A Week on the Farm - shattered!


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Oceania » Australia
November 29th 2006
Published: November 29th 2006
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They say you should never work with children or animals as they are just too unpredictable. I thought that quote applied to show business but having spent a week on the farm I realise this applies to everything.
It’s been a week of high drama starting with Hanni the dog cutting her leg open and requiring emergency surgery. The next day (Saturday) we found a baby alpaca in the paddock with no clear mother owning up. Mum raced off for assistance while I checked the herd. The mother was eventually found. She is one of ours - Pandora. Being a new mum she didn’t realise that motherhood doesn’t stop when the baby drops out and had wandered off for food. The herd moved on and Pandora trotted off with them, leaving the baby alone. We collected Pandora with the halter, gave her a stern talking to about responsibility and mother and baby eventually bonded. The baby was 4 weeks premature so very small and frail. For the last four days we had to carry her everywhere, bottle feed and check on her regularly. John and I were reminded of our days (and nights!) at sea as we split the night into “watches” to check on Mum and baby. The baby has pulled through well and her name is Petra - keeping with the P theme for that family. She is now with the herd and although staying a little back from all the excitement has been accepted by everyone and I’m hoping noone tries to sit on her again...
Yesterday, after checking on the expectant mums so much I got spat at, I was lucky enough to be around when Snow Anna (the matriarch of the herd) decided to give berth at 5.45pm. It was amazing watching the little head and legs emerge. What was more amazing is that I didn’t faint! Having said that, there’s hardly any blood and the whole thing takes hardly any time at all. Snow Anna, being an experienced mum, we expected nothing less. The baby’s name is Snow Iris and was 8kg - a hefty 2.5kg heavier than little Petra and was up on her feet within the hour. I don’t think she has been game to sit down again just in case.
In between bottle feeding and constant checking on babies we spent the day on Sunday picking up poo (yes, you heard me right). The whole activity is pretty exciting really. You drive the Ag bike around and operate a huge vacuum that sucks it all up ready for “pulverizing”, or mulching. The pacas make it very easy and poo in piles so it’s just a matter of maneuvering the Ag bike alongside the poo pile and going from there. Before you laugh, pulverized alpaca poo does not smell, is excellent for the garden and fetches $3-5 a bag, which means over the last year, the vacuum has already paid for itself as well as made a lot of gardens very happy. It also keeps the paddocks clean and worm free so the alpacas avoid the worm ailments sheep regularly suffer. I can also see the vacuum having various other uses around the house and highly recommend it for just about anyone - the most obvious purpose being for a quick tidy up of the house before visitors arrive over the festive season. It’s big enough to pick up most household items including bits of rubbish, toys, small animals and children.
I’ve also had the opportunity to assist in restraining a very unhappy Hotline while the vet checked out her legs for infection. Even though she is relatively small, her kick almost threw me over the fence. I had better luck restraining little Pedro and didn’t even faint when the vet gave him a shot. I think I'm getting better at this whole blood thing...
I keep saying photos are to follow and they will be as soon as I locate the cable that attaches my new camera to my laptop. I have a feeling it is safely packed away in Sydney and hopefully with my luggage and not on its way to New Zealand with the rest of Lisa and Mikey’s house… So I promise you will soon have an opportunity to see many photos from baby alpacas and leading edge poo collecting equipment.
Injuries sustained so far have been limited to the gravel grazes on my hands from cartwheels in the car park and a graze on my right knee from falling over in the driveway - not bad for a week on the farm!
I must end this blog on the weather. It has been absolutely beautiful. A lovely, sunny and warm 25 degrees during the day and a cool, bearable 8 degrees at night. I almost feel guilty for missing that horrible hailstorm last week in London. I hope you are warm and dry now Ali!!
Thanks for all your lovely emails and texts. The dial-up here is slow and painful, but I will get around to replying to everyone, promise. I hope everyone is well and happy and for those in the northern hemisphere, not suffering in the cold too much. And for those here with me in the southern hemisphere don’t forget to slip slop slap!! :-)

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