The butterflies have suddenly emerged. I counted 15 peacock butterflies yesterday and plenty of Red Admirals too. They look so pretty. Mushrooms are up too and my new batch of weird hens, acquired at Holsworthy Market, have started to lay. The young cock bird is also experimenting with his cockle doodle doo, not very impressive yet.
Meanwhile back on the farm we have just nine births to go with a particularly difficult one yesterday. This girl was dilated but the cria was way back when we investigated at two oclock. By half past five she was still trying so we got her in to the barn again. The legs were back, the head somewhere. Chas eventually got the legs forward and then of course had to push them back to try and get the head out, really difficult. After about half an hour we managed to deliver the cria who was still alive but panting hard for ages. Eventually his breathing calmed down, he sat up and by seven he was standing up, after a few Bambi like collapses. Phew. After a good dose of plasma, coat on and out in the field for the night. We have 41 cria on the ground so far and this was the only seriously tricky birth this year.
The barn is full of fleece as last week we set off on an epic journey in a seven and a half ton lorry to collect the clip from Bozedown and The Alpaca Stud. The stockman was on holiday so we whizzed round and fed everyone and set off at eight returning shattered at 11.30 at night having encountered the full glories of the British road system – accidents, road closures and overcrowding. Alice the small dog came too and had quite an exciting time what with being run over by Mary Jo’s over enthusiastic and rather large puppy followed by chasing every rabbit in sight at The Alpaca Stud.