Alpaca Tribe

This is such an important time, all around the world, to be taking notice of ourselves and our mental wellbeing. Alpacas help. In this episode, I encourage you to take note of what you are saying to yourself about the need for time, space for yourself and stopping for a bit. What better way than to be around some alpacas. And being around the alpacas, you will find that they speak to you too - lea...

Physics is around us every day and can make our lives keeping alpacas easier or more difficult. Take note of how you do things and adjust as necessary. Listen in for some practical tips on lifting on carrying loads like alpaca feed bags and mucking out. Down on the farm - update on the geese and the alpacas. Stay safe and if you can, go spend some time with an alpaca. This podcast uses the followi...

Build your confidence and care for your alpacas like you want to. In this episode, we explore three simple things you can do to be a more confident owner. Take the long view and keep trying. Know who is boss - hint, it is supposed to be you but work with the herd leader too. Stay safe - of course, this means don't put yourself at risk but also help your alpacas view you as safe to be around. It ke...

Confidence comes from a combination of sufficient knowledge and practice over time. In the last episode , I asserted that gaining more confidence with caring for your alpacas was possible, not just in principle but specifically for you. David Dunning and Justin Kruger of the Dunning-Kruger effect fame, suggest we can delude ourselves about how good we are. Their work starting back in 1999 suggests...

Build your confidence and care for your alpacas like you want to. In this episode, we explore three simple things you can do to be a more confident owner. Take the long view and keep trying. Know who is boss - hint, it is supposed to be you but work with the herd leader too. Stay safe - of course, this means don't put yourself at risk but also help your alpacas view you as safe to be around. It ke...

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day - it is certainly my favourite. I love having breakfast with my best friend, my wife Sue. But I also love having breakfast with 'my girls', down at the stable. You get to see a lot and if you take it slow (weather and diary permitting), it is a great start to the day. Join me and the girls for breakfast in this episode which is something of...

I love talking alpacas with alpaca people from around the world - it is so good to learn from each other. Listen in for more discussions with Rita Soares of Campo Verde Alpacas near Melbourne, Australia, on showing and shearing. In another video, Rita managed to catch kangaroos and alpacas co-grazing. I hope the alpacas were not watching too closely as the kangaroo made hopping over the fence look...

Rita Soares of Campo Verde Alpacas is an old friend of the Alpaca Tribe. Listen in as Steve and Rita talk alpacas, particularly how life with alpacas is developing having started with four and grown to 35! Be warned, it happens sometimes that alpacas can grow to be a bigger part of your life than you first expected, especially if you have the 'alpaca gene'. We also talked births and weaning; fence...

Keeping alpacas is unique, at least in my experience. There is a cost - financial, emotional and time. But, I think it is a price worth paying for having these unique animals in my life. Listen in to get a sense of how it feels, good and bad and see if it is for you. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Knowing you are finished is such a nice feeling, especially when shearing. Today we are talking about shearing, with some thoughts on how you can approach shearing, especially mentally; what to do when things don't go quite according to plan (almost guaranteed); and how to build for a better future with your alpacas. We have just finished shearing our herd of 37 alpacas - and it is so nice to know...

Alpaca fleece can hide a multitude of things. Shearing time can bring things to light - from vegetation and unexpected prickles to body condition and occasionally fly-strike. Explore with me some of the things that can be hidden beneath the fleece and what to make of them. We have started shearing now and I include an update on the first few adventures, including Alys giving us a surprise. This po...

Alpacas can help teach us how to prioritise. Take sleeping for example - essential for a fast-growing cria and the rest of us. The three alpaca priorities are to: eat well, sleep well and explore like mad, so you can make sense of the world and know how to live in it safely. Priorities we can live by for sure. Check out our earlier episode - Episode 97 - Be More Alpaca This podcast uses the follow...

Jeremiah Owen of Hiraeth Ranch in California is an old friend of the podcast and Alpaca Tribe. Listen in as we catch up on his pandemic-year with his suri alpacas. Cria births and complications; keeping the rhythm of normality during the pandemic; looking forward.  This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Spring continues to arrive with the occasional flip back to winter. Overall the alpacas are doing well and enjoying the greener grass. The spit-offs are done and some things are a bit clearer. Meanwhile, there are goslings, swallows and rabbits to add to the mix. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

We all like a challenge - so here is the Alpaca Tribe Quiz! See what you know already. Questions How many toes does a Camel have? What is the group name for Llamas, Alpacas, Guanacos and Vicuna? What are the two types of alpacas? What is the nature of the land that is native to alpacas? What language do alpacas speak? How heavy is a bag of candy-floss? What are baby alpacas called? Answers in the...

As shearing approaches, I wonder what you will do with your fleece? If you haven't tried wet felting you really should. There is also needle felting but I always feel nervous of needles heading towards my leg. Nuno felting is also worth exploring at least for inspiration - check out these books for starters (some needle felting snuck in there too) See Liz Clay's website gallery and be astounded Th...

Alpacas need and want to have their basic needs met; to be safe and secure; to have some interest; and to be able to express their natural behaviour. So how can we create the best environment for our alpacas? It involves providing many different elements: the physical environment; the emotional environment; and the behavioural environment. We all want to do the best we can for our alpacas and...

What is the best colour for an alpaca? They come in a variety of shades - what would you choose if you were starting out keeping alpacas? Colours stretch from true white to true black, via fawns and browns. We also have some Welsh gray - which manifests in the wet weather when they get all muddy! But since they are 'dry-clean' animals there true colour emerges when they dry out and fluff up again....

Listen as I deliver breakfast to the girls, complete with Sioned drinking from a puddle - she hasn't read the text-book! Brings back memories of my first foray into a field full of alpacas. Such a thrill and only a hint of anxiety. It makes my day, every time. What about you, when did you meet your first alpaca and how did it make you feel? I'd love to know - let me know here so I can share it htt...

A year on and everybody seems to be reflecting on a year of pandemic. This seems to be both a good reason to do so and also to avoid it. I decided though that I would be reflective too. What is it that we've learned from the pandemic with a Valley full of alpacas?  One of the things I've learned is to just keep going. Concentrate on the next thing. Not focusing too much on the possibilities a...

It is so easy to get excited about the thought of keeping alpacas, but what does it really take and are you right to be thinking about it? Maybe, but let me see if I can put you off first. There is more to it than you might think! We can get sentimental about the idea of keeping alpacas, understandably, given that they are such amazing creatures. However, we need to ask ourselves some serious ques...

Imagine zooming with your alpacas! Would they be on mute with their cameras turned off? Or could you persuade them to tell you what they are thinking? It would be nice if they did, especially if they are in pain. Watching body language and learning to read them is an important skill for alpaca shepherds. The answer - another excuse to spend time with your alpacas - watching and listening. even if...

I count in threes but sometimes I can't get the same number twice in a row because they keep moving. More life with the alpacas in the valley. Listen in for the latest instalment. Ear tags can help identify which alpaca is which, if you have more than a few. The geese have returned and the spring has left - though I am sure it will be back soon Trust your instincts and learn from your alpacas by s...

Why keep alpacas? There are all kinds of good reasons but it is certainly a good question to start your alpaca journey with. What do you want to focus on? fleece pets breeding tourism Have you got the capacity? space money time Start with what you have and make the most of it shelter fences lane-ways storage If you decide to pursue alpacas you are in a for a rare treat Join me on the journey This...

There are signs, no really! But we still have some way to go. Join me on another farm wander with the alpacas considering grazing, sharing the space with birds and wondering about births later in the year. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy