darkest day at Kensmyth, Clay Meadow

Everybody knows that in farming there is a saying “where there is livestock, there is dead stock” but we have never lost a cria birthing in ten years and due to our stringent Biosecurity, living on site so prompt action taken and excellent Vets, I consider we have been lucky – but it is hard work and long hours as we all know .

Many readers of this blog wondered what I had referred to previously and now it is time to talk about it.

you will recall that we had a very dry spell followed by a few days rain then dry again – this left the ground exceptionally slippy under foot. Alpaca love to roll and one morning one of my favourite Alpaca was getting up from a roll and two other younger Alpaca galloping about didn’t stop in time as they went towards her and knocked her back down to the ground. A simple accident with disastrous consequences.

As she got up she was clearly injured and as I had the Vet already on their way to attend to a Wensleydale lambs ear anyway, he looked at her immediately.

The outlook was not good and we gave her the appropriate pain relief drugs to assist and close monitoring to see if with all my attention and love she could remotely improve.

To keep this brief – she was euthanased as she was unable to walk properly as it had worsened and no animal is ever allowed to suffer at Kensmyth.

it was a tragic sudden accident and a week I would not want to repeat – she was a gentle kind Alpaca with a loving disposition, very friendly and I miss her daily.

Her legacy lives on in her son and daughter who will be retained in our genetic pool but she was a “one in a lifetime Alpaca” for us. All our Alpaca are insured and I would also like to personally thank Jacinta at Armitage Insurance for her sympathetic and prompt handling of this tragedy.