Aravoth's new Ron Paul video...Simply awesome!Makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck!RON PAUL OR RIOT 2008!
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Monday, December 31, 2007
Monday, December 24, 2007
Ron Paul Our Power Our Responsibility
WAKE UP AMERICA OPEN YOUR EYESwas the original title of this one I thinkhttp://ronpaul2008.comRon Paul Our Power Our Responsibility
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read more | digg story
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Alpacas get sheared
What a day it was yesterday Saturday, April 14th 2007. All 10 of our alpacas got sheared.
This was the first shearing of our herd. 2 weeks ago we went to Wildwood Alpaca Farms
to experience a shearing and help them.
It was a rainy day so all our alpacas were wet. They don't have the sense to come in out of the rain usually. It went fast we saved most all the alpaca fiber, even the 3rds. The 3rds are good for making felt, which can be used to make all sorts of things.
Stromy, the youngest black alpaca male we have is the sweetest alpaca, until you get him on a halter, then he becomes a broncing buck. I had to carry him! luckily he is only 50 lbs tops.
He lays on the ground and drags his feet, then when you get him where he is going he goes wild.
He hates being on a halter and a lead.
As usualy Pearl was amazing on a halter and lead. Logan our new herdsire was very well behaved on a halter and lead. Logan didnt even seem to mind getting sheared.
Tipper and pearl bitched the most about the shearing, and were pissing and moaning and complaining loudly through the whole thing. Reggie also didn't like it at all. The rest of them seemed to take it pretty well.
For some it was thier first time getting sheared, Jacob, Stormy and Vic were first timers.
They all got injected with Ivermectin by me. This was not fun it was my first time injecting Alpacas. I didn't realize it before but I guess they use the same Ivermectin that is used for Bovine and Swine. I got it from my Alpaca vet, B J Cambell. I think I am going to change to Karen Baum's program which is used by both breeders in VA (Wildwood Alpacas & Thistledown Alpacas) that I got my last 2 males from. Logan came from Thistledown and Misha came from Wildwood. Anyways Karen uses an oral worming instead of injection fro control of the Menegial Worm. I discussed this at length With Malcomb of Thistledown and Judy of Wildwood and with BJ Cambell and I think I like the idea of oral better, and Malcomb and Judy swear by oral worming and they are not new breeders.
The Alpaca fiber is drying on the farm and I have brought the samples and thirds home and they are drying. The samples were dry as we got them from near the skin.
Jacob and Logan had the most fiber.
They are all feeling better I bet as they are cool now with no fiber making them hot.
It is hard to tell some of them apart now. They all look so much smaller especailly Jacob,
he had an amazing amount of fiber as did Logan.
Sadly I forgot the nail clippers at home so I didnt get to clip any toenails. SO I will have to do that once it dries out here. It rained most of the day yesterday and most of the night so the farm is going to be muddy.
This was the first shearing of our herd. 2 weeks ago we went to Wildwood Alpaca Farms
to experience a shearing and help them.
It was a rainy day so all our alpacas were wet. They don't have the sense to come in out of the rain usually. It went fast we saved most all the alpaca fiber, even the 3rds. The 3rds are good for making felt, which can be used to make all sorts of things.
Stromy, the youngest black alpaca male we have is the sweetest alpaca, until you get him on a halter, then he becomes a broncing buck. I had to carry him! luckily he is only 50 lbs tops.
He lays on the ground and drags his feet, then when you get him where he is going he goes wild.
He hates being on a halter and a lead.
As usualy Pearl was amazing on a halter and lead. Logan our new herdsire was very well behaved on a halter and lead. Logan didnt even seem to mind getting sheared.
Tipper and pearl bitched the most about the shearing, and were pissing and moaning and complaining loudly through the whole thing. Reggie also didn't like it at all. The rest of them seemed to take it pretty well.
For some it was thier first time getting sheared, Jacob, Stormy and Vic were first timers.
They all got injected with Ivermectin by me. This was not fun it was my first time injecting Alpacas. I didn't realize it before but I guess they use the same Ivermectin that is used for Bovine and Swine. I got it from my Alpaca vet, B J Cambell. I think I am going to change to Karen Baum's program which is used by both breeders in VA (Wildwood Alpacas & Thistledown Alpacas) that I got my last 2 males from. Logan came from Thistledown and Misha came from Wildwood. Anyways Karen uses an oral worming instead of injection fro control of the Menegial Worm. I discussed this at length With Malcomb of Thistledown and Judy of Wildwood and with BJ Cambell and I think I like the idea of oral better, and Malcomb and Judy swear by oral worming and they are not new breeders.
The Alpaca fiber is drying on the farm and I have brought the samples and thirds home and they are drying. The samples were dry as we got them from near the skin.
Jacob and Logan had the most fiber.
They are all feeling better I bet as they are cool now with no fiber making them hot.
It is hard to tell some of them apart now. They all look so much smaller especailly Jacob,
he had an amazing amount of fiber as did Logan.
Sadly I forgot the nail clippers at home so I didnt get to clip any toenails. SO I will have to do that once it dries out here. It rained most of the day yesterday and most of the night so the farm is going to be muddy.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
New alpaca arrive at Furbelow Farms, Logan And Misha
Today at about 1 P.M. Logan arrived at Furbelow Farms in an unusual Alpaca trailer.
Within 10 minutes Misha arrived in the back of a minivan.
The idea here was to bring the 2 new boys to the farm at the same time. Each new male alapca
came from a different farm. The purpose of arranging for both new alpacas to arrive at the same time is so that neither one of them will be the new boy.
We now have 7 male alpacas. Clearly Logan is the new herdsire. There wasn't much of a challenge of his kingship from the 2 other boys. And Logan knows Misha from previous alpaca shows.
So now we have 4 adult or almost adult male alpaca in one pen reanging from about age 1 year to Logan who is almost 3 years at this point.
In the other pen there is Pearl who is due in the early part of June and the 2 youngest male alpaca, Vic and Stormy. Pearl is bred to Shazam. He is a beauty! here is link to check him out:
http://alpacanation.com/herdsires/03_viewherdsire.asp?name=18309
I think he is even for sale! At one point I think they were trying to get $75K for him but the price is probably down to closer to 60K now. It will be interesting to see what kind of Cria pearl puts out, we are hoping for a girl! To check out pearl here is the link, but no picture is there:
http://alpacanation.com/alpacasforsale/03_viewalpaca.asp?name=58532
I will be adding photos of all of them on the Furbelow Farms website soon @ www.furbelowfarms.com, right now the only picture I have is of Logans head.
Wow Logan is a beauty! Logan is a 3 time blue ribbon winner and his cria are sure to be nothing short of amazing.
The grass is growing like mad on the farm and the alpacas are eating it down as fast as it grows.
Today I cleaned up the usual poop. The boys are so neat! they only ever have used ONE pile!
I hope the new boys can agree on the pile placement. It is so easy to clean up after these boys.
I installed some new feed bowls for the new alpacas and cleaned out thier hay bin, which I made out of mostly plywood.
Today I got some plans for a chute, which I will need to build soon. The shearing is coming quickly on April 18th. I gave the last $1200 cash today for Misha and paid in full for him.
Misha will be the first alpac we have paid off and will soon send in the ARI certificate to update it with the new onwers name. We applied to ARI yesterday to get our farm/owner ID.
So far we only belong to the VAOBA, I don't know if and when we will be joining AOBA.
We really need to determine the place for the new steel barn and level it and get the foundation
in. Finances are getting tighter and there is still so much more to do.
We have a heaping pile of brush and dead trees from the clearing that there was no way I was going to pay 5,000 USD to make disappear (by backhoes digging a big hole and putting trees in and burning).
Life goes on, there wasn't any Alpaca spitting matches going on between the new alpacas.
And when feeding time came as usual Regiie thought the first bowl was his. LOgan ran over quickly and reminded him who the new king was and that Reggie no longer owned the first food bowl.
Logan is such a sweety. He is the only male alpacas I have that will eat carrots out of my hand.
And logan is not afraid of people. He is so big and powerful.
It was funny that when the wind blew and he heard the tarp snap in the wind for the first time he jumped in fear not knowing what it was. Certainly he will get used to it.
Alpaca count up to 10. 7 male alpacas and 3 pregnant female alpaca. We are of course hoping for 3 new girls when all the pregnant alpaca deliver thier cria. It is not likely that we will be selling any of the new cria which are due this year. Pearl will be the first to deliver, sometime in the beggining of June, we cannot hardly wait!
Within 10 minutes Misha arrived in the back of a minivan.
The idea here was to bring the 2 new boys to the farm at the same time. Each new male alapca
came from a different farm. The purpose of arranging for both new alpacas to arrive at the same time is so that neither one of them will be the new boy.
We now have 7 male alpacas. Clearly Logan is the new herdsire. There wasn't much of a challenge of his kingship from the 2 other boys. And Logan knows Misha from previous alpaca shows.
So now we have 4 adult or almost adult male alpaca in one pen reanging from about age 1 year to Logan who is almost 3 years at this point.
In the other pen there is Pearl who is due in the early part of June and the 2 youngest male alpaca, Vic and Stormy. Pearl is bred to Shazam. He is a beauty! here is link to check him out:
http://alpacanation.com/herdsires/03_viewherdsire.asp?name=18309
I think he is even for sale! At one point I think they were trying to get $75K for him but the price is probably down to closer to 60K now. It will be interesting to see what kind of Cria pearl puts out, we are hoping for a girl! To check out pearl here is the link, but no picture is there:
http://alpacanation.com/alpacasforsale/03_viewalpaca.asp?name=58532
I will be adding photos of all of them on the Furbelow Farms website soon @ www.furbelowfarms.com, right now the only picture I have is of Logans head.
Wow Logan is a beauty! Logan is a 3 time blue ribbon winner and his cria are sure to be nothing short of amazing.
The grass is growing like mad on the farm and the alpacas are eating it down as fast as it grows.
Today I cleaned up the usual poop. The boys are so neat! they only ever have used ONE pile!
I hope the new boys can agree on the pile placement. It is so easy to clean up after these boys.
I installed some new feed bowls for the new alpacas and cleaned out thier hay bin, which I made out of mostly plywood.
Today I got some plans for a chute, which I will need to build soon. The shearing is coming quickly on April 18th. I gave the last $1200 cash today for Misha and paid in full for him.
Misha will be the first alpac we have paid off and will soon send in the ARI certificate to update it with the new onwers name. We applied to ARI yesterday to get our farm/owner ID.
So far we only belong to the VAOBA, I don't know if and when we will be joining AOBA.
We really need to determine the place for the new steel barn and level it and get the foundation
in. Finances are getting tighter and there is still so much more to do.
We have a heaping pile of brush and dead trees from the clearing that there was no way I was going to pay 5,000 USD to make disappear (by backhoes digging a big hole and putting trees in and burning).
Life goes on, there wasn't any Alpaca spitting matches going on between the new alpacas.
And when feeding time came as usual Regiie thought the first bowl was his. LOgan ran over quickly and reminded him who the new king was and that Reggie no longer owned the first food bowl.
Logan is such a sweety. He is the only male alpacas I have that will eat carrots out of my hand.
And logan is not afraid of people. He is so big and powerful.
It was funny that when the wind blew and he heard the tarp snap in the wind for the first time he jumped in fear not knowing what it was. Certainly he will get used to it.
Alpaca count up to 10. 7 male alpacas and 3 pregnant female alpaca. We are of course hoping for 3 new girls when all the pregnant alpaca deliver thier cria. It is not likely that we will be selling any of the new cria which are due this year. Pearl will be the first to deliver, sometime in the beggining of June, we cannot hardly wait!
Friday, March 23, 2007
Ron Paul Accepts Debate Invitation From Nancy Reagan
Congressman Ron Paul has accepted Nancy Reagan's invitation to participate in a presidential debate to be held at the Reagan Presidential Library on May 3, 2007. MSNBC will moderate and televise the 90-minute debate starting at 5:00 p.m. ET.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Thursday, March 22, 2007
New Alpacas coming to Furbelow Farms
Before the end of the month we should have on site the first 2 alpacas we purchased, Logan and Misha. This way all Alpacas will get sheared on April 14th, it was previously scheduled for the 13th.
It has been a while since I posted. Not much has changed in regards to the Alpacas. Pearl, Bliss and Tipper are getting bigger as thier pregnancy progresses. They are such curious animals.
They always want to see what I am doing, even after they determine that I don't have any "new" food for them. Stormy is turning out to be a real sweety, he is starting to look like his brother Reggie and thier dad Beau. They eat grain 2 times a day. The grass is busting loose all over the farm. We must have planted 1000 lbs in the last 6 months.
Furbelow farms started as 25 acres of bascially forest. Much has been happening on the farm.
we have about 5 acres clear now and grass is growing all over the place. It is so exciting to see the grass as this can only decrese the amount of hay I have to buy.
The young Alpacas got the rest of thier shots and they all got deworming shots to prevent the menegial worm which comes from the white tail deer, which seems to be in adundance in our area. The anatolian sheppards puppies should scare off the deer at only 7 months old they are already a force to be reconed with. If they jump on you, it is all you can do to stay standing.
The farm is so beautiful when the sun is shinning and the alpacas are rolling in the red goochland clay. Pearl suddenly isn't so white anymore.
One of these days I am going to catch whichever alpaca is washing thier feet in the water bowls.
The next great challenge is paying for and erecting the new steel barn we ordered. We patiently await the shearing and still wonder what the best course of action to take with the raw fiber will be. Stormy, the only Alpaca who real doesn't mind being petted has fur that is softer than silk.
Goochland tripled the Real estate assesment and we filed for land use. After all it is a farm that is zoned agricultural and what is not used for farming is still a dense forest. We have many piles of oak trunks laying around from the clearing and the brush pile is settling down.
So far no regrets! We love Alpacas and Alpaca breeding and farming. Cleaning up the poop is so cool. Really, I am amazed at how they all get together and agree on pooping in one pile!
If you don't clean it up immediately it starts to look like an ant hill! And what great fertilizer it makes! Since Alpacas only eat grain, grass, and a small amount of vegatables and have 3 stomaches thier poop is as good as anything for fertilizing. I hope someday to have some extra to share with others or sell like someone I saw selling it for $8.50 a bag!
In the mean time we will keep feeding them, loving them, and collecting fertilizer waiting for the new babies!
We, Elijah and Ginger had a new baby boy (Joseph Daniel Marks) on Valentines day so we have been busy at home so perhaps that has cut down on my postings. He was 10lbs 11 ounces!
WOW! ANOTHER FARM WORKER YEAH!
It has been a while since I posted. Not much has changed in regards to the Alpacas. Pearl, Bliss and Tipper are getting bigger as thier pregnancy progresses. They are such curious animals.
They always want to see what I am doing, even after they determine that I don't have any "new" food for them. Stormy is turning out to be a real sweety, he is starting to look like his brother Reggie and thier dad Beau. They eat grain 2 times a day. The grass is busting loose all over the farm. We must have planted 1000 lbs in the last 6 months.
Furbelow farms started as 25 acres of bascially forest. Much has been happening on the farm.
we have about 5 acres clear now and grass is growing all over the place. It is so exciting to see the grass as this can only decrese the amount of hay I have to buy.
The young Alpacas got the rest of thier shots and they all got deworming shots to prevent the menegial worm which comes from the white tail deer, which seems to be in adundance in our area. The anatolian sheppards puppies should scare off the deer at only 7 months old they are already a force to be reconed with. If they jump on you, it is all you can do to stay standing.
The farm is so beautiful when the sun is shinning and the alpacas are rolling in the red goochland clay. Pearl suddenly isn't so white anymore.
One of these days I am going to catch whichever alpaca is washing thier feet in the water bowls.
The next great challenge is paying for and erecting the new steel barn we ordered. We patiently await the shearing and still wonder what the best course of action to take with the raw fiber will be. Stormy, the only Alpaca who real doesn't mind being petted has fur that is softer than silk.
Goochland tripled the Real estate assesment and we filed for land use. After all it is a farm that is zoned agricultural and what is not used for farming is still a dense forest. We have many piles of oak trunks laying around from the clearing and the brush pile is settling down.
So far no regrets! We love Alpacas and Alpaca breeding and farming. Cleaning up the poop is so cool. Really, I am amazed at how they all get together and agree on pooping in one pile!
If you don't clean it up immediately it starts to look like an ant hill! And what great fertilizer it makes! Since Alpacas only eat grain, grass, and a small amount of vegatables and have 3 stomaches thier poop is as good as anything for fertilizing. I hope someday to have some extra to share with others or sell like someone I saw selling it for $8.50 a bag!
In the mean time we will keep feeding them, loving them, and collecting fertilizer waiting for the new babies!
We, Elijah and Ginger had a new baby boy (Joseph Daniel Marks) on Valentines day so we have been busy at home so perhaps that has cut down on my postings. He was 10lbs 11 ounces!
WOW! ANOTHER FARM WORKER YEAH!
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Alpacas warming up at our new alpaca farm
It is now Thursday January 4th 2007. Our Alpacas have been at Furbelow Alpaca Farms
since last Saturday night. In just 4 short days they are warming up to me. I still don't know if I can catch Pearl she seems to be the most distant of the bunch. It is nice that Pearl is NOT spitting at any other alpacas.
I need to go feed the alpacas in about 45 minutes. They sure love grain!
Now when I go to the farm they see me coming and are waiting and watching always when I come up the hill. I feed them twice a day. I have increased thier grain a bit since a new home can be stressful. For the last day or so, when I get the grain out of the bin, they are there waiting making it hard for me to get through the gate. Then as soon as I get in the gate, they start pushing and shoving and stealing the grain out of my bucket BEFORE I can get it into thier individual feed bins. Usually I feed the older boys first, they at least wait until I get the grain into thier feed bins.
I have 2 older male alpacas in one pen. And 3 pregnant alpacas in another with 3 very young male alpacas. Soon I need to wean one of the young male alpacas and separate Pearl, who is NOT the mom of any of the baby alpacas that I have, and put her with 2 of the youngest male alpacas. An alpaca weaning the forced way, separateing baby from mom. Then I will have 3
alpaca pens, 3 gates, and 3 alpacas in one pen, 3 in another and the 2 older male alpacas in the other.
For now the only animals we have on the farm are alpaca. We will move some dogs in later
as an early warning in the event of predators. We have 2 anatolian shepards, one beagle, and one border collie. The last 2 being mixed breed, however very smart dogs.
We are also considering getting some chickens or the like to protect the alpacas from parasites which can be carried in by snails and slugs. Chickens apparantly hunt for slugs and consider them a delicacy.
The problem with slugs is that as they crawl around everywhere, so slowly, they often crawl through all sorts of other wild animal feces, which can be full of parasites, who then latch on to the slug for a ride.
I often find slugs in my dogs feed bowls at my home in a totally residential area. So I am certain the slugs will come as alpaca can be messy eaters and drop all sorts of grain pieces on the ground.
since last Saturday night. In just 4 short days they are warming up to me. I still don't know if I can catch Pearl she seems to be the most distant of the bunch. It is nice that Pearl is NOT spitting at any other alpacas.
I need to go feed the alpacas in about 45 minutes. They sure love grain!
Now when I go to the farm they see me coming and are waiting and watching always when I come up the hill. I feed them twice a day. I have increased thier grain a bit since a new home can be stressful. For the last day or so, when I get the grain out of the bin, they are there waiting making it hard for me to get through the gate. Then as soon as I get in the gate, they start pushing and shoving and stealing the grain out of my bucket BEFORE I can get it into thier individual feed bins. Usually I feed the older boys first, they at least wait until I get the grain into thier feed bins.
I have 2 older male alpacas in one pen. And 3 pregnant alpacas in another with 3 very young male alpacas. Soon I need to wean one of the young male alpacas and separate Pearl, who is NOT the mom of any of the baby alpacas that I have, and put her with 2 of the youngest male alpacas. An alpaca weaning the forced way, separateing baby from mom. Then I will have 3
alpaca pens, 3 gates, and 3 alpacas in one pen, 3 in another and the 2 older male alpacas in the other.
For now the only animals we have on the farm are alpaca. We will move some dogs in later
as an early warning in the event of predators. We have 2 anatolian shepards, one beagle, and one border collie. The last 2 being mixed breed, however very smart dogs.
We are also considering getting some chickens or the like to protect the alpacas from parasites which can be carried in by snails and slugs. Chickens apparantly hunt for slugs and consider them a delicacy.
The problem with slugs is that as they crawl around everywhere, so slowly, they often crawl through all sorts of other wild animal feces, which can be full of parasites, who then latch on to the slug for a ride.
I often find slugs in my dogs feed bowls at my home in a totally residential area. So I am certain the slugs will come as alpaca can be messy eaters and drop all sorts of grain pieces on the ground.
Monday, January 1, 2007
We went to New Jersey and got our 8 Alpaca
We went to New Jersey and got our 8 Alpacas. The Alpaca didn't seem to mind the ride in the alpaca trailer we bought from Gore Trailers. The Alpacas just sat down and enjoyed the ride I guess.
They were a bit apprehensive about getting into the trailer. When we arrived at Furbelow alpaca farms, I don't think any of them wanted to get out of the trailer.
We led the alpacas 2 at a time to thier new pasture. Luckily we left thier halters on after we loaded them in New Jersey. It was tricky taking the alpcas off 2 at a time especially since we needed to keep the mom's with thier cria. So all 8 alpaca made it to thier new pens.
The 2 male alpacas went in one. And 3 pregnanat female alpacas and 3 young male cria went with them.
I got them some fresh orchard grass. Set up thier heated water buckets and grain feeding bins.
Needless to say as soon as the orchard grass was placed in the shelter before I got back with the water and grain, they had already found the hay and were eating like mad. It was only a 5 hour ride. I guess they were hungry.
They seem to be adjusting well. They have more running room than they had where they came from. In a few weeks I need to wean one of the cria, and in another month I have to wean another cria.
After these 8 alpacas get adjusted, I will bring my herdsire home and another pontentially promising male alpaca.
They were a bit apprehensive about getting into the trailer. When we arrived at Furbelow alpaca farms, I don't think any of them wanted to get out of the trailer.
We led the alpacas 2 at a time to thier new pasture. Luckily we left thier halters on after we loaded them in New Jersey. It was tricky taking the alpcas off 2 at a time especially since we needed to keep the mom's with thier cria. So all 8 alpaca made it to thier new pens.
The 2 male alpacas went in one. And 3 pregnanat female alpacas and 3 young male cria went with them.
I got them some fresh orchard grass. Set up thier heated water buckets and grain feeding bins.
Needless to say as soon as the orchard grass was placed in the shelter before I got back with the water and grain, they had already found the hay and were eating like mad. It was only a 5 hour ride. I guess they were hungry.
They seem to be adjusting well. They have more running room than they had where they came from. In a few weeks I need to wean one of the cria, and in another month I have to wean another cria.
After these 8 alpacas get adjusted, I will bring my herdsire home and another pontentially promising male alpaca.
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