And finally.......

First up, some chickens. Snowy our light Sussex fell over dead a few weeks ago leaving Lulu, our Norfolk Grey all on her own. We quickly replaced Snowy with two young newcomers who have so far suffered from daily beatings from Lulu, who is small but definitely top of the pecking order.
Anyway Dottie and Doodle are pictured below. Dottie is at the back, a Speckled Sussex and Doodle is at the front. She is, wait for it because this is the coolest name for a make of chicken, Doodle is a Scicilian Buttercup. With a name like that she sounds as if she would gently cluck sweet nothings in your ear whilst calmly slotting you with a stilletto (the knife not the shoe). They make an attractive pair I think.

So to alpaca news. The final cria of the year has been born in Patouland. Another late one at 1840hrs but thankfully after a shaky start a healthy one.

The new arrival and his mother don't belong to us so the little new boy has not been named yet. We are calling him Rory, as a sort of holding name. His mother is Valley Farm Sheba, a Wessex Fernando girl and the new cria is sired by Wessex Samurai. He is very dense and crimpy and at two days old is standing as if he owns the place.


Sheba has been here for a couple of years and is now up for sale at a ridiculously cheap price for a quick sale.
Little Rory was completely flat when he was born, he couldn't even lift his head and we were quite concerned. I rubbed him thoroughly with a towel several times and we waited. Slowly you could see strength coming in to him and after half an hour he could lift his head. I put him in the cush position and a few minutes after that I stood him up. Sue then got them into the shed and fed Sheba allowing the little fellow a nice static target. He was quickly feeding well and he since then he hasn't looked back. He is mobbed frequently by the other boys, Rafiki, Rico and Roger Resilient and I think we have a few months of entertainment from that lot to look forward to!

Sheba, a first time mum who is doing a splendid job.

Sheba will be covered by the mighty Cambridge Columbus in a couple of weeks and that pairing should put some nice brownness into Sheba's next cria.

Right, work, then Merc.