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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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Okay, they can't do ALL your laundry, but they can help you spend less time doing laundry. I know this sounds like a pitch, but would you like to know that your clothes are clean, dry, static-free, pet hair-free, and odor free without using fabric softeners or dryer sheets? Would you like to feel like you're helping the environment just by using your dryer? Would you like to save money? Did you know that you can do all of the above just by using alpaca dryer balls? By nature, alpaca dryer balls:
Not only will you have clean laundry that was cleaned with alpaca, but you'll also feel good about what you're doing for the planet. Available now in our online store! It's been three weeks since Thea and Olly went away. Who noticed? Having 14 alpacas, it might seem easy to lose sight of who is not there. In general, that is true, but we noticed. We brought them to a farm in Maine recently to meet herd sires so that we'll have more cria running around our pasture next year. But that wasn't the only reason; both Thea and Olly are half-sisters, have sweet personalities, good conformation, and beautiful coat characteristics -- all the qualities we would like to see passed on to the next generation. We chose herd sires that we believe would compliment Thea and Olly with color, body conformation, coat qualities, and good personalities. The hope is that we made good decisions and the cria next year will be beautiful with wonderful personalities and gorgeous, colorful, crimpy coats for making yarn, dryer balls, and the softest birdnest fluff EVer! RAINED OUTThe Hampton Falls Farmer's Market has been canceled today due to the weather. It was the last one of the season, so it is a little disappointing that this weekly event is now over for the season. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet new faces and make new friends with both vendors and customers. That is also how we met some of you! =) You can count on us to be back at the farmer's market in 2023.  YARN ON SUNDAY!Our yarn is here! Yes, our own herd's skeins are in da house! Whether you knit, crochet, or weave, working with 100% alpaca is a joy, and wearing it is a luxury. Alpaca yarn is lightweight, and you will be surprised how warm your finished project keeps you without overheating. Its breathable properties and soft against your skin feel, make it comfortable to wear during high-energy outdoor activities by pulling moisture and odors away from your skin. It's also water resistant and will keep most of the wetness away as well. Come see and feel the soft, squishy softness of the YARN FOR YOURSELF at our next event:located at: 17 Lafayette Road, North Hampton, NH There will be more than just alpaca yarn. Plan on finding lots of socks, hats, headbands, dryer balls, and other alpaca-made products both hand-made on the farm and from farms in Peru with all the same benefits as our yarn.  Plans are underway with preparing the farm for winter. I'm sure you're doing the same already for your home, collecting the last of the harvest from the garden, pruning plants that are past blooming and preparing the lawn for its dormant season. We are too, and also making plans to put the alpacas in their winter pen. We do that by fencing off the pasture so it has a chance to rest for the winter. But before we do that, we wanted to move the alpacas' outdoor shelter. It is 12' wide, 10' high, and 24' long, and we set it up last year. It took some time to assemble with its many pieces, parts, and hardware. But we made one error. When we assembled it, we decided not to secure it to the ground knowing we would do it another day. As luck would have it, the very next day, a strong wind blew the shelter off its feet, tumbling it over the fence and inside the paddock. Ugh! We didn't want the shelter inside the paddock, but we didn't want to disassemble the frame and start over, so there it stayed.....for almost a year. Now with our minds set on preparing for winter, we took the time and moved the shelter back to the original location and are happy we did it. Though it took us most of the day to move the shelter, click on the video below to watch us complete the task in 3 minutes Farm tours on hiatusIt's exciting to see the calendar filled up quickly with farm tours this fall, and if you already have a visit scheduled with us - awesome! -- we're looking forward to seeing you! So, between scheduled visits and needing to dedicate time to winterizing the farm, the self-scheduling calendar on our website is on hiatus. The schedule will be opened again soon, and you'll be the first to know. In the meantime, if you're in need of alpaca products for those on your gift list or for yourself, visit our website or find us at one of the upcoming events. Upcoming Events We're out and about and can be found at these upcoming events for a wide selection of alpaca scarves, socks, hats, dryer balls, pet toys, yarn, and more!
Hampton Falls Farmer's Market Hampton Falls Common 1 Lincoln Avenue, Kingston NH Wednesday, October 5 2:00 - 6:00 pm Seacoast Harley Market Seacoast Harley Davidson 17 Lafayette Road, North Hampton, NH Sunday, October 9 10:00 am - 3:00 pm We've collected a handful of videos filmed this summer and put them in a collection right here for you to enjoy. Come visit Granite State Alpacas at Seacoast Harley Davidson
During their Ride For Veterans Event 17 Lafayette Road, North Hampton NH Saturday, September 24, 2022 9:00am - 12:00pm In need of socks, hats, dryer balls, or other alpaca products? We will be one of several vendors on-site during the event |
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