Dealing With Mud

They call it the January Thaw.  To me it’s a pain in the $(@*#.  The snow pack by January has usually built up higher than the step up into the run-in sheds which means when a thaw comes all that snow melt runs right into the barn! It doesn’t help that our farm is also built on a slope and ALL the rain/snow melt from the pastures also makes its way right into the barn.

I’m sure the original farmer who built this barn put it in this location because of its close proximity to the artesian well.  Great for hauling water, not so great for getting out of the way of run-off.

Future plans have us rebuilding the barn in a new location but until then it is a constant battle with Mother Nature.  With the heavy rain we got this weekend on a frozen ground I knew I’d be in trouble.  My only defense against the onslot of water, a spade.  I spend about 15 minutes of my AM/PM chores digging trenches to control the flow of water away from the barn. Labor intensive but it works!

Hmm, the Mega Millions is at 121M. Maybe I should buy a ticket and dream of a new barn and landscaping.


Coyote Alarm Call

Finally the weekend! I was so excited about being able to sleep in to 7am on Saturday morning. The week was busy with long days and short nights and all I wanted was to catch up on some sleep.

All that hope turned to panic with M. jabbing me in the side at 5:15am Saturday morning. “Do you hear that?” he said. The sound was unmistakable, coyotes. Usually we hear them far off in the distance but they sounded like they were right out our window.

I couldn’t get the lights, clothes, shoes on fast enough. My blood was boiling. If they sounded that close I just came to the immediate concussion that they had gotten into the alpaca paddock.

Armed with nothing but flashlights we bolted out the front door which thankfully was enough to scare off the coyotes. To my relief all alpacas and horses were accounted for and unharmed. Needless to say with that much adrenaline running through my system there was no going back to bed. *sigh*

Instead I decided that putting a full effort into researching livestock guard dogs(LGD) was a better use of my time. Looks like I have a lot of reading and talking to breeders to do before I settle on which one would be right for our farm. I’ll keep you updated in future posts of our LGD research, purchase and integration.

Alpaca Lifestyle

I decided to keep track of everything I did this morning before 9am.  Yes, this is typical day.  In the summer months all the shoveling/plowing is substituted with fence repairs, mowing, weed whacking etc.  Then there are the fun days when you have a sick, cold, bottle fed alpaca, or vet, dentist, farrier visits. 

  • Let out dogs to potty
  • Feed dogs and indoor cats
  • Shoveled walk ways and around the car and barn
  • Barn chores
    • Feed 10 alpacas 5 horses grain
    • Muck stalls
    • Fill water buckets
    • Give everyone hay
    • Prep stalls for night chores
  • Plowed driveway
  • Tended to the coal stove (we heat our house with coal)
  • Checked email for any new Farm Store Purchases
  • Packed sold items
  • Decided to check inventory of all Farm Store Items
  • Let dogs out again and played with them so they got some exercise
  • Showered got ready for the “day job”
  • Went to Post Office to mail out sold items
  • Thank you Tim Horton’s I had forgotten to eat breakfast again!

Phew! All I can say is thank goodness I don’t have human kids!

Preparing Shots for Alpacas

alpacashots

Today is the day of the month I feel like a junkie.  Since I live in a region that has the meningeal worm my alpaca chores the first weekend of each month involves giving our alpacas a shot of Ivormec.   My little cria Albina also got a booster of CD&T and some Vitamin A&D Paste today also.

I utilize my morning feeding routine to lock the alpacas in their run-ins.  Surprisingly they know something is up even though it’s the same routine.  Smart animals!  While they are in munching away I head back inside to prepare all the syringes. 

Ivormec is given at 1cc per 70lbs of body weight.  It’s a good idea to know your alpaca’s weight so having a livestock scale is recommended.  I don’t weigh and give shots on the same day.  It seems to stress them out so usually I weigh them 1 or 2 weeks before hand to spread out the scary moments.  I’ll often psych them out and sometimes lock them in just to give them treats and let them back out to keep them guessing but they always seem to know when I have other intentions.

I use a 20 gage, 3cc, 1 inch long needles for ivormec  – I find the 22 gage is too small and it’s hard to draw.

NOTE: Mark the bottom of the plunger with the initials of the animal it’s going to

Preparing the Syringe:

·         First wipe the top of the bottle off with alcohol to sterilize it.

·         Draw back on the plunger

·         Uncap the needle

·         Insert the needle into the bottle and Depress the plunger adding air to the bottle

o   Adding air makes it easier to draw

·         Tip the bottle upside down and slowly draw back on the plunger

o   If you draw back too fast you’ll get a lot of bubbles

·         When you have the desired amount remove the needle and recap it

Giving your alpaca shot via SQ (Subcutaneous):

·         SQ means you will be injecting into the area between the skin and the muscle

·         Use either a helper to hold your alpacas or confine a bunch of them in a small area so you can barely can move between them. 

·         When ready to give your shot check for air bubbles. 

o   Tip the syringe so the needle is pointing up and tap the side

o   Uncap the needle

o   Slowly depress the plunger until all air is out and you have a small bead of solution bead up or drip

·         I find it easiest to lean over the top of my target alpaca with me standing on their left side and reaching over the top to their right

·         Use your left hand to grab their chest fiber behind their right elbow making a tent in their skin

·         With your right hand insert the needle into the tent of skin.  Ideally you’ll want to draw back to see if you hit a vein but the chances are slim and their fiber makes it difficult to see.

·         Depress the plunger

·         Rub the area – if your hand is wet you probably injected their fiber and totally missed the alpaca all together.  The thicker their fiber gets the harder it is to give them shots!

Disposing of your needles:

·         Get a puncture proof can or jar.  I like coffee cans myself

·         Label the jar “Bio Hazard – SHARPS”

·         Untwist the needs to remove them from the syringe and put them in your jar

·         When your jar is full.  Duct tape it up, make sure all labels are still visible and throw it away.