Saturday 5 March 2011

Spring or not spring

We have had several days of sunshine or at least dry weather and I was beginning to think Spring had arrived but it is getting colder again and has been frosty in the mornings.  The birds also thought spring had arrived, lots of activity going on in the hedgerows around the fields.  We have started on the spring time jobs, setting some of the paddocks aside to rest, giving them a good clean up and chain harrowing.
We have had a couple of husbandry days, weighing all the females, toe nails etc and continuing the halter training.
One of our winter projects is nearly finished, we have installed a camera on the field shelter, very whizzy it is too, turns through 360 deg so we can check the animals whilst in the shelter and out in the fields.  The main reason for having the camera is to be able to check the pregnant females when they are near their due date without intruding on them to much, but the best bit is we can log into it while we are away from home.    So while we are at the futurity next week we will be able to check on things at home.......... how good is that.
We have also been busy finishing off the holiday cottages, decorating etc we are on the last leg now, installing new fires in both cottages making them a bit more cosy for our guests in the colder months.
Steve and I were sat on the balcony enjoying a well earned cup of coffee this morning, the bird song at this time of the year is almost deafening, so quiet in the countryside isn't it ........... birds singing, tractors chain harrowing but what a view overlooking the fields with the Alpacas grazing peacefully and then further in the distance the countryside down towards the coast.   We all most booked ourselves in for a weeks holiday!
Next project is to install some fencing and gates around the shelter to provide a permanent catch pen and race to put the scales in when needed, I am hoping to get a breeding pen in place as well but haven't told Steve that bit yet, these plans need to evolve I think!
We are looking forward to a short visit to the Futurity next week so hope to see some fellow bloggers there and very much looking forward to seeing all these lovely Alpacas we have been reading about over the last few months.

1 comment:

  1. Great idea about the CCTV, should be more interesting viewing than most of the current crop of TV programmes! Take care. Shirley & Robbie

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