Kensmyth

well with a wet period, what else could you do except peel bottom shaped pears and make fruit or chicken pies?

I am often asked how we proved the essential Vitamins to our Camelids at Kensmyth.  The answer is that we inject Subq (subcutaneously – under the skin) at regular intervals from when the sun fades (usually September) until it is present in force again (varies each year but usually end of April/May).

Kensmyth inject the entire herds including all adults and all cria. Cria are injected from 4 weeks with the dosage prorated according to age and weight. The standard dose for injecting Hipravit ADE Forte for example is 2ml per adult.

But why inject? its tedious, invasive and we use clean needles each time, bottles going out of date within 28 days usually.

The answer lies with “if it don’t break don’t fix it” and years of experience have taught us the chant “paste haste feed greed jab stab” as a method of explanation.

Feed = Greed

Ok – newbie Alpaca owners do not like injecting (jab stab)as a rule so they seek to use different methods. The most common method used is by extra vitamins in the feed. Herewith entering the “Feed greed” scenario. if the vitamins are to be administered in the feed – how on earth can you accurately ensure that each Camelid has the correct intake and the answer is you cannot. Some Camelids are greedy and push others away before guzzling down the lot and therefore getting an “overdose” and others therefore get little if any. the photo below shows an adult with varying size cria – how could you possibly tell if each one was getting the right amount of vitamins? Really? lets get real here.

So Kensmyth feed vitamin inclusive hard feed every day of the year to ensure that no one misses out at any time and Kensmyth uses drainpipes to ensure adequate space for each Camelid at each trough… but we still inject (jab stab) in addition to this; as explained at the outset.

Paste = Haste

Another method used in Camelids is a Vitamin Paste. This is a great idea for some Camelids and some owners but again, ensuring each Camelid has the correct amount according to weight and age is essential to the health of the Camelids… can you really no seriously tell me that a twizzle on a nozzle pushed into each mouth of each Camelid ensures each one gets the correct amount? Really? I think not, I rather think that two things struck me very early on in Camelid ownership regarding this method. The first is that you cannot get each Camelid to swallow a precise amount from a syringe, its awkward in most cases to hold the Camelid, open its mouth and squidge it in AND some will inevitably spit it out if it even got there in the first place.

What concerns me perhaps more about this method is the fact that the Vitamin Paste syringe is repeatedly being inserted into the mouths of differing Camelids one after the other which in todays age cannot surely be a good practice?

There are reasons why a clean needle is used each time for injecting so the principle must surely be the same for Vitamin Pastes.

I am sure I will get lynched by Vitamin Paste providers for writing this BUT it is my opinion and I am entitled to it. I am not saying that in the right hands a Vitamin Paste is not kinder than injecting but I personally would not trust the accuracy of its ability to provide what Camelids need through winter months of low light and sunshine.

Jab = Stab

Carefully penning and holding each Camelid for a Subq injection of the correct dosage ensures a slow release of accurately measured vitamins at regular intervals. Yes, its time consuming, yes, it costs a few pence more to change the needle each time but at least you guarantee that each Camelid is definitely getting is Vitamins.

please note ADE for Camelids in injectable form is most usually only available from your Vet.

Happy healthy alpaca that grow well to a proper height and weight without risk of rickets = SubQ ADE for me!

Welcome October my crunchy frosty friend, welcome indeed. As the gorgeous Sunsets continue and we reach 22 degrees in the daytime, hardly surprising the Roses are in full bloom at Kensmyth… not everything is black & white

I often read that folk rely on Spit Offs for pregnancies or seeing the females lie down when the growing cria orgle… I shudder at the thought of all those cria that arrive unexpectedly as a result of this misconception that a Spit Off is a genuine judge as to if an Alpaca female is pregnant or not.

The only way to know if a female is pregnant and even then it can be wrong – is to scan.

Now is the time to consider weaning and all the differing groups of ages requiring barning this winter… with the Beast from the East already threatened by the Weather forecasters and a long cold winter ahead, make sure that older, younger and pregnant Alpaca are well covered and warm at all times.

Newly weaned cria might look strong and ready for anything they try but they are just babies and weaning is the most stressful time for both the cria and their mothers… see how they grow so quickly

a long suffering female will tolerate the cria practising how to mount for the first time by lying down known as cushing but it does not mean she is not pregnant – just like most mums VERY TOLERANT

and other Mums often step in to give one Mum a break – just like a Coffee morning really !

harvest time in earnest – always fun with the lads and a few bottles of Ginger Beer whilst we do it as a family…

now for the Sloe Gin making, Blackberry and Applie pies and LOL more peeling!

Beware the big black blackberry thief!!

Well we had another Vet Student here learning a little about Alpaca whilst I caught up with Alice on the latest in the horse world… always difficult not to sneak a relaxing moment with our friendly Alpaca…

Sloes nearly ready to pick as we have had the first frost hooray – sloe gin keeps forever it seems

but the Alpaca have been enjoying the sunrises and cooler evenings

The sunshine in September with the cold blue skies and warm sunshine and the sunsets are amazing

Salt intake is critical but you can also have too much. I was quite shocked that the Gammon purchased at Tesco recently did not remotely suggest soaking the gammon first before boiling or roasting.

Traditionally in our home we soak for 24 hours then boil to remove excess salt – see below

then enjoy!

with apples cooked with saltanas or in a pie or crumble – yum yum

I cant help but praise Ollie who before the wind came in spent a few hours in the orchard picking the enourmous pears for me and then went out and picked pounds and pounds of yummy blackberries… well done Ollie

yeah – I know he has an ulterior motive in the form of Crumbles and pies LOL