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Thursday, February 11, 2010

RE: [SPAM][AlpacaTalk] What's new?

 

            Dh has decided we must have a generator and I agree.  The most important thing for me is being able to get water…..so his plan is to get one that we can switch over to for some of the power needed in the house, the well pump and the outlets in the barn that the buckets are plugged in to.

 

            I have three new alpacas in our quarantine paddock and barn that I had hoped to put with the rest of the herd this week, but haven’t been able to, yet.  THEY adventure out a bit, but the others (12) are content to sit on their behinds eating and pooping.  

 

            I have lived in VA since 1978 and this is the most snow I have ever seen.  We got 20” in Dec (unheard of that early) then about 18” late January, then another 15” and the last one this week dumped about 6”.  The temps are up this week in the mid thirties during the day so the snow is melting.  It is dropping to teens at night, though, so anything melted freezes.  The kids have been out of school since last Friday.  I have no idea what they will have to do to make up the time. 

 

            I also have another question that I have never seen raised before.  We bought an older gal from CA who has been bred regularly.  Her fleece is thin and sparse compared to my girls.  I realize age and gestating and lactating have an affect on their fleece, but I am also wondering if animals exposed to lower temps have denser fleece?  I know alpacas are raised everywhere, but is it possible alpacas raised in snowy and cold climates have more fleece?  Like the dogs whose coats thicken up for winter…do theirs? 

 

            I have one girl expecting in April and I hope we see Spring before then!  The thought of a cria in this cold makes me shiver! 

Laura

 

Laura Roberts

R Half Pint Farm

Spotsylvania, VA 

 

From: AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Emma Urban
Sent: Thursday, February 11, 2010 8:49 AM
To: AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [SPAM][AlpacaTalk] What's new?

 

 

I used to live in Stafford before I moved to MI and started to raise alpacas. I have often thought about what I’d do to water the animals if we lost power. It is definitely a very important thing to think about. Glad you posted and gave us some ideas. I keep thinking about getting a generator for the day when I lose power, but I haven’t made the investment.

 

I don’t give ivermectin in the winter because everything is frozen. This is really a hotly debated topic and no one really has a definitive answer. I guess it really is a personal thing. I am probably one of the unusual ones (in not giving the shots year round). I also provide Evan’s Vitamin E blend as a free choice mineral. I put DE (diatomatious Earth) in with it. The alpaca love the stuff, I have a hard time keeping the mineral bins full. I do not give my fiber herd any pellets, so they really go through the minerals. I count on the DE helping with internal parasites. I started in the fall and plan to do a fecal in the spring to see where we are before I do any worming. I’m hoping they’re clean and I don’t have to worm.

 

Twenty inches of snow is A LOT for VA. Stay warm and enjoy it while you can. Did your alpacas go out and check it out?

 

Thank you, Emma D. Urban
Urban Dreams Farm, LLC
9667 W. Van Buren Rd
Riverdale, MI 48877
www.urbandreamsfarm.com
989-463-5150 (h)
989-436-5061 (c)

 

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posted by Chaddo at 7:33 AM

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