Kensmyth

As the sensible amongst us increase feed ratios by need rather than greed in Alpaca, I am often shocked at the suggestions some make as to sugar content and sizing of pellets in some of major Alpaca manufactured feeds.

So I had a look for myself and was quite shocked to see that on several bags containing high sugar content and very large variants – there was zero warning for cria feeding.

whilst many feed soaked sugar beet in winter, especially to “poor doers” or aged Alpaca, one should be aware of choking hazards.

CHOKE

Alpaca can easily choke if fed too large a pellet. This is Adults let alone cria. Furthermore, large grain feeding can also cause abscess where it can get stuck in teeth/against jaw linings. it sounds bizarre but can, does and will happen.

you need to be diligent when looking at the size of the feed pellets you use.  check on the bag, if in doubt check with the person you bought the Alpaca from, your vet or another Alpaca breeder. Too many heads are never enough when it comes to feeding.

if in doubt – leave it out!

the small pellet shown in the top right of the  photo below is the size we feed to our Alpaca – the grains and larger pelleted food is a well known mix which I would never use.

see what you think…

well where did the first week in January disappear off to?

Was it the field maintenance or the poovering? Was it the toenail cutting or the ADE? Was it the back to school haircuts and dash out for geometry sets? Was it the tidying of the house and the taking down of the small Christmas trees?… and I do mean small…

twelfth night means everything Christmassy down and gone for another year…

Unfortunately the large white lighted tree that was in the garden is currently drying out in the barn so I hope that counts as down…

Back to reality with a bump and school on Monday for the lads.  in the meantime as farming life continues temperatures have plummeted again and zero degrees right now with rain on the way at midnight… not sure how that works without snow but it seems to!

2015 a great year for us with zillions of things going on but I was asked for a few “best things” today from 2014 so I thought I would share them…

Best film I watched this year, suitable for all and a really good story with great humour…

“once more” I know it did not come out in 2014 but then I never was up to date with films!

best CDs – Sam Smith “in the lonely hour” and wait for it…

X factors 3 x CD medley Songbook. This is not X factor finalists but songs throughout the year and is all the ones I might have chosen off everyone else’s Albums! Ellie Goulding’s version of “your song” is outstanding.

Favourite photo – well it has to be one of my RDA friends coming onto the stand at the Corn Hall with my favourite Black lab!!

or though its pretty close with Mitch Corner…

our best achievement this year?

Has to be sharing the experience of the lad shown in the video under “Disabled welcome” on this site.

The story behind that is that his mother died a few months earlier, having always intended to come to visit our Alpaca family together…

we were delighted to be able to show them the Alpaca and for them to have that life changing experience.

More on our plans for that in 2015 another time.

Happy New Year 2015 – Give someone you don’t know a kiss tonight!

So at last it is the eve of the New Year.

And a busy day it has been too. Breaking ice in the morning, followed by toenail trimming and ADE followed by hay rack filling. Sounds like a good recipe for a new type of cocktail?

The Walking boys have been busy this week with events booked for Christmas Pressies and the New Year is getting pretty interesting with Alpaca Walk bookings already.

We do love sharing our passion for Alpaca with our visitors.

 So onwards to those dreaded New Year resolutions…

I decided that as no one else kept to the “going to stop drinking wine for New Year” resolution, I was not going to even make it one of mine!

I decided that my extra fat keeps me warm and helps the carrying of 20kg twice a day – so I was not going to even attempt the “I will go to the gym and lose weight for New Year” resolution either. Not that this was ever likely to happen!

I decided that this year my Resolution was to work harder – simples.

Whilst all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy (or Jill a dull girl) if I was not going to be starving myself dieting or resisting the vino – then play would happen naturally so “to work harder” that was the only possible Resolution left to make!

Enjoy the humour behind that one gals!

Right then, the renowned look back on 2014 – enjoy…

 INNOVATION – THE NEW SPIT PROOF PANELS…

BACKPACKING…

CHILLING OUT

MAKING NEW FRIENDS…

AMAZING IMPROVEMENTS…

TRAVELLING THE WORLD…

ENGLISH SUMMERS…

LAUNCHING NEW RANGES…

AUTUMN MODELLING…

NEW BEGINNINGS…

have a good one everybody!

I am showing my age with those sentences I know but here are some shots taken recently:

Frozen…

mr Blue sky…

tucking in on a frosty day…

cold as ice…

the inevitable New Year Resolutions to follow shortly…

Been having a rummage amongst some fleeces whilst doing ADE jabs today and really wished I had been a showing person and entered that BAS National Show next year…

My hubby likes a big cuppa as we all do here. His usual mug takes a pint of tea but in Dobbies this year my Mum and I found one even bigger…

with flower and garden written on it we were actually not quite sure but if not a mug then why the handle?

and meantime onwards and upwards in the frost for poovering…

Cria weaning is next on the agenda then halter training and our first cria is due VERY early this year.

Well did you have a fab time? We met loads of new faces yesterday and crazy busy. For the first time I did Christmas lunch at lunchtime instead of dinner time. Farming does not allow time out so once organised, back out I went. Everyone else totally satiated and replete, had the afternoon off. hubby much better thanks but alas unable to assist until better. three sons did well though and all hay out.

With heavy rains due here today, much Field Shelter work was required and extra water out. Amazing how you can have solid frost and frozen pipes at 6 am and running water and rain a few hours later.

So did you guess what the nuclear warhead is? no?

Can you see it now?

A fire pit

pictured here complete with its maker!

This gives heat and cooks. Our BBQ after 15 good years gave up earlier this summer so what a great idea.

hubby loved it.  Now we can burn all that spare wood and get free heat and toasted marshmallows for our visitors!!

handmade from ANDREW FINDLAY of the Grainstore in Gloucestershire.

well, it is Christmas Eve and we are finally ready. Bit of a hectic week as usual and hubby having operation today made life unusually hectic too.

Now, before we wish all our friends, clients and everyone the very best  – can you guess what I bought hubby for Christmas?

no – not a nuclear warhead… but all will be revealed soonest

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2015

Nguni boots? well there is a tale to be told there. Regular readers will recall that we had a stand this year at Newbury Show for two days selling our Alpaca garments and launching the new Alpaca products.

Well, opposite us diagonally was a fab stand selling Nguni boots. I did not manage to have time to visit to buy some and to be frank, it slipped my mind thereafter.

Imagine my surprise when in the Gun Shop in Cirencester a short while later, I met up with Sarah and Simon the owners of the Company!

They loved their visit to Kensmyth Stud and my Dad bought me a pair of Nguni boots for Christmas – thanks Dad!

Really warm and whacky too. see for yourself…

Time and Tide wait for no man… and I have not bought a stitch of food for the big day yet – that’s farming for you!

Busy busy and with the fields so wet, the entire herd has had several nights in already (in separate groups) to give their feet a chance to harden. Wet wet consistently and wet on the back is not a good recipe when temperatures fall or the wind gets up. We hit some gusts of 70 miles per hour a few days ago and I could barely walk up the hill with buckets of feed it was that blowy. Great for drying out my hair and the fleeces though!

ADE vitamin jabs to the entire herd is our policy and it is very time consuming. Each Alpaca is thoroughly checked, body scored then weighed before injecting. Toenails are also checked or trimmed at this point too. Why do I bodyscore and then weight too? I like to know I am correct in my assessments when bodyscoring without weighing … by checking my assessment against a weighing machine I know how accurate I am. After 7 years of breeding Alpaca, the odd cria or nursing mother who is a little aged can still keep you on your toes you know!

Weaning is now top of the list for some as the cria have grown on so well.