Kensmyth

Happy Mothers Day to one and all, with family here it was hectic but happy. Absent family sent cards..

The moving of a shipping container is fascinating but expensive – £350 no less but experience counts when moving these kind of weights..

Well March is promising to be really interesting at Kensmyth with challenging weather, full packing and leaving preparations underway in preparation for new beginnings but all old friends still here making you laugh..

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I think it is actually laugh and the whole world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone but I am going with “smile” because some people just do that for you.

my son Mitchell when he clowns about and my best friend from childhood (we met when we were 11 so you do the maths on that one) Veeda..

Even when you are feeling quite low about everything that is going on all around you, an alpaca is always there to cheer you up – this time our beautiful stud male Earl Grey..

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We talk about ADE vitamins and those in the know understand that due to Covid many of the suppliers of these key vitamins essential for Alpaca literally stopped making them. However, here at Kensmyth we must emphasise that all of the herd need these vitamins and on a regular basis. Mothers, older ones, younger ones, cria, older males, young males, you name it.

The quantity varies subject to which brand you use BUT in our opinion you cannot be sure your alpaca are getting anything if fed vitamins or using paste – injections are best to be sure.

Just look at these boys now, super grown and fabulous fleeces, Kensmyth future males..

With lambs already born and the majority due shortly, what better way than to welcome February with a sheep hat and this little lamb of a grand daughter!

We will wait until she is a little older to tell her that cheetahs would most likely eat the lambs shall we?

Well Covid had been avoided at our place and hubby and family had all had the jabs bar myself who is unable to have them.

However, courtesy of someone unknown to us (always the way) we both fell hard with the dreaded lurgy. It took us both out for 2 weeks, is worse than I could possibly imagine but we are both okay now and luckily as neither of us are overweight, we did not have terrible breathing difficulties. Just chesty coughs, flu like symptoms, lethargy and in my case dizziness.. all good things when you run a livestock farm of course.

Daily life continued and we are over it now but not a great time to get it and a warning IT IS OUT THERE folks so do not ignore it.

Ironically for those of you who think you are safe from having had the jabs, hubby had received the two jabs, the booster and the Flu jab and got it far worse than I did!

onwards and upwards – these things happen for a reason and God works in mysterious ways but meantime the cold snap and sunshine are marvellous, as are the evergreen Scots Pine!

Weaning is always a tricky time when the immune system of both mother and cria (yearling once you get past 1st Jan of year they were born) is compromised due to the stress of separation.

Sometimes it is better to leave weaning of males and females separately at different times, sometimes later until better weather comes, it is always a judgement call on the part of the owner who looks and watches closely at the growth of the cria/yearlings and how the mother is coping as she is usually already pregnant for the following year as the gestation is 11.5 months.

Not forgetting of course that the Mother can come up to 4 weeks early and 8 weeks later so the birthing window is a long one folks!

Meantime, differing groups of weaned cria with adults, enjoying the sunshine are faring well at Kensmyth!

As the Alpaca munch relentlessly through Winter hard feed and lush hay in their shelters in the rain.. we eat up the endless mushrooms, sprouts and all that is supposed to happen in January ! New Year, new you?

The vegan option..

and the non Vegan..