Broken bones and a quick car trip...

Alyona a four week old Cria was hopping around the paddock the other day unable to put any weight on her front right foot. At first we thought it a sprain but it didn't get better then we administered anti inflammatory and it didn't get better so yesterday we bundled her into the backseat of the Hilux and too fake her to Towcester Vests for a x ray. After some heavy scrutiny it was discovered that she had a broken metacarpal and a cast was put on. For the next six weeks she will be hobbling around the paddock toting this lump of plaster like Marleys Ghost, but hopefully she will mend quick and we can get her back solidly on all fours a lot sooner. She sat as good as gold in the back seat, Never made  murmur during the examinations and came back to TOFT like the queen on her birthday procession- all dignity and calmness in the face of all adversity. I kid you not its like they know you are there to help.

Floodlights on for extra time at TOFT

Our Champion girl TOFT Nashira  had a sticky time yesterday evening  finally giving birth at 7.45pm producing a stunning fawn LAVENDER PARK TULLEY  boy TOFT TYPHOON. All well in the end but the trauma required a few stitches so the vet was called off the bench in Towcester floodlights erected and extra time was played until 10pm.  All well this morn and the boyo looking very impressive blissfully unaware of the effort his Mum put in to get him here. 'Twas ever thus.

And back on the ranch... Now you see them ... Now you don't

Hardly had time to unpack my shaving kit after getting back from Germany and we are out in the shed most of Wednesday with Linda, Freya and Rebecca the Vet from Towcester Veterinary practice enrolling six mature males into the Billy No Nacks club. This team are heading off shortly to work as Guardian alpacas in Wales where they will, have no need of their tackle as they hopefully give long and faithful,service to their new owners protect the lambs from predators.

So long fellas.

Caught you...

Not easy to get a photo of our camera shy herdswoman Linda. This oft unsung hero runs a mile and a half whenever she senses a camera. So I took advantage the other evening  as she was going way beyond the call of duty yet again whilst we were working with the vet. That's Linda on the right all shock and surprise.

It's the only way believe me. Here she is in all her glory with Rebecca from Towcester vets working with one of our pet males. She couldn't get away. No doubt she will moan like a banshee but she can't remain invisible forever. Gotcha!

Alpaca Blood letting. Towcester vets...

Towcester Vets organised an alpaca blood drive today to collect blood in order to spin down plasma for a number of breeders in the region. Shirley set off early doors with three  pet males accompanied by Sam our vet student who is with us this week on work experience.

Toft were first in the queue at the crack of Sparrows, followed by Willoughby Alpacas, Brampton Valley and Andante with no doubt many more herds to follow throughout the day. Each herd brings in a couple of alpaca donors, blood is collected in the trailers by the vets and the whole thing is organised to minimise call out times and keep costs to a minimum. Wendy from the Pet Blood Bank was stood by ready to take the blood off for processing. The individual units of plasma will be returned to the individual donor farms.

 It was a group blood collection for all and very much a first for the alpaca industry and is not a service exclusive to the Midlands. Towcester Vets will collect blood from all the participating herds and ship and process it collectively in order to keep the costs down on what is a very expensive business. We have organised our own Plasma collection for years but it's great that the vets are now providing the service for all Alpaca Breeders.

Well done Towcester Vets for this very welcome major initiative and we wish you every success.

Alpaca passengers...

Had to whizz a client's cria off to the vets yesterday for a plasma transfusion as it's protein levels were low suggestive of failure of successful passive transfer. Hilux was away so it's into Shirley's IQ (half a car) with trainee herdswoman Freya holding onto the cria in the passnger seat. 

Unfortunately it was a Friday and we got caught in a traffic jam on the M1 not 20 mins after leaving. What should have been 30 mins turned into an hour 3/4 of an hour for the plasma infusion and then 30 mins back to get the wee girl back with her Mum ASAP. All well, no problems and the wee one was strutting around with her red 'scarf' all evening as testimony to the days events. What else would you do on a sunny Friday afternoon?