Kensmyth

It is difficult to keep positive and it is great to reach out to friends far and wide in this Lockdown. I was so pleased to be able to keep in touch with our mares previous owner and she recently provided me with a photo of her with her Mother as a foal..

so exciting to see what colour Draught foal with what markings she will produce for us later this year but you can see the likeness.. the facial marking becoming smaller as she grew !

above she is a two year old but at rising 5 years she is pretty big now!

I am often asked what we use for “mites in Alpaca” but the reality is that we simply do not get them due to not overcrowding and not using straw in the Field Shelters. The cria are barned with space with just a scattering of straw which they always manage to get in their fleeces but it is a known fact that straw carries mites.

However, I have and would always recommend Dectomax for those with Alpaca herds with mites prolific in them.. always check with your Vet because NO drugs are licenced for Alpaca in the UK. 

well it is hard to not revel in the beauty around us even though the weather is rather unpredictable at the moment LOL

Well the warmer weather quickly changed to frost and ice.

Please remember that Camelids need the chill taking off the water

AND dogs need respite on their pads too..

Sometimes you have to look back at something and try not to remember the sad times, the horror, the shock and the fear.. they will always be with you and others can focus on them when it is so readily all around you. From the initial ripple of Covid 19 in January to the state the country is in now, not forgetting Brexit, others can recount that this year.

Looking back at 2020 for Kensmyth, we were frantically looking for a new farm to move to in January / February as Clay Meadow was sold and Exchanged in December 2019. However, farming folk know that Hold Over means you cannot drop everything and pack a farm into one removal lorry and swap keys on the same day.. this meant that although we had found a farm to move to (locally in fact), things did not pan out as quickly as we had hoped.

In March having decided on our alternative farm for ourselves and Camelids (bigger in acreage by a long chalk), our purchaser for Clay Meadow pulled out. Game over.

Onwards and upwards, ever tenacious, Part 2 of Plan A kicked in which was to seek additional new bloodlines for our Camelid farm. Our Studs whilst producing stunning stock, needed new lineage to continue the great fleeces on our Alpaca lines. Whilst we had hoped this would be to our new location, that is life. Far too much to do on a farm to be able to dwell on gloomy things. So with livestock due to birth in the late Spring/early Summer, we set about seeking a new Stud Male to join us. it took time and effort searching for the appropriate place to purchase from and after full vet and health checks and isolation both at his home and again at our home, we were delighted to collect our own Christian Grey!

No really, his name is not Christian and I did not set out to purchase a Grey Alpaca at all. But whilst looking at a pet male Grey Alpaca the same stud had for a client, he caught my eye. Yes, we do research for our clients too.

How stunning is he? Champion in the showring and outstanding bloodlines complete with a compact superb conformation and temperament.

So with our mare due to foal, then cria then my own Granddaughter due in August, we had plenty to look forward to and do as well as general farming in the 2020 lockdown.

So we set about, when we were allowed to be open to get everybody (llama included) up to speed on halter training and walking with clients, only to remain in lockdown until 4th July and open only a short while before being locked down again – enough of that, exciting times were still had for those clients able to visit.

so a stunning colt by Avanti Amorous Archie soon stole our hearts away, the second Draught Colt to be born at Kensmyth! Named Drizzle!

what a corker he was and sadly with yet another colt due for 2021 and our yearling from 2019,

we let Drizzle and his mum go to our lovely friend Sarah, a sad parting but in contact daily which is fab. Both of us having foals due to the same sire again in 2021.

Spring turned to Summer in a blink of an eye..

not forgetting the courgette explosions..

Meantime, a fantastic cria drop for 2020 without too many issues considering the heat – a cool 30 degrees plus. Ouch. 

and shearing was upon us before we knew it with a Grand Daughter yet to appear.. such excitement for new life and hope..

and then we must not forget livestock husbandry, land management, re mating, re inseminating

and making haylage whilst the sun shone on us..

and my Grand Daughter made a delightful appearance, safely in the end..

and as Summer turned into Autumn with shorter days and the wet, then the cold, Kensmyth continued to make plans for the livestock farming and new births along with animal welfare at all times.. the stables got used..

and as we approached Christmas, the weaning started with some outstanding fleeces this year – we even had some of our own Llama training on site .. not forgetting we are a fibre focussed Alpaca farm..

and Christmas came and went in a flash with the perfect cake and pudding from Mum..

and the weather turned from wet and local flooding to threat of snow and then the year just turned cold.. 

the need to wrap up the little ones..

and protect the newly weaned cria (good old Daisy) .. 

and as we look tonight to the New Year , no matter what you are planning to do tonight and however laid back..

try to stay positive, we are, with cria due to our new stud and a new colt foal on the way, the future looks bright for all of us, don’t look back in anger and regret..

from the different colour Alpaca at Kensmyth a Happy New Year to all our clients, friends and family ..

From the girls at Kensmyth – a Happy New Year to all our clients, friends and family ..

from Daisy and her merry band of newly weaned cria a Happy New Year to all our clients, friends and family..

from our stunning Llama waiting to greet you for a walk in the New Year 2021.. a Happy New Year to all our clients, friends and family ..

and from the Alpaca not in the photos, the dogs, the ponies, the horses and all of us here at Kensmyth, Clay Meadow we hope you enjoyed our “positive” look back at 2020 and that it made you smile.

A big thank you to those not mentioned yet who assist in the running smoothly of this farm, my mum, our sons, our neighbours, all our farming suppliers and all those services involved from machinery maintenance to the essential Vets. All working hard to keep us going and keep us safe, along of course with the NHS.

Wishing you all who are travelling a safe journey, to all staying at home a lovely time and to all our clients, friends and family a Happy and Healthy New Year 2021.

As I sit and think of all the sadness that has occurred this year, I propose to summarise our year without sadness on New Years Eve as we all must move on.. and here is to our little faithful Stallion who demonstrates that time is just galloping by.. even if you stand still

A picture paints a thousand words.. laugh you know you want to!

“Er.. who has the biggest bum?”

Who makes your Christmas Cake? Your Christmas pudding? Treasure your Mums and a big thank you to mine too..

but I did cook the Turkey – thank you to the Farmers raising them too..

and guess who forgot to buy streaky bacon?

As farming folk we are always up early. This morning the sunrise was a sight for sore eyes (watching midnight mass sore eyes) and today is a day to celebrate.

With my phone pinging from 6 am with good wishes from my friends and family and clients, I can only consider myself and our family lucky and count our blessings.

Merry Christmas with love to all (yes, Mums made, thank you) wherever you are, alone or with friends and family – stay safe..