Kensmyth

we have been absolutely crazy mud and rain manic and will catch up soon… meantime we have our lovely Alpaca Mugs on our shelves, courtesy of Sports Relief 2016… simply stunning and donating at the same time…

Alpaca are so popular now they are everywhere!

FOX GUARDS AVAILABLE NOW – PROTECT YOUR LAMBS THIS SEASON

Alpaca are renowned for their guarding capabilities and protecting lambs. They walk towards the “predator”, make a loud noise, enough usually for the most persistent fox/crow etc.They also protect and keep company orphans.

Shorn annually providing excellent quality fleece, paddock grazers.

Kensmyth Stud have available castrated male Alpaca for sale ready for this job – and of course your enjoyment of their company and fleece too!

Biosecure, Closed herd, stock available all year round.

Used on farm for Alpaca walking (note they walk within farm ring fence only) with visitors, these  are now for sale.

Castrated males, rising 3 years, one black and one fawn available now – sensible price to genuine home. Delivery within 40 mile radius can be arranged.

Please note these are halter trained, castrated and trailer trained as well.

Please view Alpaca Walking on www.kensmyth.com to see them in action with visitors to our Alpaca farm.

Helen@kensmyth.com Tel: 07799700587

A thought for February 2016. As I welcomed February 2016 in the early hours out in the wind and light rain, I thought who really knows what is going on in the life of someone they seek to hurt other than that which obsesses them at that point?

Body scoring Alpaca is essential in winter months. Alpaca quickly lose weight and take a long time to recover.

All Alpaca are fed small rations twice a day off ground here at Kensmyth and we have a few that need to enrol in a Gym this month too!

isn’t it great when your Fleece Samples come back with really low micron and you know that your Alpaca are really fat so the real “score” is even lower!!

Micron count in Alpaca varies at the time of year, age and weight of the Alpaca. It is also affected from country to country by ground and heat conditions. For example Australian Alpaca in dry hot conditions ranging over plains will have a lower Micron count than New Zealand Alpaca in lusher less hot conditions… bring them to the UK and even more lush grass and you have different again!

there is no “one size fits all” in Alpaca fleece and keeping our Alpaca in good body condition is priority !

there are age old sayings… beauty is in the eye of the beholder…

  and this certainly applies to cold and frosty mornings…

  and another saying?

you can take a horse to water but cannot make it drink…

even if you have Field shelters in every single field for them … they do not always use them!

  but they do love fresh crispy breathy frosty walks!

yes I know its only a muddy Monday in January but time flies by…

Caught out on camera…

Did you see any muddy puddles? nOOOO – I definitely did not see any muddy puddles today!

well the weather might not at the moment be replicated in these photos but they have grown up somewhat too!

Alpaca with fantastic cria fleeces and genetics from a genuinely closed herd – FOR SALE

males only for sale in 2016 and some superb genetics including Valley Alpacas The Diplomat lines as well as EP Cambridge Arias son Sire lines – check out these fleeces and get in touch fast!

  Contact Helen@kensmyth.com or 07799700587 for more information.

Export quarantine facilities available

I thought that was a fantastically immature title for an old timer like me… however it is entirely fitting. the mud underfoot is gloop and its difficult to pick up the poop! normal machines are getting stuck so best do by hand – marvellous. the wonders of paddock management take no heed of rain… and Alpaca continue to eat copious amounts of hay and twice daily feed which maintains their poop levels.

onwards and upwards to introduce our new little number (well this was taken weeks ago so not so little now)…

and to extol the virtues of the superb Sticky Toffee Pudding at the Greyhound Pub in Siddington which I totally recommend…

Well I started with a few New Year resolutions but Moet Chandon Champagne at my brothers new house to celebrate put paid to that idea – well it was rude not to ! So lets move on. Before we start with the rain and the gloop and Alpaca muddy footed husbandry, just a little thank you to a friend of mine Lisa who runs a successful business making memories of your cherished pets last forever. Her company has a joint website of hand painted china and silver jewellery: http://www.animalprintsinsilver.co.uk/

the reason that I am promoting Lisa here is that her efforts go beyond all belief when we tragically lost our beloved dog Spirit. We had no paw print to cherish… or so we thought. Some time after she was put to sleep we found a paw print in the concrete by our barns. Lisa came out and took a cast print and from that we now have beautiful memories of Spirit forever. Some may find this a little sentimental but a dog is a part of a family and farm… we all have something of her now… see what you think…

Great Birthday and all occasion gifts for anyone, anytime. Bless.

As usual in the farming world, there were issues with both land and livestock amongst other things and of course friends and family. We lost several of our dear friends over the course of the year to a variety of things and we remember them with love, cherishing the memories.

We had the inevitable in Alpaca breach birth and a leg back with an extremely premature cria in two dramatic evening births, luckily in both cases saving the mothers and cria…

         in this case a strong girl cria…

and for the leg back a male cria who born so prematurely took a long time to catch up…

few understand the “round the clock” care premature cria need. Both females were remated later in the year amongst the many others so fingers crossed for those two females having a better time birthing in 2016…

as we wander through the years memories – with 80 mph winds as I type today – I recall the winds of the Autumn before we received the inevitable rain. The weather has not been too bad this year but with such a mild December I wonder if we will pay for it with snow in April as previous years… meantime guying down the marquees in SUMMER in preparation for storms…

We have castrated umpteen males (you can look back for that one) with many non stud quality going for Flock Guards and we have improved the herd quality no end – along with the land really coming to its own this year. Being part of the BPS scheme has given us the opportunity to meet so many new friends and Alpaca customers we really would recommend it.

In the family, Mitchell won an award for his film making going from strength to strength with his passion…

he looks so different now and all the lads exceed 6ft three plus with size 14 plus shoes its crazy…

we had a difficult time with some purchases over a very sad period in our lives with the discovery of our Flat Coated Retriever having a nasal tumour. We had just weeks with her before she was put to sleep on farm with her friends round her… we do have a new dog which we will introduce in the New Year but a few memories of Spirit over her very brief not even 8 years with us …

tears were shed for weeks as only those who have dogs can know how they “get you”… but that’s life with livestock…

one time consuming issue with a piece of hay ended in an ulcerated eye which luckily made a full recovery and the female went on to give a superb cria to no ill effect but it was pretty gruesome at the time…

 with the inevitable land work, our flail has done us proud and the shearers this year were amazed at how the fleeces had improved so much since we moved here three years ago…

Really – is it three years, yes it is over that now, thank you to those in the nearest villages who have welcomed us and joined us too in our celebrations of 2015 this year…

Goodbyes are always difficult and the first month of the New Year will see many Alpaca leave for their new homes sold this year but either awaiting collection, recovery from castration or halter training!!!

so that just leaves a little goodbye to be said from a few of the Alpaca who modelled for the catalogues this year…

and to wish all our Clients, Friends and family a fantastic New Year 2016 – with love from the Alpaca