After the shock of yesterday, life continues on the homestead.
Thank you all for your kind comments.
Kara is still taking her milk with gusto now from the bottle
This is the milk we are making up for her
If the goats were in milk we could have given her goats milk
Cows milk is not suitable.
200grms of powder
mixed with 1lt of boiled warm water,
her bottle only takes 500ml so we have to refill through the feed, I could have bought a bigger bottle but this works fine, she is only taking 800ml twice a day
when you consider a week ago we were lucky to get a couple of 50ml syringes into her a day its an improvement.
Her Aunties are looking out for her and they all sleep around her at night in the shelter as if to protect her, staying with the herd is the best thing for her.
The next step will be to try and get her to take the milk from a bucket, once we succeed with that we can start adding some of the Alpaca supplement pellets to it and start reducing the milk until its just sloppy supplement she is having.
Its going to be a long process, the other Cria didn't start eating food supplements until they were 8 months, Kara is only 4 months, a local farmer suggested seeing if she would just take the milk powder as with lambs they sometimes get them onto the dried powder, it seemed a good idea then I realised a problem, Alpacas don't lick they cant protrude there tongues so that wouldn't work.
If anyone has any suggestions ideas or advice please say, I don't have any issues with being offered advice or suggestions not just Alpacas but on any subject. Even if its something I cant use some-one else may be able to. I am all for sharing knowledge no-one can know everything.
We haven't heard any more from the vet but she did say that results would come through in drips and drabs. It could just be coincidental losing them both so close together,, Daffodil went down and passed away a couple of days later, Liberty just went suddenly over night totally unexpected.
Other news, We went into Swansea this morning to pick up my sewing machine, saved me a trip net week, Martin took Sol down the beach yesterday afternoon and collected more Cockles
He is cooking them for dinner tonight.
I had a little distraction time in the cabin yesterday details on my craft blog, and spent a little time in there today trying out my sewing machine.
I am spending the evening having a bit of quiet time in front of the fire.
This is one of the books I got Martin for Christmas
He has been dipping in and out of it, we are looking at taking some lambs and fattening them for market, one of the plans for the new land,
We had this card arrive the other week
We didn't know the people it came from, A friend who had two turkeys from us took one to his in laws over Christmas
It was so nice to hear they enjoyed the Turkey, we have had feed back from others as well and everyone has said they were really tasty, we are now talking about doing some again this year.
It all brings in a income.
The Weather
We had a lovely fall of snow overnight at the same time as the snow came down it started thundering and there was some lovely dramatic lightening, today has been cold occasional snow hail showers.
How lovely to get such good feedback from your turkey customers!
ReplyDeleteSorry I can`t offer advice about alpacas, but we did hand rear an orphan New Forest foal some years ago. Hard work but such a rewarding job. Although he was only six weeks old, he drank from a bucket straight away which made life bit easier. He`s still with us and will be nine this May!
good to hear a happy ending, :-)
DeleteIt's hard losing any of our animals. We lost two prime breeding ewes this last year to those damned Barberpole worms because it was so wet and the proper breeding temperature for them.
ReplyDeleteSadly I have no advice on the force feeding thing. Truth is I have very poor luck getting stubborn sick animals to do what is good for them.
like they say you can lead a horse to water but cant make it drink all we can do is try :-)
DeleteGlad to hear that Kara is taking her milk and that the other alpacas are protecting her at night. What will be will be to a certain extent. I remember losing three calves in fairly quick succession...each for a different reason. Heartbreaking...I can remember dreading going out to feed them for ages after that. x
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean I dread the morning food round at the moment
DeleteIts good to hear Kara is drinking well. What an interesting fact that Alpacas can't extend their tongues, we automatically think all of us can. Lovely and well deserved feedback about your Turkeys.
ReplyDeleteIts nice to get good feed back makes it more worthwhile doing :-)
DeleteGlad to hear that things are going well for Kara! xx
ReplyDeleteOh Dawn I'm sorry sorry what incredible bad luck. I'm glad to here Kara is doing well now under the circumstances. Take care of yourself x
ReplyDeleteShe seems to be holding her own at times reminds me of Bambi as she discovers her environment :-)
DeleteSorry about you losing your Alpacas Dawn. We have lost 4 calves (bought in) in the last 12 months. It always gets us down then we talk to other farmers and realize that's farming. I hope you replace them soon. Have you tried vitamin injections from the vet? It always give them a boost if they are lacking anything.
ReplyDeleteThe had vitamins last week, we have had more results now posted on my latest post :-)
DeleteIt's a hard time for you but with livestock life does go on. A nice surprise receiving the card with wonderful comments. As for advice I love reading your blog you have a huge knowledge of country ways, some remind me of my childhood growing up in a small village in Somerset.
ReplyDeleteThanks my knowledge is constantly growing you never stop learning no matter how old you are :-)
DeleteDawn just seen something on Facebook you would be,interested in perhaps in the future. Look up Byron bay bee hive invention. Its fantastic. I thought it was a hoax but its a news story.
ReplyDeleteyes the honey flow hives, I have seen bits about them something to keep an eye on developments :-)
DeleteSorry to hear of your other loss. Good to hear that Kara is taking the milk well now. Hope the rest of the year is problem free.
ReplyDeleteI am hoping so too :-)
Delete25 years ago we moved from a town to a village. Without a doubt the best move we've ever made.
ReplyDeletetowns I find leave a lot to be desired these days :-)
DeleteGlad to hear that Kara is taking her milk now, looks as though she is on the mend.
ReplyDeleteOf no help to you now but worth thinking of for the future. Both goats milk and colostrum freeze well. we used to stock up in this when we had a milking herd. it was invaluable for sickly animals of all types and in particular for poddy lambs in the spring.
Gill
Will have to look int how long we can keep it for thanks :-)
DeleteSo sorry to read about you losing 2 of the alpacas, how sad, particularly when unexpected. It's good that Kara is doing so well though. Can't offer any advice as I know nothing about livestock.
ReplyDeleteIt was sad but onwards and upwards :-)
DeleteNom nom I love cockles! We used to go cockling on the beach when we lived in Lincolnshire. My dad used to love eating them with scrammbled eggs!
ReplyDeletewill have to try some with scramble eggs :-)
DeleteShame to read about the alpacas. Bottle feeding animals was always a job for my siblings and me when we were younger, I dread to think how many we raised over the years. Lamb milk got so expensive at one time it was hardly viable, not an issue with an alpaca though as they're worth so much more.
ReplyDelete