Shearing, Spinning and Babies

August was a busy month for me, and I suspect September will be the same. My daughter and I did some alpaca shearing, and I have been learning how to process the fleece.

Shearing in itself was an experience; one that I am willing to improve on. Our first candidate was the cria that was born in early February. We presumed we could halter him, lay him on the table and shear. That did NOT go well! We did manage to shear most of him, but the majority of it was done when he was in a cushed position on the ground. He still looks funny as we missed a few places, but we did get some remarkable fleece from hi,.

Our second attempt was made with one of the males. We did not even try to lay him down, but tried to shear him standing up. We did his neck and that was all he would let us do. We got as much fleece from his neck as we did from the cria we had done. I learned after the fact from a an alpaca website I came across that it is best to hold their heads high and have someone pull gently on their ear; it apparently keeps their mind off the shearing, plus they cannot lay down.

I also did a fair bit of research in terms of washing, carding, spinning and felting alpaca fiber. I have come to the conclusion investing in a set of wool carders will be a good thing. I am currently using dog brushes, and although they do work I can only card small amounts at a time. A spinning wheel is also on my "to buy" list, but for the moment I am using a drop spindle, which I made myself using dowel, a wooden wheel and a cup hook. The drop spindle works (pictured below) well, and is quite portable.

The drop spindle I made for less than $3.

The highlight of the month was the new cria (pictured below) born on August 29 - a gray male weighing in at 11 lbs. I was very excited as this cria was the baby of one of my alpacas - the other two cria we have belong to my son and daughter. My daughter got to see the birth of this one, which was very exciting for her. When her alpaca had a baby it was a total surprise so we both missed the birth. When my son's alpaca had hers, I was the only one home and did get to see it.

Silver Storm - born August 29, 2012

The alpacas are my favorite part of living on an acreage. They are easy to care for, do not require a lot of space and are great at lowering blood pressure. The best part for me is they provide me with fiber to sell, which will eventually become my main source of income.

Feel free to comment and share this blog with your friends. Many thanks!

Shearing Day

Today my daughter and I took it upon ourselves to shear an alpaca. We chose the six month old cria, as he is not near as big as the adults. It was the first time he had been haltered and he was NOT happy. We tried to lay him on a table for the shearing, but he was having none of that. We ended up doing it on the ground, and we didn't do a perfect job. He was our practice round; after an hour and a half we were almost finished. He still has a few long spots, but we did manage to get a pound or so of fleece.

You can see in the above photo he is not perfect; his head looks so poofy compared to his neck. He would not let us stretch him out, so we sheared him in the cushed position for the most part. My daughter did have him across her lap for a bit, but that didn't last long at all.

He is standing by his mom in the photo; we're not sure if she will be next in line or if it will be another one. His mom has a lot of fleece, so we are hoping to be able to detain her long enough to do the shearing. Hopefully we are able to get the other seven done (possibly eight, as the other cria could use a trim too). I am sorry we didn't get any video footage or pictures during the shearing, but with only two of us we had our hands full. 

It is all part of the learning process, and we learned the larger alpacas may be easier to handle as they have been shorn before. Time will tell, and hopefully we can get some photos of before, during and after. Stay tuned!

12 Things to Consider When Choosing a Country Home

I am so happy we live out in the country, with no close neighbors to complain when our dogs are barking at 3am or when we have a get-together and things get a little noisy.

Sure, we can't run to the store every time we need something, but that in itself saves us money. We do a major shopping trip once a week and the only thing we may need during the week is milk, bread or water (we do not drink the well water, although I'm quite sure it is fine to drink).

The only part of our acreage I don't care for is the fact it is along a busy highway. We are hoping to change that soon, as we have our sights set on a couple of places closer to hubby's work (cutting the drive in half would be nice). Both acreages are miles off of any highway and one can actually enjoy the sounds of nature without the interruption of traffic.

For those of you who are considering a move into the country (or a move to another rural location), the list below shows you what you should look for:

• Convenience - how close is your prospective home to the nearest town/city? 
• Accessibility - for those who live in harsh climates (winters with snow), how will you get to work (if applicable) when there is a blizzard? Is the adjoining road a priority when it comes to snow removal, or will you be snowed in for days? Tip: school bus routes are usually maintained better than roads without bus traffic.
• Utilities - does the property have all of the utilities necessary for comfortable living, or is it something you will have to install? Electricity, fuel source for heat, telephone, internet access, satellite TV/radio, water source (well) and septic system are all things you should be considering.
• Residence - if you are buying a property to move into, what is the existing house like? Is it big enough to accommodate you, your family and your possessions? Does it have a lot of natural light? Which direction does it face?
• Fencing - for those of you who are existing animal owners, is the fencing adequate? Will you have to install animal pens and paddocks before you move in or will the existing fencing suffice?
• Size of land parcel - how much land are you going to need? Do you see yourself being happy with only a few acres, or do you want a larger parcel? What are your intentions for the land? Animals? Garden? Hay fields? Crops?
• Barns and outbuildings - does the property have existing usable barns and/or outbuildings or will you have to build some? This is an important factor if you own or are considering purchasing livestock.
• Lighting - are there existing yard lights or will you have to install them?
• Water source for livestock - is there an existing water source (natural pond, dugout or well)? If not, how will you provide the livestock with water? 
• Windbreak - is there an existing windbreak or will you have to plant one? If living in climates with cold north winds a windbreak is essential for cutting down on your heating bills, not to mention keeping your patio set in place during the summer.
• Location of yard - are the yard and house located at the top of a hill or at the bottom? These are factors to consider as the top can be quite windy, but the bottom can be subject to flooding during heavy rain or a lot of spring run-off.
• Maturity of yard - is the yard filled with mature trees and existing lawn/garden space, or will you be starting with a clean slate? 

The above list contains just the basics of what to look for and consider. Make a list of your own as well so you are not regretting the purchase you make. Purchasing a home is a big decision, whether it is urban or rural. 

Feel free to add any points I may have missed in the comment section.

Have a great day!

Alpacas & Ducks

I have been out with the camera a bit the last couple of days, taking pictures for various articles. I decided to post a couple of them here to give you an idea of the cuteness and serenity we are blessed with each and every day. 

The photo below shows our two cria; they are about two and a half months apart in age (darker one being the younger of the two) but almost the same size now. It is funny to watch them play; it is amazing how fast those little legs can carry them sometimes.

While I was out today, I happened to get an opportunity to capture the ducks and ducklings out in the pond. They had been in the reeds, but our dog decided he was going to go for a swim, so they retreated further into the pond for safety. I am surprised the camera captured the images relatively clear. (I am hoping for a higher quality camera in the future; it will pay for itself quickly I'm sure)

It is almost time to shear the alpacas, and I am in the process of locating someone who is willing to teach us what we need to know. I have watched a couple of videos on YouTube, but it would be good to see it done in person. We don't see any problems with doing the cria ourselves; it is the adults who we are a little leery of attempting without some proper guidance. The males are heavier than I am so my biggest concern is getting them secured for shearing without dislocating my shoulder...again. (Once in a lifetime is more than enough, but that is another story.)

I was told I may be unable to use the fiber from the adult alpacas this year since they mostly have two years growth. I refuse to toss it all away; perhaps I can designate it for rugs or pet bed filler. I have two dogs who I'm sure would love beds made with soft, warm fiber; especially when winter rolls around again.  

When the shearing begins I will be capturing it on camera; hopefully both still and video. It will be an interesting experience for us to attempt the fiber harvest, but we will never learn if we don't try. Wish us luck!

Happy farming!

Small Scale Farming

I have come across a neat little website called Small Scale Farmer. It appears to be relatively new, but has several posts pertaining a variety of animals and other aspects of farming. I have been active on the site for approximately a week now, and am really enjoying it.

Come and join me as I share my farming experiences with others worldwide. We can all learn from one another, whether it is something as simple as learning how to tie up a horse or what to do with alpaca fleece. The more the merrier!

Alpacas in Their New Pen

Below are a couple of pictures of the alpacas in the pen I built yesterday. It is connected to the big pen, but separated by a gate. I put them in it for an hour and a half and they ate at least half of the grass. I will be putting them back in it again today so I can work on their big pen; there are a few fence posts that could benefit from being straightened out and some wire tightened up.

It is also time to clean out the hay and straw (and poop) that has been accumulating in there all winter. As I did some raking yesterday, I uncovered a small asparagus patch in the pen; I wasn't thinking when I put that pen there, was I? Any way, I will be moving the asparagus plants over to a garden bed and mulching it with straw and alpaca pellets. I should have an awesome crop of asparagus next year!

Can you see our Blue Heeler in the picture on the left? He was making sure no one escaped. :)

Have a great day!

I Should Be Gardening

It is a beautiful day today! I should be gardening, but instead I am adding on to the alpaca pen. With the sun so high, they have very little shade. We have an area between their pen and the front lawn that is completely shaded and has a lot of grass. I am extending their pen into that area so they can enjoy the shade and green grass. Perhaps the grass in the rest of the pen will grow a little if they are preoccupied with the new area.

I have the area marked off, and the rebar lined up where it needs to be. After some iced tea and a bit of a break from the heat I will be going out with hammer in hand to pound in the rebar. Alpacas are not too hard on fences, so rebar does work instead of wooden posts. It is also a less permanent solution and can be moved if need be. I removed the rebar from the area I had the alpacas in last year and am reusing it, so expenses are cut down as well.

To use rebar for a fence, the best thing to do is start with seven foot lengths. Try to sink the posts into the ground at least 18", then tie the page wire to the rebar posts with haywire. I find fencing pliers to work great for twisting and bending the wire, as well as cutting it. I think I would be lost without them; I would have to carry several different tools with me if I didn't have them.

I will add a photo or two when they are in their new area. I had best not sit too long or I may not want to go out again. It is getting to the warmest part of the day; I am glad I have a shaded area to work in.

Have a great day!

Alpacas

Living on an acreage has given us the opportunity to raise alpacas. They are an easy to care for livestock that eat much less than our horses do. Our herd of nine alpacas will go through a round bale of hay per month during the winter, while our two horses will eat the same amount in less than two weeks.

We have owned this herd since June of 2011, and I have no regrets. It will soon be time to shear them so I can begin to make yarn and other items from their fleece. I am a crafty person by nature and I can't wait to begin creating rugs, blankets, mitts and socks from the fleece. It will be a learning experience I can hardly wait to get started on. I belong to Paca This on Facebook and fellow members are very helpful when it comes to needing assistance or information regarding these beautiful animals.

Why alpacas you ask? I am less intimidated by an alpaca (which weigh about the same as I do) than by cattle (which are MUCH heavier). The fact the animals do not have to be slaughtered to get a financial return appeals to me the most. I grew up on a farm that raised cattle and I was always afraid of them. They were so much bigger than I was, and much more aggressive when the calves came along. A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to be home when one of our alpacas gave birth, and the mother didn't chase me or try to hurt me when I had to move the cria (baby) to a better spot. (Why she had it in the dirt is beyond me!)

Below is a picture of our herd today. They saw me at the fence and came running; they were expecting some handfuls of green grass or perhaps a bucket of oats. They know when I am at the fence there is usually a little treat waiting for them.

The cria on the far right was born on April 19; the one next to her was born February 4. When we bought the herd of seven, we were told none of the females were pregnant, so the cria were a nice little surprise. The littler one is a female, while the other is a male. We do not know the genetic line of the sires, so we will be selling them as pets/fiber animals only. That is, if we can part with their cuteness. 

Alpacas are also great for lowering blood pressure. They are a quiet animal and make soft humming sounds when eating and wandering about. I like to sit and watch them move about the pen; I will even go inside the pen and sit in a lawn chair. They don't take long to come over and visit me, as they are very curious. It is very relaxing and I don't have to worry about getting hurt.

One of the nicest things about raising alpacas is they are perfect for acreage living. Anywhere from five to eight may be pastured on an acre of grass. They are great lawnmowers and do not destroy the roots of the grass like other animals do. They nip the grass off above the ground level so there is some left to continue growing. It is advisable to rotate them in the pasture to keep them from over-grazing, which they will do if there is a shortage of grass. They also have soft padded feet which are much easier on the soil than the hooves of cows and horses.

If you have any questions about alpacas, please do not hesitate to ask in the comment section. I will do my best to answer, and if I am unable to I will refer you to someone who can. We are still in the learning stages of this industry; an industry I am very happy to be a part of.

Have a great day! 

Welcome to Acreage Living in Alberta

Welcome to Acreage Living in Alberta!

What is an acreage?

An acreage is a parcel of land that can range from one to several acres. Our current rented acreage allows us use of almost 30 acres, most of which is trees and a ravine. We are able to harvest several hay bales each year, which provides food for our horses and alpacas throughout the winter.

I have built raised garden beds which provide us with fresh produce throughout the summer, and a surplus which is preserved for winter use. We are also fortunate enough to have two rows of saskatoon trees which we thoroughly enjoy. Some years the harvest is plentiful and other years we have only enough for fresh eating, but either way we feel blessed to have them so accessible.

I have started this blog to cover the many aspects of triumphs and challenges we as acreage dwellers face. We are planning on buying our own in the future, and living where we do now has helped me figure out what I want when we do take the plunge. Join me as I document the interesting and sometimes not-so-interesting events that happen, and please feel free to share your acreage living experiences as well.

All proceeds from this blog will be used for helping us achieve our goal of owning our own acreage in the future. Please come back often to see photos, learn about different aspects of rural living and try the recipes I will be posting from time to time. Thank you for your support! :)