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- #211
ksalvagno
Almost Self-Reliant
Thanks. My last 3 girls have been with me for a long time so it was hard to see them go. I know I will be relieved when I can leave the house and actually go away for the afternoon. I'm ready for change but I guess there is a mourning period for what you are letting go when it has been such a big part of your life.
The last big rain we did have a lake in our usual place and a river running through our turnaround. But that has all gone away. Just the usual stuff. But last night on the news they said that a flood watch was starting today and ending either tomorrow or Sunday for most of Ohio. With the ground being so saturated, I'm praying that we don't get too much rain. We certainly don't need the barns to flood again. I can deal with the river in our turnaround and the lake in the pasture, just not water in the barns and garage.
This weekend is alpaca shearing. There are 4 farms involved and everyone helps at everyone else's farm. So it is a long day. This year I will have to transport the 7 girls that are here up to another farm. Just not enough alpacas for the shearer to be willing to come to my farm. These are birthing girls and not my own. But I think we will be shearing around 60 alpacas between Saturday night and Sunday. But this is my last year doing this and will definitely not miss it!
My guard llama is also leaving this Saturday. I will definitely miss her. She is a great guard and a very nice llama. I could have chosen to move her in with the goats but since we want to downsize to a number of animals that we can comfortably fit in our trailer, she is just too large. Not to mention that I would have to find someone to shear her every year. I think if we really need a guard animal in the future for the goats, I will chose an LGD. Llamas and alpacas can't have the copper that goats need so I would be worrying if a guard llama would eat too much goat mineral and get copper toxicity.
My friend is coming over today to help me do some udder shaves so I can get some good pictures of udders. So I'm looking forward to that. I really need some udder photos and also just some better photos of my goats.
The last big rain we did have a lake in our usual place and a river running through our turnaround. But that has all gone away. Just the usual stuff. But last night on the news they said that a flood watch was starting today and ending either tomorrow or Sunday for most of Ohio. With the ground being so saturated, I'm praying that we don't get too much rain. We certainly don't need the barns to flood again. I can deal with the river in our turnaround and the lake in the pasture, just not water in the barns and garage.
This weekend is alpaca shearing. There are 4 farms involved and everyone helps at everyone else's farm. So it is a long day. This year I will have to transport the 7 girls that are here up to another farm. Just not enough alpacas for the shearer to be willing to come to my farm. These are birthing girls and not my own. But I think we will be shearing around 60 alpacas between Saturday night and Sunday. But this is my last year doing this and will definitely not miss it!
My guard llama is also leaving this Saturday. I will definitely miss her. She is a great guard and a very nice llama. I could have chosen to move her in with the goats but since we want to downsize to a number of animals that we can comfortably fit in our trailer, she is just too large. Not to mention that I would have to find someone to shear her every year. I think if we really need a guard animal in the future for the goats, I will chose an LGD. Llamas and alpacas can't have the copper that goats need so I would be worrying if a guard llama would eat too much goat mineral and get copper toxicity.
My friend is coming over today to help me do some udder shaves so I can get some good pictures of udders. So I'm looking forward to that. I really need some udder photos and also just some better photos of my goats.
Hope you have a dry place to shear this weekend. That sounds like really tough work.
I felt that way for a long time after I quit working full-time with horses, then again after my mare died. I am horse-free and actually like it now....although I filled the space with my goats (it took seven goats to fill the space in my heart for one horse! 
) so I still can't go away without a hassle....goats are actually much easier to leave with someone than a horse was.
