We have been lax again with our posting but as always lots to do. As Perry has told you he has been busy with our regional website and with the studying he is doing for his course he is not getting that much time. Luckily he should get a 4 week break from studying after Wednesday so hopefully he will be back to posting again.

I know I have been just as bad however, I have been organizing the South Australian side of National Alpaca Week. At last the advertisements have gone to press and I can just sit back and relax (if only). It is amazing how many people want things changed after closing dates or once adverts come out. It particularly frustrating as they have given you information in the beginning!

Enough of that, we are waiting on our last cria until November. We always get concerned and try not to have cria this late in the season as when the rains come the temperature drops off and the wind gets up. So we are chasing around coating everything that looks cold or has a rather lathargic appearence. We even have a 16 mnth old in a coat young Puck. We now face a new problem with him as he is in our show team and coated animals aren't allowed to show, we will be off interstate on the 15th May to a show in Victoria. But I am sure we can have him sorted by then. We still need to address our shedding issues we have plans but no action as yet. In the last 4 days we have seen about 70mm of rain which is wonderful. But for sorting out and tidying up the farm for visitors is a bit tricky. As fast as you tidy up a tree falls down or a whole load of stringy bark lands in the paddock. It will be sorted out by the time we open the gates on the 4th May.

Choosing a time for cria drops are beginning to become quite tricky for the second year in a row we are seeing very high summer temperatures (45degreeC+) in the paddock this is obviously not good for a pregnant mum or new cria. We have lost 3 pregnancy's this drop with the girls scanned pregnant at the beginning of December and empty when rescanned in the middle of March which which was after the due date on 2 girls and a month before on the 3rd. We are by no means the only ones having problems, low birthweights and all the problems associated with prems are showing up in late deliveries. By all accounts we have been lucky with the problems we have had. If we move our drop dates later we then run in to the change of the weather and the wet season. All part of the fun of breeding alpacas I suppose.

Well the sun has come out so I am off to plant up some of the flowerbeds, I was recently bought 2 banana plants so I am looking forward to them going in and having an area with a tropical feel.

Sarah