Bruce's Journal

Sara Ranch

Overrun with beasties
Joined
Jun 27, 2017
Messages
112
Reaction score
132
Points
83
Location
WV
lol - ok, if you say so!

Btw, alpaca's are on my wish list. :) I'm not ready for them yet. There's still so more research to be done. I welcome all of your alpaca wisdom, Oh Great Bruce. (Seriously.)
 

Bruce

Herd Master
Joined
Feb 4, 2016
Messages
17,439
Reaction score
45,794
Points
783
Location
NW Vermont
I have no alpaca wisdom!! If I did I'd know how to get the boys to figure out I'm not going to hurt them. @luvmypets has more alpacas and more experience.

I did learn that they eat very little. I had no idea how much they would eat. The lady that gave them to me originally had 7 alpacas and 3 goats. And the lady across the road has 2 alpacas and 3 horses. Thus their quantity of hay used per animal is sort of "not definitive" since they had no need to track it. I got 38 bales (small squares) of hay last fall for them. They didn't eat even half of it before the grass started growing again in late April/May. They do eat it all summer though, I guess they like some dry to go with all the fresh green they have out in their pasture. I got 20 bales 2 months ago but they still have 8-9 left from last year.
 

CntryBoy777

Herd Master
Joined
Sep 14, 2016
Messages
8,088
Reaction score
18,453
Points
603
Location
Wstrn Cent Florida
Well we have 30mph wind gusting into the 40-45mph range today with imminent rain and 70°. I was hoping ya wasn't having to deal with that howling wind ya was having and that terrible white stuff....:)
 

Pastor Dave

Herd Master
Joined
Dec 24, 2015
Messages
1,845
Reaction score
3,723
Points
323
Location
Crawfordsville, IN
We are getting thunderstorms and 60's out of Illinois. Wind is howling and gusting. Rain is being driven pretty well. I told my wife that if we had cooler, normal November temps with all this, it would be a pretty good winter storm.
 

Bruce

Herd Master
Joined
Feb 4, 2016
Messages
17,439
Reaction score
45,794
Points
783
Location
NW Vermont
We are supposed to get the 30 MPH plus gusts starting tomorrow around 10 AM tomorrow through 7 PM.
 

Bruce

Herd Master
Joined
Feb 4, 2016
Messages
17,439
Reaction score
45,794
Points
783
Location
NW Vermont
I took the deck off the garden tractor a few days ago and yesterday, with a clean undercarriage since I haven't yet put the snowblower part on, took the dump cart out to the north end of the NE field. I had seen some old metal out there just inside the tree line. Looks like mostly the remains of an old folding table and a few other things. I dumped it in front of the barn since I plan at SOME time to collect all the scrap metal and get a couple of $$ for it. Also took some firewood to the porch to restock.

Eggs from Cassie, Veronica and Trill yesterday. No eggs today but I'm not surprised, Cassie laid the prior 3 days and Veronica the prior 5. Trill's was her second egg, she started 3 days ago.

Checked the girls' 5 gallon water tank this evening. Basically empty which I thought was odd but then they don't have their auto waterer now and there are 17 of them.
So I filled it up.
And then I heard something that sounded like water dripping rapidly.
Yep, one of the nipples failed and was draining the tank.
:he

Why does this happen just before Thanksgiving?? Same as last time except only 1 this time, not 3.
I shut off the valves and unplugged the pump. Got the heated dog water dish out, filled it up and plugged it in. They had that last year as well as their "en suite" water nipples and it worked fine. The only problem is it gets dirty from all the scratching and dustbathing in the alley. As before waterer repair requires totally dismantling the open nest box since it is built into the bottom. They will have to live with their dog dish for the winter, though I don't think they mind. I'm going to make a separate water unit so I can replace nipples more easily but that may have to wait until spring.
 
Top