Monday, January 31, 2022
When I had my first four Alpacas for short time, one of my neighbors informed me that he had seen two coyotes at my locked driveway gate. That is when I started searching other farms for what they used to protect their animals. Some used Llamas, some used donkeys, and some used Great Pyrenees. I did not want to add donkeys or Llamas to my herd, and was considering Pyrs because I liked that breed at dog shows. Then I ran across a farm that had four Anatolian Shepherds as guardians for their A read more...
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Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Our farm will be open to visitors for the first time this year for National Alpaca Farm Days. Hours are 11 to 5 both days, rain or shine. Admission is free, and well behaved children are always welcome, but please leave your dog at home. We will provide visitors who want to feed the Alpacas with appropriate feed and so you will have plenty of photo opportunities. Entrance to the Alpacas' pens will not be permitted. Besides the Alpacas, you will also be able to see what can be made out of th read more...
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Sunday, October 20, 2019
As planned, all of my female alpacas have now gone on to new homes, some of them close enough that I can visit them, and I have made new friends as a result of that as well. This all happened just in time, as I had to have my left knee replaced for the second time and this time, it is taking much longer to heal. The new surgeon I used, told me I was one of the "lucky ones out of 2500" to have the knee go bad. Fortunately, my farm sitter was available while I was recuperating from having a larg read more...
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Monday, June 24, 2019
I have been so busy that I have neglected posting anything to my blog for months now. As a single female farmer of ARI registered alpacas and a breeder of AKC Champion German Shepherds, it has been exceptionally difficult with the weird weather we have had. My pastures have grass growing like weeds, but I can't mow due to all the rain we have had. Every time I think about mowing, the rains start up again. I know my animals are all tired of being locked in the barn or their kennels, but I can read more...
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Tuesday, August 28, 2018
I had the chance to go and visit my nephew and niece and their two children in Truckee, Ca, so had my farm sitter come and take care of my animals while I was gone for two weeks. Of course, I had crias due at any time, so wrote up a list of instructions as to how to care for them, and also left the vet's number for "just in case". As I was frantically trying to get everything ready for the trip, one of them dropped her cria the day before I was to fly out, so that left just one more to come. read more...
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Monday, January 15, 2018
It has been, and continues to be, one of the coldest winters I can recall. I love snow, as do my alpacas, but this extreme in temperatures, has me doing things I have not had to do in a long time. I, unfortunately, left the heated water hose attached to the faucet in the barn, so there was no water to add to the tanks. As a result, I had to schlepp(a German word meaning to carry) water buckets with heated water from my kitchen to the barn, which is not an easy feat. As there was a bit of ice read more...
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Saturday, June 24, 2017
I have not had one of these in nearly 14 years, but last week I discovered a hard lump on the side of one of my alpaca females. I suspected it was an injections site cyst, and waited for it to erupt, then cleaned it out with warm soapy water. Got the nasty stuff out and then flushed it. It has healed nicely. and yesterday I discovered one on one of my black girls. Am waiting for it to erupt, and since tomorrow is herd health day, will deal with it then. It never fails, if it is raining, it read more...
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Sunday, May 21, 2017
We will be a vendor again at the Clinton County Farmer's Market every Saturday from 8:30 to Noon beginning June 3, 2017. Come and check us out. We have fiber from our alpacas, raw, as well as washed, carded and spun, the ever popular dryer balls, cat toys(tested and approved by my own housecats) and perhaps a handwoven rug(if time permits) also made with yarn from our animals.
There are a variety of vendors there, so you can also shop for produce, organic meats, jewelry, baked goods, oi read more...
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Friday, May 19, 2017
Yesterday I had visitors from Germany. They were long time friends of my cousins and touring with my brother who had taken them from Boston, to New York, Washington, DC and then to my farm before heading to Chicago and then Iowa. It turns out that they had visited Peru in the past, and had also taken in an alpaca farm while there. When I let them touch the fiber of one of my males(they were shorn three weeks ago, they could not believe how soft it was. The lady had purchased an alpaca shawl read more...
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