine...the ogling of the males continues to fill the air...and the births...yes, the births...zilch for Beck Brow... the wait continues!

We have had a busy old time with drive-by matings to the farm, mobile matings, and on farm matings. Of course it is always good to catch up with fellow breeders, so it cant really be classed as work. However, a free weekend looks a long way off. At least we get about, on Saturday we were in Cheshire doing matings, and on Sunday in Scotland! Paul is doing the mobile matings next weekend, whilst I stay home to oversee drive-by matings with some of the other boys...I elected to stay home as Cambridge Camilla is due (EP Cambridge Navigator cria) cant miss that one!

We will be leaving quite a few of our females open this winter. So probably only about 20 - 23 of our own females will be mated. We are back down to 50 alpacas (without this year's cria) having sold one or two males recently (more than 50% of the alpacas at Beck Brow are now agisted!).

Beck Brow Inkster (sire: Viracocha Black Sabbath) has been purchased by Blueberry Alpacas as a future herdsire. Beck Brow Otis and Beck Brow Blue have gone to join the treking team at Velvet Hall Alpacas, and Beck Brow Barnaby has gone to Hannahston Alpacas.

The hay has been cut and the sun is shinning...fingers crossed it remains that way until Thursday at least. The girls have been enjoying the new paddling pool (£10 Asda!). Pebbles was first in and refused anybody else access....

Pebbles hogging the pool

but Summer Solstice (who I though was timid up until this point) managed to turf her out...

relegating Pebbles to the baby pool...

not a good look Pebbles...heavily pregnant and wet legs!

I just love the way Asterisk likes to be in photos...and always looks grumpy...just like Explorer did as a cria!

We have had one birth, just not ours. Waradene St Patrick had a lovely light fawn daughter (I know she looks white in the photo). She is adorable...I want her...

One week old

Some photos:

Beck Brow Bottoms Up! (someone sleeping behind)

Beck Brow After Eight  (this year's mischief) with Velvet

Just to prove we do all colours...

Bottom, After and Cloud Nine

mother and baby paddock

Snazzy look snazz

and just because...

Chaska and Cloud

Beck Brow Stardust

Honaria and Bottom

Damascus (sire: Prophecy)

After Eight

Velvet caught sleeping with Angel

Looking Snazzy!

On Saturday morning, it was the usual bright and early start; but at least I had plans for the day, instead of the usual farm watch. Paul had decided that he would rather stay home, than man our stand at Skelton Show (Paul can only smile for limited periods) so it was going to be down to me.

As I drove off, I though Katkin looked rather fidgety. So when I received a call at 8.30 am, it wasn't a great surprise to hear that she had birthed...the fact that she had had a fancy was a great surprise! This was her third pairing with St Patrick, the first resulted in a mid fawn boy, the second a black male...and now a fancy boy...consistent with the males at least!

Actually, I do think that he is rather cute. I have named him Beck Brow Snazzy...because I just think he is! Partially bottle fed because Katkin has a limited milk supply (she will now be retired) he is sure to be a favourite.

Katkin and Snazzy

For those of you who do not follow us on Facebook; an up-date on Roma and her rejected cria: Roma did decide that she didn't fancy motherhood. She watched her cria, but just let him wander off searching for her. If he did find her and try to drink she pushed him away. So we closed the pair together in an outside pen, with Lady Gaga and Posh Pants for company.

 Having read the blog about Roma on Facebook, Angela (Lignum Alpacas) suggested trying Roma with Sepia (homeopathic remedy) to calm her. We were on the case, Googling suppliers, when bingo...I remembered that I some on farm. Initially excited, Paul soon stopped that when he reminded me that the reason I had some, was because I tried it last time with Roma (Jayne from Zanzibah Alpacas had suggested it). However, it was day 3 before we managed to get hold of any last time.

I dissolved some pellets in water and gave them as a drench. In the meantime we fed the cria with cows colostrum, but he stuck close to mum. She may not have loved him, but he certainly loved her. If she sat down...he sat down close beside her...she had no choice but to be near him. The next morning, not keen to take a bottle, I decided that he must have had a feed from Roma. I decided to take the chance and let them out into the paddock (having given Roma more Sepia). Well, she was frantic...frantic that she was going to lose him...result! The most attentive mother ever. I have named him Beck Brow Asterisk...a little star!

Phew...

Beck Brow Asterisk (sire: Beck Brow Explorer)

and another with milk dried chops!

I have decided that we are going to start putting in ear tags. I really don't like the idea, but as Paul points out, when I am away from the farm, recognition is difficult (and that is not just immediately post shearing). So, I have the tags...and the applicator...but no nerve. I did do the microchips, and managed to stab my thumb, which I thought was just revenge! I have decided that Paul will be good at tag insertion!

Beck Brow After Eight (left) was the cause of my microchipped thumb.

Still, my favourite, is Beck Brow Bottoms Up...she is such a sweetie...and a curly wurly. The patch where her fleece was shaved for her plasma transfusion, shows the amount of organisation in her fleece. Looking forward to seeing how she develops.

Beck Brow Bottoms-Up (sire: Beck Brow Explorer)

Beck Brow Cloud Nine with Chaska (sire: Lilly field Jack of Spades)

Lots of matings have been taking place on the farm; with our own, livery, and client's females, the air has been filled with ogling. This means that formal spitt-offs are often not necessary, as the open females plonk themselves down, when matings are going on. First in this queue, and this has been for the past few weeks, has been Beck Brow Cat's Pyjamas (Supreme Champion at Northumberland Show this year)....so she has had a date with Timbertop CT Goldmine ET...a St Patrick x Goldmine...now that will have me excited for next year!