Just beautiful

Well, we’re dead proud of our Olive. She was the first alpaca born here at Pistyll Gwyn, and last year we mated her with Dylan, who was born here a couple of months after her.

Her first cria arrived yesterday, in typical alpaca style – no fuss, lots of interest from the rest of the herd, and everything carrying on as normal within a few hours.

He is a gorgeous light fawn colour, but as yet has no name …

Well, after an extended stay here at Pistyll  Gwyn, Susan’s two lads, Dreamcatcher and Tomas have gone back home to Alpacas of Wales, 16 miles further into deepest West Wales.

From their point of view, I reckon they’ve had a great time – the chance to hang out (and more) with some lovely alpaca gals, lots of space, comfy field shelters and water troughs to climb into.

For us it has been a partial success. Dreamcatcher, who is an old hand at all this, got straight down to business with Lavender, who also knows her way around the mating pen, but poor old Tomas and Molly – they certainly didn’t turn out to be love’s young dream! After much fumbling and falling about we gave it up as a bad job – Tomas just wasn’t assertive enough, and despite spending the whole winter flirting outrageously, our Molly just didn’t want to go down.

So Tomas goes back to get a bit more experience with the local girls, and we’ll give Molly a bit more time. Maybe next month …

So now, we just sit back and wait for Lavender to do her stuff. In the meantime, the Diamond Clan aren’t too far off, so new cria shortly! Watch this space …

Not really, but seeing as the real alpacas don’t eat them – a good thing as they are poisonous -  we do need some way to keep them in check.

It’s never been as issue before this year, but as everything else around them does get eaten, they are flourishing …

So … at one end of the farming spectrum there are tractors, herbicides, sprays, soil analysis, government grants and mountains of red tape, and at the other end there is me, bimbling about the paddock on a summers morning, reaching into the cool dew to pull up the unwanted flowers, surrounded by alpacas and occasionally throwing a stick for Gwen.

I’m sure my neighbours think I’m mad, and when I look at my bank balance I’m inclined to agree, but as I move from one buttercup to the next …. hmmmm …. that one there …. and this one ….. oops nearly missed this one … I really don’t care whether I am or not!

I am the buttercup-grazing alpaca!

Hurrah! The first bracken harvest is done.

bracken waiting for the shredder

A little late, but I always say that. At least our newly planted coppices, lower and upper, have been cleared so the young trees can actually see some sunlight.

Not for long though – the one thing with bracken is it is so relentless. It will soon be time to start again …

It’s a good thing I enjoy it, I suppose. Another early morning job for me: everything is waking up, the air ranges from slightly damp to welsh sodden. It always feels good and reminds me why I am here.

Once it is picked, it is a bit more laborious – carting it across the hillside in a wheelbarrow to the barn, and then shredding it. I have a n electric shredder for that – all mod cons.

Finally, it is bagged up and sits in a pile waiting to be mixed in with the waste alpaca fleece, and alpaca poo … and from there, it is magically transformed into amazing compost!

How satisfying. Meanwhile the second crop is just about ready to be pulled, … just time for a few buttercups and brambles in between …

After the brief flurry of the blackthorn last month the hawthorns have come out in a glorious blossom that seems to be going on and on -  I don’t remember it lasting so long in other years.

Looking over the valley with the big hawthorn in blossom by the wood dryer. Dylan and Walter are in the foreground.

So it’s looking a bit splendid here at the moment. The alpacas too are in fine form, well-fleeced and soon to be sheared.

Heulwen 2 years old, pregnant and very gorgeous

Heulwen, pictured here, is up for sale at the moment, and is a splendid 2 year old pregnant female. Her parents, Diamond and Orion are both from Bozedown stock, so this is a good chance to get top quality Bozedown genetics at the somewhat lower Welsh prices!

www.pistyll-gwyn.co.uk/sale/heulwen.php

With shearing on the horizon, it is a mad race here to get as much done beforehand as possible – after we have sheared our lot, we will be shearing some small herds in West Wales.

Whilst it’s not something that we  want to turn into a full time profession, there is a need around here, particularly for people with just a few animals, so we are pleased to help.

If you are interested ring Caerthan on 01994 484488, or email him at caerthan@pistyll-gwyn.co.uk.