The answer to yestedays riddle is of course that Alpaca B is Snowmass Perfection.

Quite easy really and everyone who sent me an e-mail had the correct answer. I will have to make it much more challenging next time.

I spent the whole morning in meetings about marketing and the whole afternoon looking for a broken irrigation pipe I am not entirely sure which was the most frustrating. Anyway the pipe is now exposed and ready to be repaired in the morning.

Must check my birthing dates again today and make sure everyone is up todate on their CD and T.

Also we have an open alpaca so need to get a fecal sample tested before we shipher off for a mating.

Adrian Stewart

If you didn't already know, a large proportion of alpacas are sold over the internet sight unseen. Obviously you look at pictures, histograms and lineage before deciding and ultimately you have a thorough vet check.

But the internet is now the primary means to sell alpacas thats a fact.

As president of SOJAA (an AOBA affiliate) we have just introduced a section on our web site called Marketplace. In here members can post an advertisement for 30 days for any or all of their alpacas. Its early days yet but I think this will become a very useful benefit for SOJAA members over the coming months.

Fancy taking a small internet test?

One of these alpacas is Snowmass Perfection and is worth $155,000 the other is a gelded boy worth $250. Felling lucky? Answers tomorrow...




Adrian Stewart

The sun shone and as the grass was getting long in the orchard we decided to mow. To my delight the mower started first time after sitting outside for 5 months. In fact I am so impressed I feel obliged to mention its a John Deere.

I cut the grass in the orchard and trimmed around the trees. Which took no time having pulled out all the rocks we could find last fall.

The alpacas enjoyed the first really warm day of the year and basked in the spring sunshine. After the long cold winter this was so good to feel the warmth of the sun. The new crias will no doubt be arriving shortly.......







Adrian Stewart

Its that chick time of year and we are raising three chicks to add to our flock of hens.
A Buff Orpington, an Araucana and a Rhode Island red.





Adrian Stewart

When you are new to the business of alpaca husbandry there is plenty to learn. Here are just two things I noticed today while walking with my boys in the late afternoon. Its nothing complicated in fact its obvious but you won't notice unless you look.





This last picture shows a white animal with bright green stains on his back. These grass stains are fresh bite marks and indicate this animal is being dominated by another animal. It may be a one off event but needs watching. Tomorrow the stains will be a darker green so any new bites will show up as a brighter green.

It was our youngest sons birthday today and he turned 13.



Adrian Stewart

Its always a pleasure to visit Jude Anderson and Alan Cousill at Pucara International.



On the way there we looked at some other fine animals but didn't get close enough to check the fleece!






Adrian Stewart

Today was spent travelling to Portland to collect three female alpacas.

Adrian Stewart

Well my prayers were answered and it has rained on and off all morning so the fertilizer I spread yesterday is slowly getting washed in to the soil and then to the roots.

We need more rain before I could safely putting the alpacas back onto those pastures.

Tomorrow I am heading up to McMinnville near Portland to collect three of our female alpacas from Al and Jude Cousill at Pucara International. So I will be back late on Thursday evening.

Adrian Stewart

Before you can even buy fertilizer you need to do a soil analysis. Once you have had the soil analysed by a reliable lab you can then formulate a fertilizer mix.
Today we applied an OMRI approved 9-3-7 mix each number on a fertilizer refers to a specific compound
The first is Nitrogen (N), the second is Phosphate (P2O5) and the third is Potash (K20).

Our land is very low in nitrogen and so we applied the fertilizer at a rate of 250lbs per acre.

After the fertilizer is spread we use a chain harrow to get it down onto the soil and then hope for rain to wash it in.

Today I spread 6,000 lbs in 10 hours.

The Grange Co-op supply the fertilizer in 2,000 lb Totes and the cost is $700 per ton.



Then you hitch up the tractor, start the engine on the spreader and get spreading!



We also heard from Gaia our wonderful Italian friend and alpaca breeder to say she will be here at the end of July...so we are all very excited. If you read this Gaia your boots are ready and waiting...



Adrian Stewart

When it comes to scooping alpaca poop the most popular method is the rake and plastic scoop. But there are different types of rake and here for the uninitiated are my thoughts on the alternatives. (The water bottle is included to give an idea of scale.)















Adrian Stewart

I had an e-mail about fencing today which follows on from the piece about guard llamas for alpacas and predators in general.

Around the barn we have three paddocks and the entire area is enclosed by an 8 foot fence. The bottom 4 feet is "no climb" fencing and the top 4 feet is ordinary cross fencing.

We then run hot wires at 4 feet and 6 feet on the edge of the property. This deters predators and our neighbors cattle.

Where the fence is on our property we just run the hot wire at 6 feet.

The electric fence charger puts out about 8 to 10,000 volts so its quite a shock if you touch it with a wet nose. But if you have a thick fleece you get much less of a jolt.









Adrian Stewart

Having decided that spring is here we pressure washed the alpaca barn walls and floor today. The place looks as good as new.





Once the floor and walls were dry I sprinkled some PDZ on the floor and the now it even smells great.

PDZ is used in equine facilities to improve the smell. I use it in the barn because once the floor is clean a little PDZ hides the smell that triggers the alpacas to poop and pee in the same place.

Going inside is something that tends to happen in the barn during cold wet winter months. But once the scent is lost they go outside instead. Mission accomplished.




Adrian Stewart

Last summer we installed an old sink outside so that it was easy for visitors to wash their hands after handling the alpacas.

Its not going to win any design awards but to warm the water we simply routed the water pipe over the East facing stable roof. Initially we used black hose pipe but in the summer months the water became much too hot. So now we use a pale green pipe which absorbs less heat and warms the water very well.

Of course this is useless in winter but then we get far fewer visitors in winter and we don't tend to hang around outside for very long when we do!





Adrian Stewart

You know how it is, you go on holiday somewhere exotic and fall in love with something you see... but when you bring it home....well it doesn't quite look right.

Maybe a Hawaiian shirt or an alpaca poncho from Peru.

Well one of our neighbours went to France and just fell in love with the architecture of the French Chateaux so came back to Ashland and built one!

I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time!

Makes you wonder what it would look like with a small herd of alpacas wandering in the grounds.......




Adrian Stewart

For alpaca farmers spring can never really come too early. No one wants to have cria (alpaca babies) arriving in the depths of winter. But maybe just maybe spring is finally here.





Adrian Stewart