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With summer on the horizon, it seems appropriate to introduce you to Summer — our alpaca. She joined our herd in May 2021, newly pregnant with her (and our) first cria, Baxter.  I first met Summer in August 2019 — when she was a cria herself — at my friend, Jack’s little farm. I never expected back then that she would become a member of our herd.  Me with Summer as a one week old cria (Aug. 2019) Summer is our most petite alpaca. Most of our herd stand over four feet tall, and they clearly tower over her.  Summer & her friends waiting for their haircuts While she may be small in size, she makes up for it with her personality and by being one of our largest fleece producers (I think it’s her super power). She grows a very dense, crimpy coat that insulates her every winter and keeps her warm so well that we often see her camped out in the snow or rain to help regulate her comfort.  When spun into yarn, her fleece transforms into a lovely champagne color with a hint of pink.  Summer is friendly, easy going, and enjoys being handfed treats. She often walks up to us looking for a handout while we’re doing chores. It’s because of her quiet and cute approach that makes us stop what we’re doing to give her a few treats. I think this is why it takes so long to finish chores sometimes. 😄 She’s also very playful with her friends. She loves to run and pronk around the pasture with them. Summer (white alpaca) blitzing around the pasture this past winter Summer & Pepper having a great time running & pronking together
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A sure sign that summer is almost here on the farm is not just the rise in temperature, the trees starting to bud, or the longer days — it’s the arrival of shearing day. Every alpaca farm has their own methods of preparing. So, how we set up is unique to us, but the main purpose is the same across all alpaca farms: to remove the heavy coats that the alpacas grew all year so they are more comfortable during the heat of the day. The secondary purpose of shearing doesn’t apply to all farms — harvesting the fleeces for processing — because not all alpaca farms raise alpacas for their fiber. They may raise them as farm pets, guardian purposes, processing fleece is cost prohibitive, lack of knowledge/resources, or simply not having a fiber mill in their region. There are also the farms whose primary purpose is to raise alpacas for breeding show quality alpacas, but that's a topic for another day.  Tia about to have her mop top trimmed I wish shearing was as simple as scheduling an appointment with the barber, but it's not. Scheduling the actual day the shearer comes is fairly easy, but a lot of planning goes into making the entire event efficient and stress free for all involved including the herd. Here is a list of how we plan for the shearer:
*we do our own toenail trimming regularly, so this is not something we need the shearer to address, but if you don't trim your herd's toenails, it's common to have the shearer do it for you.  Ace being relieved of his prime fleece If there’s anything that you should not do during shearing, we learned it at our very first shearing experience. We hired a professional shearer who graciously educated as we went along, and our little herd of three alpacas emerged with beautiful haircuts despite us being so green with inexperience. I’m pleased to say that our shearer still works with us - LOL! Here is what you should NOT do:
our first ever shearing day circa 2015 And that’s it! Our herd is being shorn this coming Monday, May 12. The weather is looking promising for beautiful sunny day despite the fact that we’re in a very rainy pattern right now and the alpacas look like drowned rats at the moment (see Summer’s photo below). Saturday through Monday will be warm and sunny, so the herd should be completely dry by then. Wish us luck and happy shearing! Want to feed the alpacas some food?
 While our farm tours in April are fully booked, we’ve got an exciting event lined up for you this month.
Come visit us at the Winnacunnett High School Vendor & Craft Fair in Hampton, NH. 📅 Sunday, April 13 ⏰ 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM 📍 Winnacunnett High School, Hampton, NH 🌎 Celebrate Earth Day and Alpacas! Sustainable and unique gifts for your family and friends that they'll love. --and maybe something for yourself. Walk away feeling good about supporting a local small business and our farm’s mission to stay eco-conscious. If you still need a reason to stop by? Admission is free, and it’s the only event this month where you can drop by and shop our alpaca farm store without an appointment, including:
If you can’t make it this time, no worries—we've got a lineup of upcoming events to share. Be sure to check out our full vendor schedule and catch us at a date that fits your plans! Here on the farm, nature has a magical way of showcasing beauty in the simplest of shades—and right now, brown is the star of the show. Here on the farm, nature has a magical way of showcasing beauty in the simplest of shades—and right now, brown is the star of the show.  The ground and trees are the canvas that make the alpacas' coats truly pop.
From their soft whites and golden fawns to deep chocolates and sleek blacks, the herd displays a spectrum of natural hues that complement each other and their surroundings. But the beauty of brown doesn't stop at the alpacas. We see it in nature's transitions:
So next time you are outside, take a moment to celebrate how nature harmonizes colors so perfectly, giving us a chance to enjoy the little things we often overlook.  Come and visit, bring a friend or two or three.... or eight!
Make plans and schedule a visit this summer when you, friends, and/or family are vacationing locally; we're 3 miles from Rte 95, very convenient to area attractions, or a great place to take a break while on a long road trip to your final destination.
While spring is not quite here yet, there are signs that warmer days are coming - the snow is melting, paddocks are getting mucky, the days are getting longer, chickens are laying eggs again, temps are regularly in the 40s, birds singing spring songs, and the alpacas are sleeping under the stars more often. I'm watching the weather constantly because I am wondering (okay hoping) if I can spread grass seed in the pastures in March instead of April to extend the grass-growing season by a few weeks. The alpacas, in their thick winter coats, enjoy the warm sun on their bodies, balanced by the cool and steady winds that blow across our property. That combination makes the weather conditions ideal, keeping them comfortable during the warmest time of the day. Life for the herd right now is a waiting game in their paddocks until the fields are full of green grass again, but we will allow them out occasionally to stretch their legs.  With the deep snow melting away, we saw the opportunity over the weekend to remove a fallen tree that landed on one of the fences in the boys' pasture. We noticed it in early January and planned to address it then, but that plan was deferred thanks to the weekly accumulating snowfall that buried the tree.
Now that the tree is removed, we re-secured the fence temporarily until we replace the broken wire clips that secure the fence to the posts. Remind me, will you? In the meantime, the herd is doing their part by eating the remaining snow and will soon be poking their noses through the fence to the new grass on the other side of their pens. Hang in there, gang! It's just another six to eight weeks, I promise! I started playing a game with Baxter recently. When he's in the pasture, he likes to linger by the fence, and I thought it would be fun to see if he would eat a carrot if I placed one on the crossbeam. So I put one little carrot nugget on the beam, and he walked over and ate it. Then I thought it might be a fun game for him to learn how to find and eat a series of treats if I placed a line of them along the beam. This video captures that experiment: Alpacas are incredibly smart animals and are very trainable if you take the time to teach them. It doesn't take much time -- less than one minute a day -- but it takes practice and dedication. I like to think of it as similar to Pavlov's method of classic conditioning with his dog and using a stimulus (treat) to create a response. The best scenario for this kind of enrichment is a one-on-one opportunity. For example, if other alpacas are in the immediate vicinity, it can easily turn into chaos as many furry faces reach for the snack in your hand, and your training buddy becomes upset or distracted and breaks that 1:1 connection you made with them. So finding that uninterruptible opportunity is key. It doesn't matter where it happens, but as long as your alpaca (or other animal) can focus on the exercise without the other pacas (or pets) causing disruption. Below is a good example of ongoing training that I developed with one of my first alpacas, Fiona. It was early in her enrichment training days, so it wasn't a perfect session but it is clear that she was having a good time. What was unique about the situation was that Fiona was more interested in playing with me and eating carrots than having her breakfast (like the other alpacas are) so it was a convenient opportunity that I could take advantage of for that one-on-one time without having to separate ourselves into a pen. When we got our first two alpacas, there was no information on the internet about enrichment training and there still isn't. I found a couple of videos with talented llamas performing tricks for their owners, but no guidance on how to get started.
Then one day I found Nina Faust. An alpaca owner in Alaska who had two males she taught many enrichment activities, and I was inspired. Her calm and patient method with a clicker and a target objective was the starting point that I was looking for. This training technique is not unique and can be taught to any animal, not just alpacas, and to any age. They just need to be interested in you. Here's what you do to get started: All you need is a target objective: a ball, a frisbee, or whatever is at hand. (I drew a target on a piece of white cardboard) and a favorite treat for a reward. The reward should be something that you will always give them when doing this exercise so they know what they'll earn (down the road, once they are conditioned, you can change the treat with other treats). Get your animal's attention (a/k/a your training buddy). Take your target object and slowly and gently tap their nose with it and say your training word that they will associate with the action, then feed them the reward and affirm with positive reinforcement: "good job" or whatever positive phrase you choose. The word you use to associate with the action can be anything, a single word or phrase that will eventually be associated with touching the object. I always say "target" and down the road, I would use it in sentences like in the video above. Repeat the action several times: target + treat + positive reinforcement. In the beginning, this should take no more than 30 seconds. Your training buddy may seem confused at first with what you're doing, but will happily accept the treat. Just repeat it a few times and then stop. You always want to end the exercise early before they get bored or lose interest. You can use words that tell them the training session is over like "all done" or "no more" or whatever phrase -- as long as you're consistent, they will learn. The next time you do this enrichment exercise, your training buddy will remember the treat they received and should be interested in playing again. Within a few sessions, your training buddy will associate whatever action word you chose with the reward and will reach for the target on their own so they will receive the treat and associated positive reinforcement (because that is what they're after). If you make this "game" a regular daily habit, it will become second nature for them and part of your language with them. Then you can build on what they've learned and teach them new words and actions to keep being rewarded. It will be equally rewarding for you too as they play this game with you. I invite you to try it. Indie is ten weeks old......It's been 2 months, & two weeks since she was born on July 4, and my goodness has she grown!   While her development and growth occur slowly over time, looking at the snapshots of her physical appearance over these ten weeks is astounding. Her coat has gone from tight curls to long and crimpy. It's fun to watch her explore her world, test her boundaries with her mom and aunties, and run laps whenever her spirit moves her. When you have a happy and healthy cria, raising them is easy since their mom does most of the work. Indie just follows her mom's lead. When Indie was first born, she stuck to her mother, Stormy, like glue - where mom goes, Indie goes - but as Indie has gotten older, the more independent she becomes. Indie now spends more time with her aunties and explores/grazes on her own, but when she's hungry, scared, or just wants to check in, she seeks out her mother with inquiring vocalizations that sound like "Mom?"............" Mom?" until either mom lifts her head or responds vocally to which Indie will run right up to her. There are times when I can see Indie and her mom, Stormy, are far apart doing their own things, and I'll ask, "Stormy, where's your kid??" and she looks up at me as if to say, "Who? Oh! I don't know. She's around here somewhere." But at feeding time or when it's time to settle in for the night, we'll always find Stormy and Indie together. Their bond and affection for each other is a sight to see.  Stormy & Indie
Before Indie's arrival on July 4, we sent two of the girls to a farm in Maine (Olympia & Amity) and two others to another farm in New Hampshire (Pepper & Lady) for breeding. Our plans are to have a few cria running around our pasture again next summer. We plan this far ahead because alpacas gestate for 11.5 months, and we try to time it so the girls give birth while the weather is warm - unlike our first farm-born alpaca, Baxter, who was born on a 46-degree day in April - brrrr Why aren't we breeding here on our own farm with Baxter or Ace? Great question! While they are technically old enough to sire offspring, the boys are still immature and the girls know it. They're close, but not quite ready yet. So, while we are breeding outside of our own farm, we want to make good choices in planning for future generations. As we consider sires, we look at temperament, body composition, genetic history, and fiber quality (consistent staple length, crimp, fineness, and color). Color is not always a priority because sometimes we're hoping for a specific color and sometimes not. For example: Amity is bay black and Olympia is medium brown. We paired them with two different white males this year who are comparable in size to the girls (Amity and Olympia are very tall) and are known (or 'proven') to pass on particular traits to their offspring that appealed to us. When we bred Amity two years ago, we paired her with a male who was the same color as her, since we wanted another dark alpaca. Little did we know that we would hit the jackpot and her offspring, Ace, would turn out to be Amity's "mini me". This tells us that she has strong traits that will transfer to her offspring. So, this time around, we're hoping the best traits of both Amity and the sire we chose for her (his name is Templar) will pass on to their cria. This is our second attempt to breed Olympia (we were unsuccessful last year), so we have yet to learn what traits she will pass along to her offspring. We selected a male (his name is Katsumoto) who has a great track record for producing offspring with long, crimpy fiber, and floofy ears (we LOVE floofy ears!). Ultimately, we want happy, healthy, pronking crias, but for now, we just wait for Amity and Olympia to start showing signs that confirm they are pregnant.  But wait - there's more! On Sunday, we brought Pepper and Lady home from their breeding sessions.  This is our first breeding with both of them. Neither has had a cria before, so we have yet to learn from Pepper & Lady how they will inform us that they are pregnant (personality change) and what traits they will pass along to their offspring. We chose a handsome light silver-gray male named Kodachrome for Pepper because a) we'd love a gray alpaca, and b) Pepper has a LOT of gray genetics in her bloodlines -- so our prospects of achieving this color are high. Both Pepper and Kodachrome have fiber with a beautiful staple length and crimp that we hope will be passed on to their cria. For Lady, we chose a young light fawn male with a beautifully dense and crimpy coat that compliments Lady's own dense, crimpy, dark fawn coat in hopes they both pass on their fiber qualities to the next generation. Again, we wait for them to tell us if they're pregnant. Anyway, the girls were away for six long weeks, and boy, did we miss them -- and not just us, the herd missed them too. If you love our alpaca socks, you're going to love our insoles.  Why alpaca insoles?
 If Monica from Friends added alpaca insoles into those uncomfortable boots, they might not have hurt as much - LOL!
New Hampshire is in the midst of summer, and it's been a mixture of typical New England weather:
Weather is very important when it comes to the animals we care for. The alpacas respond to it similar to how we do, but they can't escape into air conditioning. We've been running the fans in the barn to move air and help the alpacas feel more comfortable. On a hot day, it's not unusual to find them camped out in front of the fans all day long.  But now that milder weather is here, we're seeing more sunbathing.  Speaking of Indie, she is doing wonderful. While very clingy to her mom the first few weeks, she is now five weeks old and is becoming more independent and bravely ventures farther from her mom but always runs back to check-in or when Stormy calls her.
Indie loves to run and play and most recently has been teasing her auntie Summer by provoking her to nip at her while Indie jumps away with a "can't catch me!" attitude. This little girl has spunk! We have a surprise for you! Stormy had her cria today. Born 9 days early.-- completely unexpected.
We have an exciting event coming up soon. There is less than a month to go before Stormy has her cria. Stormy is doing great; her belly is starting to fill out and is showing more roundness to it. Her pregnancy is subtle and at first glance, you wouldn't think she was pregnant at all; but once you visually compare Stormy's profile to another alpaca who isn't pregnant, then you can see her baby bump.  The sire we paired with Stormy is a handsome white alpaca named East Coast Comet. Together, we hope they produce a cria who inherits her friendly personality and some of his good looks too. We also hope our choice will create a beautiful coat that has a long staple length with soft fineness and a prominent crimp from end to end. I know that is a lot to ask of a little cria, but that is why we bred them: to improve the next generation.  We have our cria kit ready to attend to the baby's needs. If Stormy has a straightforward birth and all goes well, we should only need the items identified in bold.
Of course, the items in bold is all we hope Stormy and her cria will need. Everything else is just in case. We have no idea if it's a male or female, so that will be part of the surprise when Stormy gives birth. We've not chosen any names yet, but we are tossing around possibilities and with every suggestion I hear, I quickly add it to the "list of alpaca names" I keep on my phone so we have something to work off of when the cria arrives. Until then, we wait........ It's raining, I have cold feet, and I'm happy about it. Wait - what? Let me explain. We just got through a hot, dry spell in May with temperatures in the 70s and 80s, and Mother Nature just blessed us with a week of badly needed rain that also brought in a cold front that dropped the temps in the 50s and 60s. It feels really cold in comparison to what it's been. These cooler temps make me appreciate my alpaca socks and keep cold feet at bay.  Your feet feel so much better when you put on a nice soft pair of warm, comfy socks. You know the feeling I'm talking about, right? I can tell you from personal experience that for years I never thought too much about the benefits of wearing good, quality socks. I'll be the first person to tell you that I loved buying name-brand multi-packs of socks for the cheapest price I could find. I would buy multi-pack socks a few times a year to ensure my socks drawer was full of fresh, soft socks. I kept stocking up on the bargain socks because while they felt great when they were new, after 2-3 months of wear and washing, those inexpensive socks lost their softness. I also changed my socks several times a day because my feet would sweat, and I craved a dry pair on my feet -- even on the days that I wasn't working outside doing farm chores. Because my socks quickly lost their initial softness and were no longer nice to wear anymore, I would throw them away and grab a new pair from my supply. And every time I drew from my sock supply, I made a mental note to grab a fresh multi-pack on my next shopping trip, just to keep my sock stash full. I didn't realize that I was compensating for the low-quality socks I was buying. I had no idea what I was missing out on until I tried my first pair of alpaca socks. Since then, I learned that the best thing you can do to keep your feet happy and healthy is to wear alpaca socks, and here is why:
Shearing day is here! All year long, we love seeing the coats grow thicker and longer on our wooly herd. Watching wool grow is like watching grass grow, but we can see the changes in the appearance of their coats over time. Below are some of the most common questions we hear about alpaca shearing: How often do alpacas need to be shorn? Unlike sheep that are shorn two to three times a year, alpacas only need to be shorn once a year because their coats grow at a much slower rate than sheep. Why shear?
Is shearing cruel? Absolutely not! Alpacas are not harmed in any way during the shearing process. Do alpacas like being shorn? Absolutely not! I say that with humor. It depends on the animal really. Some alpacas are calm the entire time while others will cry like a child getting their first haircut. How long does shearing take? Well, that depends. If we shear the alpacas ourselves, it would likely take us all day. That's not good for the animals or us. Also, because alpacas are shorn annually, it doesn't allow us many opportunities to practice making it worthwhile. Because we use the fiber for yarn and other purposes, shearing the alpacas ourselves may render the fiber unusable for making yarn if we did an amateur job. So we hire a professional to do the shearing for us. With this being his livelihood, our shearer can shear a single alpaca in less than ten minutes with great care to both the alpaca and its coat. With our herd of 12, he should be done in approximately two hours. This minimizes the stress on the herd (and us). How do you prepare for shearing day? The simplest answer is to have the shearing area, your supplies, and the alpacas ready to go for when the shearer arrives. This avoids unnecessary delays, standing around, and gets the alpacas back in the pasture as quickly as possible.
If you want to learn about shearing firsthand, one of the best ways to learn is to contact an alpaca farm and ask if you can watch or volunteer. How is shearing done? The nuances may vary from shearer to shearer, but there is a basic process: The prime fleece is always removed first (prime is also known as "firsts," "primary," or "blanket") and is the midsection area on the alpaca (see image below) and is the softest fiber area on the alpaca. This is where the best yarn in the world comes from. The shearer will make long strokes from the shoulder to the hip that allows the coat to roll off in one big sheet with each stroke. The goal to in keep the coat intact as much as you and your volunteers can because it makes cleaning it and preparing it for yarn processing so much easier. Once the prime is removed, it is rolled up like a noodle (called "noodling") and then it's moved to a location where it will then be labeled (see bullet 5 above). Then the seconds and thirds are removed and collected either separately or together depending on the alpaca farmer's intended use, if there is one.  Below is a 5-minute video from last year's shearing, which should give you a good idea of the shearing process on our farm. Speaking of our herd, this year's shearing is a little special because it's Baxter's first FULL year of fiber growth -- it's about four inches long now and growing very soft and crimpy in matchstick clumps - a very desirable trait - and will make some beautiful soft yarn. When Baxter was shorn last year, he was just eight weeks old and needed a haircut so he would be comfortable through the summer. If you watched the above video, you most likely saw him getting that first haircut. But now he's now a year old. His full coat makes him appear larger than he really is because his coat grows perpendicular to his body. We've gotten so used to him looking this wooly that it will seem "shocking" to see how little he is under all that fleece.  One year old Baxter stands next to his mom, Summer We are occasionally asked if the alpacas ever escape. Alpacas typically don't challenge their barriers or look for opportunities to escape; so it may take some time before an alpaca realizes there's an open gate, barn door or fence break. Then there are those occasions where no gate or door was left open that leave us wondering, "How did they do that?!"  Ace finds himself outside of the paddock Recently, we discovered little Ace on the outside of the fence eager to return to his herd. We knew that all gates and doors were secure so it was baffling how he managed to get on the other side of the fence. Thankfully, our cameras monitor their activities and captured how this little Houdini performed his mysterious trick. The humorous part is that he had no idea that he did it. Here's what happened: This time of year, while the grass is growing outside of their paddock, the alpacas are eager to reach it to graze and often they are poking their noses through the fence panel to reach those tasty, fresh blades. On this particular day, one of the adult alpacas (Pepper) was leaning against the panel gates that are chained together, pressing the gates outward as she stretched to reach the new grass, and Ace saw an opportunity to reach a patch of grass under the extended gates. As he grazed, he laid down on the ground so that he could extend his neck further under the gates to reach the tasty blades of grass. While he did this, Pepper moved on, taking her body weight off the chained gates causing them to sway back to their normal position. When Ace stood up, he was on the other side of the gates and continued to graze, unaware that he was now outside the fence. The cameras notified us that activity was happening outside, we investigated and quickly acted.  Me walking down the hill to help Ace rejoin the herd  Ace is back inside the paddock and heading over to the herd. I calmly walked into the backyard and started talking to Ace -- if I ran or showed any sign of nervousness, Ace would read my body language and also become nervous.
When Ace saw me and heard my voice, as I opened the gate panels for him, he eagerly came to me and re-entered the paddock to reunite with his herd. He looked at me and hummed as he re-entered the paddock - I think that was a "thank you." I am trying not to be too excited over Baxter's first birthday because he doesn't care. But I do. While we have been raising alpacas for nearly ten years now, Baxter is our firstborn, and this month marks a milestone for us: we raised our first alpaca from birth to his first birthday. I documented his first 24 hours of life as any first-time parent would, and I'm so glad I did. As I watched the video again, all the memories and emotions came flooding back from that first experience. If you have not seen that video or would like to revisit it, click on the link below. Since that day, we have watched Baxter as he had his first encounters with his world. - his herd - his home - how much fun running is - learning to eat hay & grain - playing - dust baths - his first shearing - dirt mounds are awesome - more running - snow - wildlife (turtles, raccoons, woodchucks, wild turkeys, the barn cats) Now that he is almost a year old, he's just about equal to the size of his mom, Summer, and has inherited her personality as well: very easygoing and mellow. He seems quite mature as he mingles with his herd day-to-day. In their winter pen, there isn't a lot of stimulation for activities but he and his buddy Ace are already starting to wrestle again. I'm sure that once their coats are off after shearing and the herd is out in the pasture again, there will be more fun runs. Spring is officially here, and boy, does that feel good! As New Englanders, we know that spring snow is always a possibility, but we take confidence that it won't stay long and there is evidence already that the worst of winter is behind us.  As winter slowly fades and snow melts, this is the window of time we all have to traverse before spring really takes hold: mud & muck. It's a dreary season on the farm before it starts looking its best: - the pasture is still dormant - the trees are still bare - debris hidden by snow is now visible - the ground is soft & squishy - mud puddles We don the work gloves and muck boots and begin the process of grooming what Mother Nature and the alpacas have strewn everywhere. - scattered straw will be raked - fallen branches cleaned up - dead trees laid to rest - plant beds prepared - damaged fence & shelters repaired - a new birdhouse will be hung Over the course of the next several weeks, we will take down the weather barriers from the alpacas' barn and the chicken coop, and prepare the pasture for the alpacas' eventual release from their winter confinement and into a lush field of green grasses. The alpacas are good sports about being penned up for the winter, but we see them already longing to be out in the field grazing to their hearts' content. Just a couple more months to go.  Softest bed Ever! The birds are singing their spring songs, which means they are already house hunting or meeting with their architects to build their nests this spring. This is a good time to get them a housewarming gift so they are ready to move in. Alpaca bird nest fluff is a songbird's favorite fiber to lay their eggs in and keep their babies warm. Simply hang it where the birds will see it. A great gift for the bird lover in your life.  Is it me or has February been a strange month of weather? In our part of New Hampshire, most of the month has been dry with mild temperatures in the 40's, and a couple of times we reached the mid 50's. The alpacas, now in their thick winter coats, take the warmer days in stride and seek the shade of the barn and their outdoor shelter -- they especially enjoy the latter since we've lifted the wind panel to allow the breeze to pass through. Lifting the wind panel also allows more light to the shelter, and (amusingly) the alpacas immediately took advantage of having another way to access their hayracks.  Thea and Ace enjoying the brighter space, shade, and cool breeze blowing through the shelter But as I write this, Old Man Winter seems to have realized that Spring is coming soon and has decided that he's been delinquent in dumping snow on us this season. Next week's weather report shows a lot of snow activity.  Hopefully, this will be winter's last hurrah this season! (fingers crossed) The herd won't be bothered at all by the change in weather or the snow because, heck, they are dressed for it.  Since the alpacas have the freedom to go in and out of the barn and shelter at will, some prefer to be inside and some prefer to be outside and coated in a blanket of white. If you are wondering why they would choose to be outside in the snow and cold, it's because alpacas' coats are made of individual hollow fibers that trap and hold heat that becomes a warm and protective layer to their bodies. So just because you see a layer of snow on their backs doesn't mean that the cold is penetrating through their coats and down to their skin; in fact, much like a house with snow on the roof is an indicator that the home is well insulated, the same is true for an alpaca with snow on their backs. This feature is just one of the primary reasons why people love wearing alpaca. Works in progressThese cold winter days are the only time I don't feel guilty for spending my time indoors. Is this true for you too? It gives me a great opportunity to work on a handful of projects. Currently, I have tufts of Stormy's fiber waiting to be hand-felted into dryer balls. There is a scarf on my weaving loom that I am designing. I have three hats that I just completed that are in the final stages of blocking. I also have several bags of raw fiber in the barn that still need to be skirted, graded, and sorted for processing for the fiber mill to make into yarn and batting. These projects are so therapeutic, enjoyable, beautiful, and satisfying to make -- especially when I know which individual alpaca(s) contributed to the construction of each finished piece. And I love seeing a person's face light up when they discover that the hat they just bought came from Summer, Raspberry, Thea or one of the other alpacas' yarn. farm tours are back!It's finally here! Opening day for 2023 farm tours begins on March 11. Come alone or bring a friend or two or three or eight.
See for yourself how big Baxter and Ace are growing. Feed our pregnant girls, Stormy and Thea, treats (they're eating for two!) Feel their soft mouths as the alpacas eat from your hands Plan ahead and schedule a visit this summer when you, friends, and/or family are vacationing in the area; we're very convenient to area attractions or a great place to take a break while on a long road trip to your final destination 5 minutes from Applecrest Orchards & The Orchard Grille 7 minutes from Smuttynose Brewery's Hayseed Restaurant 10 minutes from downtown Exeter 15 minutes from Cider Hill Farm & downtown Amesbury 15 minutes from Hampton Beach & Salisbury Beach 20 minutes from Portsmouth 60 minutes from Portland & Boston Pepper lost a tooth - yes, a tooth! Pepper's two front teeth are one of her most distinguishing features. How could this have happened? We have not experienced this on our farm before, so it took us by surprise. She was fine yesterday, with her toothy smile, but today, one of those big pearly whites is now missing. Yesterday todayI tried to recall if I had overlooked something that might have happened but nothing came to mind. Did she get into a fight with another alpaca? Not likely - she gets along with everyone. Did she eat something that broke the tooth? Possibly, but what? A twig? A rock? Where is the tooth? It could be buried in the hay, embedded in the ground, etc.; I looked around but of course, like a needle in a haystack... it could be anywhere. I am a little sad because her big teeth are part of what makes this little alpaca endearing. But is Pepper okay? Is she going to grow a new tooth? The answer to both is "yes." First of all, Pepper is fine. She is not in pain and actually seemed unbothered by the whole thing. (always a good sign). Next (because we had not experienced tooth loss on our farm before), I did some research on the matter to learn 'how?' and 'why?'. Diving into the books, I found: Caring for Llamas and Alpacas, A Health Management Guide, by Clare Hoffman, DVM and on the Internet: Farm Animal Report's: Alpaca Teeth, the Exhaustive Guide, by Gregory Gaines - with my commentary.
Here is where it gets interesting:
With this new information, I wanted a closer look at Pepper's mouth so that I could familiarize myself with this situation and understand what a healthy, normal baby tooth gap looks like. Pardon the green grass in her mouth, but there is a new tooth coming in where her baby tooth used to be.This was a learning opportunity for us because before 1-year-old Pepper arrived in 2021, we had not had an alpaca on our farm that was under the age of 3 and never noticed any of our alpacas missing teeth before.
Pepper's new tooth will probably fill the space before we know it, and it will be less of a shock when it happens again with her or the other alpacas. Another year has come to a close, and I am so glad that you've been a part of it in some way. Whether we are already friends, you've visited us on the farm, we met at an event, follow me (or each other) on social media, or via this newsletter, I am glad you're here. I love to share videos of the alpacas with you, their activities and antics during everyday life. As you already know, they are beautiful creatures with amazing (and goofy) personalities and mega-soft coats. While I make videos all year long and share them on social media, I make one video at the end of each year highlighting the fun and adventures we've had with the alpacas over the past 12 months. I've been doing this ever since we adopted our first alpacas in December 2014, and this year is no different. In fact, if you need to keep someone entertained for a while (i.e., little kids), need an escape, or want to watch alpaca videos all day, visit my youtube page (@gsalpacas). There are 100+ alpaca videos to keep anyone busy. For now, go make some popcorn, grab a beverage, sit and enjoy the below montage of alpaca fun. I hope 2022 has been good for you and 2023 is even better. What's ahead in 2023 While it may not be a white Christmas on the farm this year
were are still full of holiday cheer The alpacas are nestled inside their barn nice & warm growing next year's yarn They are still and quiet, waiting for eight pairs of tiny hoof beats, hoping Santa will fill their stockings with their favorite treats (carrots, apples, & alfalfa hay) Amity, Ace, Baxter, Genny, Lady, Melody, Olly, Pepper, Sparrow, Summer, Razzie, Thea, Stormy, and Tia wish you a joyous holiday filled with alpaca kisses and nose boops. Thank you for being on this paca adventure with us!  Winter is settling in on the farm as we received our first blanket of snow this week. I've been curious to see how Baxter and Ace would react to the change in weather even though the transition from summer to autumn has been gradual, and their coats have been growing longer. I did not witness Baxter or Ace's reaction to the first fallen flakes since it happened overnight, but neither seemed phased by it.  Baxter & his mom, Summer, and their holiday bowls We've watched the boys walking around with a light blanket of snow on their backs - likely they don't even know it's there since they are so well-insulated. And it was a surprise to already see the boys eating snow. I saw them eating it, but I wish I had been there when the baby boys took their first tastes. Did their moms teach them? Did they see their aunties eat it first? Did they wonder what it was and decide to take a taste? I am simply left to wonder.  Baxter eating snow Last Holiday Market for 2022Is it me or are the holidays closing in fast? If you have a little more shopping to do, we will be in Portsmouth on Sunday at Cisco Brewery for their holiday market as one of 30+ vendors offering an assortment of local and handmade items. Live holiday music, food, and beverages are provided by Cisco Brewery. Cisco Brewery Holiday Market 35 Corporate Drive Portsmouth, NH Sunday, December 18 12:00 - 5:00 pm  Can't make it to the event or you don't live locally? Visit our online store to view all our products.
  I hope this email finds you well, among family and/or friends, with warm smells coming from the kitchen and gratitude in your heart. If you've just subscribed to my newsletter - welcome! I'm glad you're here. If you've been reading my emails for a brief time or longer - I'm sending you a big smile and waving at you. I want to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to you -- yes, YOU! To all of my email subscribers both new and long-time readers: THANK YOU! Thank you for being here, for reading, following, your friendship, and your love for alpacas. Happy Thanksgiving! Sandy Alpacas Meet TurkeysIn honor of today's holiday, below are videos of our alpacas encountering turkeys over the years. How would it end?... We didn't know. For the most part, everyday life with the herd goes along swimmingly, yet suddenly, one of our alpacas was on the ground. Did she trip? Did she get bumped while jostling for food and knocked off her feet? We didn't see what happened. It occurred while we walked with the herd to feed them their evening meal and then we heard the thud. We both looked back and found Amity on the ground, struggling to get up on her feet. With a little help, she did. We thought the situation was odd and tucked it into our minds to keep watch in case it became more than just a coincidence. The next day we noticed Amity favoring her right rear leg and limping. We also observed her struggling to stand up from a cushed (lying down) position. We checked Amity for any signs of an injury, but there wasn't any noticeable swelling, sensitivity, or pain in her leg, although it was clearly weak. Our thoughts went directly to the possibility that she had a parasite: the meningeal worm (a/k/a "brain worm" or "deer worm"), which is the worst of the worst parasites to get because it attacks the central nervous system and has a high mortality rate if symptoms are not caught early enough. One of the first and most obvious signs is posterior weakness, and that may be what we saw in Amity. While it is possible that it could have simply been an injury, we weren't taking any chances, and immediately began a de-wormer treatment for five days of fenbendazole (a/k/a safeguard) to kill the parasite and ten days of Banamine for inflammation. We checked her body temperature (it was normal) and her eyes for signs of anemia (saw healthy pink hues) and called the vet to discuss the situation. Our vet confirmed that our first response was correct as she would have advised us to take all the steps we were already doing. Two days into Amity's de-wormer treatment, I was able to collect a poo sample from Amity and conducted a fecal test. This confirmed that no intestinal parasites were evident. While that was good news, it did not confirm that she was parasite free because the meningeal worm is the only parasite that would not show up in a fecal test. We scheduled a farm visit with the Vet the next day to examine Amity to ensure we weren't missing any symptoms or conditions that the Vet's skills and knowledge may detect that we would not. The Vet examined Amity's leg and, like us, found no swelling, pain, or discomfort and also confirmed that Amity's leg had a full range of motion - Amity demonstrated that she was using her leg, but it was clearly weak. The Vet concluded that all physical signs were likely pointing to the meningeal worm but she would not rule out that it could be a soft tissue injury. There is no way to diagnose meningeal worm except by necropsy, and at this point, that wasn't an option. Time and care would tell. We continued with Amity's treatment and careful daily monitoring for any physical or behavioral changes that would indicate improvement or decline. Cue the lyrics from The Police: Every breath you take, every step you take, I'll be watching you A couple of weeks have passed and we're happy to report that Amity is doing much better. We still don't know if it was a meningeal worm or soft tissue injury; Amity still favors her leg but much less so from a couple of weeks ago. Before we treated her, her leg was clearly weak, and she could not rely on that leg/foot for stability, but now she is putting a lot more weight on her leg, is far more stable on her feet, and is acting more like herself - confident, herd leader. When Amity fell, we noticed that she became cautious and quietly stayed closer to the back of the herd with the shy girls (Genny & Razzie). By the end of Amity's de-wormer treatment, we could tell that she was feeling much better because not only was her leg improving, but her outgoing personality had returned as well as her place near the front of the herd, greeting us happily whenever we were in the barn. Crisis averted - phew! So what tips can I offer from our experience?
Farm ToursIt's been a busy Autumn. Our weekends have been full with a steady flow of visitors under the slowly evolving backdrop of changing leaf colors, temperatures slowly dropping, and alpaca coats getting thicker. We've had a great time with everyone and look forward to seeing new and familiar faces when self-scheduling tours resume in 2023. While our farm tours may have ended for the season, we captured some great moments. Here is a collection of some of the smiling faces and great moments that the alpacas generated. Shopping Extravaganza!On November 19 and 20, Granite State Alpacas will be among 150 of New England's finest Artists, Craftsmen, and Specialty Food creators. It is a destination you will want to visit with:
311 Winnacunnet Rd Hampton, NH $5 tickets at the Door (valid both days) Ages 14 & under free To purchase advance tickets (no processing fee) and skip the line, visit www.gnecraftartisanshows.com Can't make it or don't live locally? Visit Granite State Alpacas online shop www.granitestatealpacas.com .  |
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