The weather, for once, has solidly behaved itself and our livestock have variously operated in temperatures of 25° to 30°: The alpacas seem perfectly happy, though Annabel looks about ready to pop and we watch as her belly contorts with her cria's kicks. Bracken, on the other hand still shows no sign of being pregnant despite two scans. The 8yo will be bitterly disappointed if his girl doesn't produce a baby though the vet assures us that alpaca can hide a pregnancy very well.
The chickens are quite happy to dust bathe and drive us potty by having migrant nests. The cats are almost entirely nocturnal now, appearing at dusk from a cool, dark woodshed or barn, ready for a night of housekeeping. Last night one feline friend left us a fat [dead] mole on the doorstep. I hope they catch the blighter who is excavating in my walled garden!
Last year's lambs who were cloud-like, have now been shaved. According to the farmer they are still too fat and so have been banned from our lush site until they lose some weight. They are at Fat Camp for Sheep on starvation rations. I wonder if they have to wear headbands and run on treadmills; poor Pinky, Moon and Snowy. [Before someone asks for the address of the Fat Camp: I made that up - !]
Apparently, if they are too fat they won't fall pregnant when the tup comes to call in Autumn.
I have been wondering about this and am quite interested in whether the tup just doesn't fancy fatties or if there's a medical reason why they might not fall.... These are the things I muse when I have spare time !!. Maybe if I painted their toenails Tuppy might forgive them their blubber.... I know the 10yo would be up for a spot of painting. Anyhoo, I haven't asked the farmer about this issue because [lowers voice in a Miranda sort of way] it is a sexual question and besides, he already looks at me funny sometimes... That might be because I used to put the sheep in the stables when it rained!
This year's lambs are suffering a bit with the heat and flies. We've sprayed them with with a citronella horse wash and that seems to do the trick for them as well as me, as the act of spraying them means I get sprayed too. Lovely lemony smell and so much cheaper than Chanel No5.
Must be the season for mole killing. Our cat brought one back a couple of weeks ago - it wasn't damaged in any way, just dead :-( At close quarters, I was amazed at how spade-like its front paws were. No wonder they can make such a mess with their diggin!
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