Emilia and Champagne – post shearing!
All animals feel safer with a routine and alpacas are no exception. I am fine-tuning mine so I don’t get too obsessive about it and also amending as I learn more about what they like and don’t like.
Mornings
I cut up an apple and two or three carrots then put a bit in each of their dishes (aka plant pot saucers) and add a handful of dried hay cubes, which I got by mistake from one of the local farm supply shops, thinking they were alfafa pellets. They like them and the pellets are on order, so no harm done. I carry the plates to the paddock and am immediately surrounded. We walk to a clear area of grass (I walk they run in their weird, slow motion, bouncy kind of way) and then I put the four dishes out a distance from each other so they don’t steal each other’s food!
I check the water and change if necessary (I have this in two large washing up bowls outside their little shelter) and add some cider vinegar as a worm prevention measure.
I then clear up the manure. These “coffee beans” are in the shelter (I know!) and in several piles around the paddock. I then dig a hole under a bush or trees and bury the dung and straw there. I know this sounds mental, but if I put it straight on the garden the dogs eat it and in this way it can get absorbed by the trees and shrubs and I can always go back and dig it up to add to the garden later.
I go and get some hay and put it in the manger (they are waiting for this by the time I get back) and spread it around a bit including a pile in the corner for Champagne who, although she is the biggest, gets left out.
Lunchtime
I go in the paddock, clear up the dung from the shelter (again!) and mooch around with them for a bit.
Evening
I take them their dishes of carrot, apple and Camelibra camelid supplement ( 60g each) and then leave them munching away while I clear up the dung and get another bit of hay for the evening.
I know I am obsessive about the dung clearing but that is because I live quite near other houses and am petrified it may smell (it doesn’t). Also as I haven’t got a huge field I have heard you ned to keep it immaculate in case of worms.
When the shearers and Hilary heard how often I was clearing up after them they all laughed and told me I would soon get tired of that! They don’t do it nearly as often, I got the impression maybe once a week. I am trying to cut down to twice a day for the shelter and once a day for the paddock.
That’s it!
Gli alpaca Emilia and Champagne nel giardino alla mia casa in Toscana
Tutti gli animali si sentono più al sicuro quando la vita si svolge all’interno di una routine, e gli alpaca non fanno certo eccezione. Io mi sto lentamente regolando, man mano che imparo quello che gli piace e quello che non gli piace.
La mattina
Taglio una mela e due o tre carote e ne metto un po’ in ognuno dei loro piatti per poi aggiungere una manciata di erba medica. Porto i piatti al recinto e sono immediatamente circondata. Camminiamo verso uno spiazzo erboso (o meglio, io cammino, mentre loro corrono alla loro curiosa maniera saltellante) dove metto il cibo su quattro piatti – a una certa distanza gli uni dagli altri, così non si rubano il cibo a vicenda!
Controllo l’acqua e la cambio se necessario e aggiungo un po’ di aceto di sidro per prevenire la formazione di vermi.
Poi pulisco il letame. Questi “chicchi di caffè” si trovano nel rifugio e in diversi mucchietti intorno al recinto.
Metto il fieno nella mangiatoia e ne spargo un po’ intorno, incluso un mucchio all’angolo per Champagne, la quale, nonostante sia la più grande, viene spesso messa in disparte.
Ora di pranzo
Pulisco il letame nel rifugio (di nuovo!) e me ne sto un po’ a bighellonare con loro.
Sera
Prendo i loro piatti di carote, mele e supplementi Camelibra (60g ognuno) e li lascio mangiare mentre pulisco di nuovo, e poi gli porto un altro po’ di fieno per la sera.
E questo è tutto!