Are You Lonesome Tonight?

We've had an exciting few days.  Sick pigs, good biscuits and visitors.

On Sunday Si went to give the pigs their evening meal when he noticed that Coke, one of our Kune Kune pigs was limping.  He checked her back leg and it appeared to be swollen but he couldn't find any cuts on it so he telephoned for the vet (why do we always need a vet at the weekend?).  He couldn't find a reason for her to have damaged her leg so he had to surmise that it was because the ground was so hard that she had twisted it.  She was administered painkillers and anti-inflammatories by injection and you should have heard her scream, it was absolutely heartbreaking.  Si was told that if she was no better the next day that he could collect some painkillers to give her in her food.  He drove the ten mile round trip into Axminster to collect them but when he tried to give them to her she wouldn't even get up to eat.  We were panicking a bit by then so he phoned the surgery again and was told to go and collect some injectibles so another 10 mile round trip was made.  By the time he got back she had made a remarkable recovery and was walking round again, she has been given the painkillers in her food, Si is cutting little slots in carrots and apples into which he puts the pills for her. 

Rosemary from Westhill Alpacas was supposed to visit on Wednesday but she couldn't make it.  I was having a truly blonde day and I was putting the kettle on for coffee when she phoned.  I got a cup out of the cupboard, put coffee in, poured the water over and then added milk all while were chatting and then realised what I had done.  I told her that I hoped she enjoyed the cup of coffee I had just made for her.  Si had bought some really nice biscuits for her visit which I then had to eat myself.

On Thursday we had a visit from a really nice couple who are interested in alpacas.  We had a good fleece rummage and I had warned them that Si could bore the pants off anyone who asked about bloodlines.  He has spent so much time researching the Australian and New Zealand registries.  They still asked questions.  We chatted about their plans and the work we had done here but we forgot our obligations as alpaca farmers and didn't get the biscuit tin out, we obviously still have so much to learn.  They are probably going to pay us another visit soon.  We had cria due 10 days ago and I really wanted to lay on a birth for them but the alpacas were having none of it and we are still waiting now.  Hope is humming quite a bit so I am hoping that she is telling her cria it is time to get out.

Eleanor Rigby is growing fast and could really do with a playmate in her paddock to run around with of an evening.  She seems really lonely pronking on her own and loves attention.

Si has almost finished the new goat paddock, then he has a new shed to build for them.