This Is Ground Control...........

Just received a text from OD saying "Mummy, you haven't blogged for a week". It's years since she has called me Mummy so I'll probably get another text tomorrow asking for some money to be put in her bank account.

The reason I haven't blogged is that we have been so busy and not coming back indoors until about 9pm so by the time we have made a meal we are just about ready for bed. This weather is brilliant for getting things done around here. We have had all the scalpings sitting on the drive for almost a week now and the digger will be here in the morning so that they can be spread on the extended drive to the barn. All the alpaca fencing is now finished and all we have left to do is make a play area for the pygmy goats complete with some climbing equipment for them to clamber on and a new area for the kune kune pigs complete with a paved area so that they can be fed as hygenically as possible.

The grass is growing really well now and the alpacas are hardly touching their hay. This is a shame as last Wednesday we attended a talk given by Josephine Scamell of Ground Level Nutrition. It was a really informative evening which was at the invitation of our Vet. We were told about the importance of soil testing for mineral content and on how to change things so that the alpacas can get as many of the minerals that they need for healthy growth from their grazing and forage. As soon as we have had some rain to soften the ground we will be taking soil samples to send off. Overall it was an evening well spent, especially as they also fed us (twice in Si's case).

The alpacas are all healthy and enjoying the occasional dust bath and Timothy is still charging around everywhere. I wish we had some more births due soon, it seems such a long time until July and I am feeling envious of the talk from other breeders who are due some later this month.