It's show team time.

Yesterday Sue and I rounded up the mighty herd for their latest dose of AD&E and a thorough going over. There is no substitute for hands on examination to check on the welfare of alpacas. It's something we love doing as we get up close and personal with the whole herd. We try to do it every two weeks as a minimum.

Coolaroo Judah, the resident Australian, practically bursts with anxiety (they'll be a few more of those in the summer when we take the Ashes back in majestic style........oops.....light blue touch paper and retire 10 meters) and Bobby turns into an alpaca shaped ornamental spit fountain. Therefore we do Judy and Bobs first and release them so that they are stressed for the least amount of time (as are we!) and we are not covered in green.

We can then relax with the rest of the herd, who don't seem too bothered about it all, and check them over at a more sedate speed. Condition scores were recorded, jaws were checked carefully, ears were looked at and each animal was given a quick jab of AD &E. Nothing major to report, all seemed well.

It was also time to select the show team for the forthcoming British Alpaca Futurity. I know we haven't got a huge amount to choose from but we were really pleased with how the Patou youngsters are looking. The funniest thing was little Patou Barney whose father is the legendary spit monster that is Accoyo Killawasi. Barney is only 5 months old but he was there in the pen clucking at all the girls, orgling, spitting at us when we were examining him and generally behaving just like his illustrious father. I admire his spirit and look forward to halter training which is coming soon. Although with the amount of mud we have here it may be halter wrestling.

Patou Barney, aged 5 days already posing like a herdsire!

Lastly today a couple more pictures from the frosty days of last week. Firstly, Lola who is the nosiest girl in the herd and secondly Lily, my favourite alpaca in the whole wide world, both of whom always seem to be too close to take photographs of that aren't just nose shots!

Lola with lovely frosty ears.

Lily, as a true shed dweller, is never frosty!