Things To Do With Baling Twine

Does your barn look like mine? You have an old feed bag or muck bucket that just collects baling twine each time you feed hay? If you really are like me, you pay close attention to how you take off the twine. I ultimately try to remove the twine without cutting it but if I must cut it I do so as close to the knot as possible just in case I find a use for my bucket-o-twine later.

I thought I’d share with you some things that I do to recycle my twine.

– Hold up a broken gate
– Tie down a tarp over a cattle panel to make a shelter
– Braided into a wisp to groom a horse
– Tie up horse tails into mud knots or to hold a braid
– Fix horse blankets
– Tie panels together for a temporary catch pen
– Chain some together to make a herding tape to round alpacas up
– Braid into leashes and lead ropes – bit itchy on the hands but good in a pinch
– Use as a break-away for cross ties or trailer ties
– Woven, knotted or crocheted into door mats
– Above mats wrapped around a post or on a wall for horses to scratch on
– Use in the garden for peas and tomatoes
– I have organic twine and it makes great kindling for fires

Sorry I’m having issues with comments.

How to Build Alpaca Creep Feeder

With cria comes the need to find away to let them get away from the adults and have their own private little space to rest or get some extra grain or hay.  Hence the invention of the creep feeder.

A creep feeder is a simple concept of a space wide enough for a cria to “creep” through but too small for an adult to cram through.

I chose to make a little fenced in area just outside the door to the stall the alpacas use for shelter.  I cut cattle panels into 3 pieces; (2) 5 foot sections and (1) 10 foot section. I used fencing staples to secure the 5 foot sections to the walls of the stall and baling twine to hold one end of the of the 10 foot piece to the 5 foot and 2 carabineers for the other 2 so I can easily get in and out of the pen. 

The creep part is made by the stall door itself.  I open the door just wide enough for a cria to slip through but so the adults can’t and hold it in that position with a stopper.  I used an old exercise step but a cinder block will work just fine.

Here’s my creep feeder in action.  Unfortunately, Beanie wasn’t going to show us how she can sneak through.

[flashvideo file=wp-content/uploads/Video/CreepFeeder.flv /]

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!

12 Alpaca Days of Christmas

Alpaca_Wreath
On the first day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
A Long Haired Champion Suri

On the 2nd Day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
2 Heated Buckets
And a Long Haired Champion Suri

On the 3rd Day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
3 LGD’s
2 Heated Buckets
And a Long Haired Champion Suri

On the 4th Day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
4 Tui Grazing
3 LGD’s
2 Heated Buckets
And a Long Haired Champion Suri

On the 5th Day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
5 Bales of Hay
4 Tui Grazing
3 LGD’s
2 Heated Buckets
And a Long Haired Champion Suri

On the 6th Day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
6 Macho’s Fighting
5 Bales of Hay
4 Tui Grazing
3 LGD’s
2 Heated Buckets
And a Long Haired Champion Suri

On the 7th Day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
7 Fans a Blowing
6 Macho’s Fighting
5 Bales of Hay
4 Tui Grazing
3 LGD’s
2 Heated Buckets
And a Long Haired Champion Suri

On the 8th Day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
8 Cria Pronking
7 Fans a Blowing
6 Macho’s Fighting
5 Bales of Hay
4 Tui Grazing
3 LGD’s
2 Heated Buckets
And a Long Haired Champion Suri

On the 9th Day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
9 Dam’s a Cushing
8 Cria Pronking
7 Fans a Blowing
6 Macho’s Fighting
5 Bales of Hay
4 Tui Grazing
3 LGD’s
2 Heated Buckets
And a Long Haired Champion Suri

On the 10th Day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
10 Spinners Spinning
9 Dam’s a Cushing
8 Cria Pronking
7 Fans a Blowing
6 Macho’s Fighting
5 Bales of Hay
4 Tui Grazing
3 LGD’s
2 Heated Buckets
And a Long Haired Champion Suri

On the 11th Day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
11 Drive By Breedings
10 Spinners Spinning
9 Dam’s a Cushing
8 Cria Pronking
7 Fans a Blowing
6 Macho’s Fighting
5 Bales of Hay
4 Tui Grazing
3 LGD’s
2 Heated Buckets
And a Long Haired Champion Suri

On the 12th Day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
12 Volunteers
11 Drive By Breedings
10 Spinners Spinning
9 Dam’s a Cushing
8 Cria Pronking
7 Fans a Blowing
6 Macho’s Fighting
5 Bales of Hay
4 Tui Grazing
3 LGD’s
2 Heated Buckets
And a Long Haired Champion Suri