I’m amazed at how quickly 2020 whizzed by. With the restrictions on everyday life so curtailed I expected the months to drag by. Not so! So, here we are in 2021 already. Our fabulous two 2020 cria, Fancy and Fiddlesticks (Stix), were weaned just before Christmas. They still aren’t very happy about it but they’re not holding back on eating. Fancy weighed in at 51 kg – so another huge girl! She is such a funny thing – and a walking hedge! Stix personifies the teddy bear appearance of the huacaya alpaca – he has the fluffiest face ever! Ember, our last cria of 2019 has been keeping the two babies company – a steadying and herd experienced influence on the boisterous weanlings. Ember was also slow to eat at the trough with the ‘big girls’ so this has given her a bit of space and time to eat a fair ration. Really excited to see these youngsters develop.
We have a busy year ahead – including a move to new alpaca premises near Ballywalter and Greyabbey, Co. Down. Hopefully we will also have a few more cria in 2021. We have 9 females that have scanned positive for pregnancy – so really looking forward to that. We will also be starting Ashtonelle Emoji working as a stud – and once he’s proved himself as capable – he will be available for matings. He is such a dote!
