Re: [AlpacaTalk] trimming feet etc
Well I guess you are a little far away for us to drop in. We are in New York State. Also go to Spring Farm Alpacas they have two short videos on toe trimming.
Wendy Edwards <wendy.edwards@
hi Sharon and Jim - thanks for your kind response - we are on Vancouver island - where are you located? I'm sure i sound like a real whiner - but i really felt panicked - Diane Lee, another Vancouver islander (and a chat line member) has offered to have us come down to her farm and watch how she and her husband do their alpacas' feet and shots, while the animal is standing - also some practical suggestions for right-now.
we tried Diane's way this morning with one of our girls - we ended up muddy and wet (this is gumboot country) but we got the two feet done that were bad - it amazes me that one hind foot can be fine, while the toenails on the other hind foot have grown so much - The experience gave me a feeling of more confidence
anyway, now our daughter and her partner are arriving on monday to help us, and I'm going to show them Diane's "standing method" as i am much more comfortable with this position than heaving the poor animal onto a table and tying them down -
I've found this alpaca chat line to be really informative and now i find it to be very supportive as well -
i feel the responsibility of these animals very keenly, and of course have come to love them as individuals (who can help it?) - I guess my panic is past, as i now have a sense of how we can manage capably by ourselves. But i am going to really focus on the Marty McGee methods (when my book, video and gear arrive) and learn what i need to know (competence and confidence) i want to make sure i don't find myself losing sleep over "helplessness" again
thanks again,
Wendy
DreamWeaver Alpacas
----- Original Message -----
From: Sharon or Jim Dear
To: AlpacaTalk@yahoogro
Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2007 9:10 AM
Subject: Re: [AlpacaTalk] trimming feet etc
May we ask where you are located, and then maybe we can come by and help.
Wendy Edwards <wendy.edwards@
hi all - we've run into a problem that is causing me to lose sleep - we've had our alpacas for a year now - up until may, the folks we bought them from came over and helped us with our small herd, and we went over to their farm and helped them with their very large herd, teeth, toenails, shots etc
now, the other folks (sellers) have decided they are too busy to help us - i had been led to believe "we all help each other, it's a small community" etc etc - now my husband and i find ourselves on our own - there are no other alpaca farmers in our community to form a co-op with, we haven't lived here long enough to know anyone well enough to ask them to help - and our alpacas need their feet trimmed - the older ones have never been on a halter - the process the previous owners used was to heave them on to a shearing table, tie them down and do feet, teeth, shots etc all at the same time - apart from the fact that i hate this rough way of treating the animals (and they hate it too) - my husband and i are a little too old to be wrestling terrified animals - but their feet need doing and at least two of them have feet that look painful
i have ordered Marty's book and body wrap to enable trimming feet from a standing position, but don't know how long it will take to get here - my question: should i wait til the gear for the gentler method gets here (and leave the feet go til then)? or should we attempt to do what we can and hope no one gets permanently scarred?
I am feeling really frustrated as the sellers made it sound like there was so much support "after-sales" - perhaps i have annoyed them somehow but we've never turned them down when they needed help for toenails or shearing, including working New Years Eve day, and Mothers Day at their farm - but we find ourselves on our own with 14 animals that are depending on us, and that "we'll help you and you help us" attitude has disappeared. No matter what the reason, we are newbies on our own, and i am really worried.
any suggestions out there?
Wendy
DreamWeaver Alpacas
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Jim and Sharon Dear
St. Lawrence County
Potsdam, New York
THE DEAR ALPACA FARM
www.dearalpacafarm.
315-268-1627
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Jim and Sharon Dear
St. Lawrence County
Potsdam, New York
THE DEAR ALPACA FARM
www.dearalpacafarm.
315-268-1627
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posted by Chaddo at 1:41 AM
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