We started halter training the newly renamed Sculptor’s Image a couple of days ago, and today he wore a halter for the first time. He was quite relaxed about it – he really is a quiet natured young male.

Sculptor wearing his first halter

Mid-way through winter and we had a coating of snow at The Alpaca Place recently.  While the snow fell thickly for a while it only stayed on the ground for the day down here in the Rangitumau Valley but there was a big dump on the Tararua Range visible from the back of our property.  Rangitumau, the hill at the front of our land, is lower in altitude but still got a good coating (pictured).  As long as they have hay and water the alpacas seem fine outside although if the wind picks up they do take shelter behind the trees or in their hay shed.

Zoe and Misty, both due to “unpack” in mid-August, have returned home after spending the early weeks of winter off-site. Bringing them home means they will have plenty of time to settle in and feel secure before the births of their cria. Although they are due in mid-August, at this time of the year they are likely to be anything up to 6 weeks overdue as they wait for better weather – so we actually expect the creation date to be mid-September.

We have a policy that all alpacas leaving or arriving on our property have faecal egg counts/worm drenching before they are allowed out to graze, and photo shows Misty and Zoe in the pen awaiting their results.

Misty and Zoe

Huari Scuptor’s Image, aka Declan, aged 6 months

Having reached 6 months of age, it is time for Declan to be weaned, and his mother has now been shifted to a paddock at the far end of our farm, while Declan remains with his young friends. Time for registration too, as we plan to exhibit Declan at the New Zealand National Alpaca Show later this year. He is turning into a lovely young male, so we felt “Declan” was not suitable as his registered name, and he has been renamed. Descended from the famous Jolimont Sculptor through both his sire and his dam, it seemed applicable to recognise this famous stud, and now Declan’s official name is Sculptor’s Image. Looks like he’ll still be known as Declan at home, though!