Farm shift

The large group of females on the outer paddocks atop the farm came back into the Arena today, another sure sign that the days are getting shorter and colder weather is upon us. That feed group, which starts outside for the first time in the late spring just after shearing, was originally as many as 60 to 70 females strong, a mixture of youngsters, geriatrics, and pregnant animals not due until later in the season. By today though, the group was really only 20 to 25 animals, with most of the pregnant females long ago having come in to birth out and the final three would-be November moms (Opal, Orange Blossom, and Juliet) in fact peeling off yesterday.

While we do admittedly feel a little guilty on nights when it’s storming out during the grazing season (they have only the stone walls, trees, and one small shed for shelter), in return for living an existence closer to that of their south american brethren that group also gets access to the best pastures this farm has to offer, rotating regularly through 8 different paddocks from May to October. While this was not a terribly wonderful grazing year — especially compared to 2011 when we had more grass than we knew what to do with — with long dry spells in June, July, and August, the pastures here have had a relative renaissance because of the rain we’ve had over the past month or so. Though having said that, the paddocks have also started to lose much of their nutritional value by now and the body scores of many of the critters returning to the Arena today reflected that. As Eric and Cefi moved that group up today into an empty pen on the north (uphill) side of the Arena, the rest of us were blasting through herd health on the other side of the barn and it actually became hard  to hear for about 10 minutes as the “new” arrivals excitedly kicked their heels up and took turns brushing up against the ubiquitous pen panels we use all over, creating a merry ruckus. Of course by the time we got around to their group an hour or so later, they had already settled down happily munching hay form the tubs we use as feeders and minus the odd kick from an animal that hadn’t seen much close human contact in over a month, it was as if they’d been in that space all summer and fall. In any case I think we’ll all — humans and alpacas — sleep a little better tonight knowing that that group of animals is back inside just as the real autumn weather is starting to become more prevalent.