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gets that extra special check out.
All the alpacas are going well, and as you can see they are fed their food on a table, and there is plenty of room for everyone to choose from.
They are all wearing coats, although up to today, it has been quite nice weather.
The alpacas are shorn before they enter the quarantine, to meet the requirements of New Zealand.
This is so the ectoparasites can be checked and topically treated properly.
The alpacas do not really mind, In this group, there were 10 Suri's, with at least 18 mths - 2 yrs grouth on them, and actually they were glad to get their coat off.
They do not shear the suris as often as the Huacayas, that is especially if they are show animals, as they have like a longer coat, that is like a curtain, that flows as they move, and drapes down their legs.
They are a beautiful looking alpaca.
Everything was fine. The Quarantine shedding it self faces east giving full protection from any south, north and westerly winds. we mainly get the westerly winds, sometimes some notherlies, but mainly westerly.
It is actually quite wamr in the shedding and as this is winter, we mainly feed them inside, on the sunny days we give some offerings outisde as well, but most of the feed is inside the large fully equipped, purpose built shedding.
We checked all the herd, as they are in about 6 paddocks at the moment, although the bulk of the herd is in one paddock.
We have just weaned 50 weanlings only 2 weeks ago, and although we make sure there is a couple of mature alpacas to look after the weanlings, we keep a constant watch on these precious girls and boys.
I bought most of the large group up to the yards to take some photos, the yards are really protected, and then beside the yards, there is a paddock, sometimes just to hold them in for a couple of hours if we are doing some procedures.
I was taking photos, of the alpacas, and rang out of batteries, this was about 1.15pm, and then whilst i was down the street grabbed something for tea.
Back about 2.30, and in between time the wind was just coming up that hill. I decided to move the alpacas, but 5 of them did not want to budge.
and the others were getting spooked as the wind was really getting stronger and almost like a gale, it was quite cold.
These girls are getting hyperthermia i thought, as the others were not going out the gate.
lucky my son Andrew, came home, and came and gave me a hand, and we took the 5 girls into the shed, whilst Daniel and Lauren moved the rest of the alpacas to a protected paddock.
The girls were cold, and one was very cold.
we had just weaned her cria, so we took her straight up to the vet.
Within about 1.5 hours, you would not have thought there had been anything wrong, as she was standing up in the surgery waiting for her lift home.
Whilst i took Elana up to the vets, Andrew was helping the others and checking to make sure no one else was cold.
It was really raining quite heavy at this stage.
The first thought also was the quarantine girls.
Lauren went down to check on them, and they had all gone inside, all sitting in a row, just watching the rain on the outside, They were no worries, but we put out extra feed, the best way to keep them warm is to make sure there is plenty of feed.
By 8pm, all were right, we placed most of the weanlings in sheds, the girls that were feeling the cold, (they all had a minimum of abou 3 inches of fleece on), the males were in protected paddocks.
The females were also placed in the paddock closest to the house, where we can view them all from our bedroom and ensuite windows, (as we live in a two story house), we can check them all night long.
Next morning, a glorious sunny day.
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