Thursday 16 February 2012

Growing Herd

I am happy to announce an addition to our alpaca herd! On the 4th of this month we were blessed with a baby alpaca; he was a surprise! I went out to do my morning chores and there he was; cold, wet and shivering. I was able to get him dried off and made him a little blanket to keep him warm. I was surprised at how long their legs are when they are born. He is such a cutie!

It is events like these that make me thankful I have the ability and means to have a hobby farm. The new life that comes with raising animals is such an amazing thing. Watching a kitten's eyes open or an alpaca's first steps never gets old. I will get to watch it all over again, as we are positive one of the other alpacas will be having a baby soon too. I do hope she can hold on for a warmer day though.

It is interesting how the whole herd will protect the baby. My daughter went out to take the little guy's coat off (made him one to keep him warm for the first week of his life) and the whole herd ran toward her when she caught the cria (baby). They didn't hurt her, but she said it was still a little scary being charged by seven alpacas.

They are a fun animal to raise, and much easier than cows. For anyone wanting to get started in the alpaca business but not quite sure how to go about it, there is a lot on information available. I belong to a group on Facebook called Paca This and the members are very helpful when it comes to information regarding alpacas. When we had our surprise cria I had questions, they had answers. It was great, because I found out what I needed to know within minutes of asking.

I am glad our little herd is growing, and can hardly wait for the shearing in the spring. That is when the real fun will begin, and I will be able to make hats, socks, slippers and other items from the fleece. I will keep you posted on the progress. Once again, if you have any questions about alpacas, feel free to join the group on Facebook or comment below.

Have a great day!

Diane

Friday 3 February 2012

That Time of the Month

As I was reading over some articles on HubPages, I found one that almost all women can benefit from. Some are fortunate enough to not be bothered with severe menstrual cramps, but most experience them monthly. Foods That Help Ease Menstrual Cramps is a must-read. I cannot vouch for any of the information given as of yet, but be rest assured I will be trying it out next time around. I do have to say I like the fact dark chocolate is on the good list. :D

Have a great weekend everyone!

Diane