Tuesday 29 April 2008

Rain and a rumpus within the herd.

Well folks the computer seems to be behaving once more, actually it's not the computer it's the modem or the phone lines or something. I have to tell myself that or I would have raised the lump hammer which is just to my right and allowed it to land with great force in the middle of the screen I am looking at.


I might, just might, put it back in the shed tomorrow.


Anyway we got thoroughly rained on here today like most around here.

Drowned rat syndrome in the field.

The alpacas don't seem to mind that much though. They hunkered down when it was really lashing it down but when it was just raining they carried on as normal. When we had a break in the weather I whistled them and as usual they came charging up looking for food.


We are experimenting at the moment, we recently tried Fibregest mixed with Camelibra. We have now gone back to Alfafa pellets which we also mix with the camelibra which they seem to prefer. It's difficult knowing which is best.


What I noticed this afternoon whilst leaning on the fence watching was how the logistics of the herd is changing. The young girls, notably Patou Poppy and Tisbury Bella are asserting themselves.

By asserting themselves I mean they are 'having a go' at the herd matriarchs. Obviously they aren't challenging the undisputed heavyweight champion of the herd Coolaroo Judah, no that would be madness, she would eat them up and spit them out.


They are, however, having a crack at the next level of seniority. Milarka and Priscilla have been challenged, much spit has been swapped, lips have been low and quivering, there has been a lot of standing around pretending nothing has happened.


Bella is obviously destined to be a herd leader one day, her mother is a herd leader and she is not frightened of upsetting anyone. She is 18 months old so you can understand her reasons.


Poppy however is only 10 months old and having been 3 weeks premature she is smaller than her peers. By crikey she has some serious attitude though. She has been barging her way around the feeding paddock as if she owned it. She is a right stroppy tart. I will be watching her closely, she can however be forgiven most things as she is one of the most gorgeous looking alpacas I have ever seen. If only she had a fleece to match.

Some friends of ours the Daktari people, Karen and Chris sent me a funny some time ago and I have forgotten to include it in the blog, here it is, it should raise a smile!

World Perspectives on Alpaca Ownership:
A CHRISTIAN: You have two alpacas. You keep one and give one to your neighbor.A COMMUNIST: You have two alpacas. The government seizes both and provides you with fleece.
A FASCIST: You have two alpacas. The government seizes both and sells you the fleece. You join the underground and start a campaign of sabotage.
A REPUBLICAN: You have two alpacas. Your neighbor has none. So what?
A DEMOCRAT: You have two alpacas. Your neighbor has none. You feel guilty for being successful. You vote people into office who tax your alpacas, forcing you to sell one to raise money to pay the tax. The people you voted for then take the tax money and buy an alpaca and give it to your neighbor. You feel righteous.
DEMOCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE: You have two alpacas. The government taxes you to the point you have! to sell both to support a man in a foreign country who has only one alpaca, which was a gift from your government.
CAPITALISM, AMERICAN STYLE: You have two alpacas. You sell one, buy a stud, and build a herd of alpacas.
AN AMERICAN FARM: You have two alpacas. You sell one, and force the other to produce the fleece of four alpacas. You are surprised when the alpaca drops dead.
A FRENCH FARM: You have two alpacas. You go on strike because youWant three alpacas.A JAPANESE FARM: You have two alpacas. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary alpaca and produce twenty times the fleece.
A GERMAN FARM: You have two alpacas. You reengineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and shear themselves.
AN ITALIAN FARM: You have two alpacas but you don't know where they are. You break for lunch.
AN INDIAN FARM: You have two alpacas. You worship them.
A RUSSIAN FARM: You have two alpacas. You count them and learn you have five alpaca!s. You count them again and learn you have 42 alpacas. You cou!nt them again and learn you have 12 alpacas. You stop counting alpacas and open another bottle of vodka.

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