Shownotes
This is the podcast for alpaca people!
The rain has been abundant. I guess that is what made the valley a good site for a Victorian reservoir.
Now it is home to our herd of alpacas, ducks and visiting swans. And us of course. Where better to share our lives with all of the amazing animals and wildlife and the rain. Join me.
Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoyed it.
You can contact me by email - [email protected] - or leave me a voicemail from your browser.
Alpaca Tribe is hosted and produced by Steve Heatherington of Waterside Voices.
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
Transcripts
Welcome to the Alpaca Tribe. I'm Steve Hetherington.
Speaker:Hi, Steve here, and welcome to the podcast for Alpaca people.
Speaker:Sound of rushing water in the background. That's the water going down into the tunnel.
Speaker:It's near the stables, but a lot of rain. We've had a lot of rain.
Speaker:And we're in the middle of another yellow weather warning. We've got one today.
Speaker:We've got a dry day tomorrow.
Speaker:And then we've got another weather warning on Friday. It's just wet on wet. So it's kind of rain.
Speaker:We're in a current lull. I'm rushing around, feeding the girls,
Speaker:because we're in the lull before it starts raining again.
Speaker:And then it's just going to set in and there's going to be heavy rain for a
Speaker:whole chunk of time, through to lunchtime, I think.
Speaker:So, they're having outdoor feed around the stable, not up on the field,
Speaker:because it's just so wet up on the...
Speaker:So muddy and slippery and... I'm not sure they find it slippery,
Speaker:but I'm finding it slippery and getting things sorted out.
Speaker:So, we've had the food out. Oh, somebody's still clearing clums. Yes, hello.
Speaker:Hello. Well, Werner, how are you?
Speaker:That's useful clearing the crumbs and we put some hay out um because they're
Speaker:going to get stuck in they'll they'll stay uh stay indoors this morning probably
Speaker:uh they look like they're keen to go now but it's also clouding over again so
Speaker:they'll get caught by the rain they'll be back in indoors,
Speaker:and therefore the hay is just a useful attraction but also something to be able
Speaker:to keep them feeling through the morning while it is super wet outside.
Speaker:We've got two red coats on at the moment, Hermione and Alice.
Speaker:Didn't have to straighten them this morning. I did yesterday.
Speaker:Twice. And they weren't very... weren't best pleased.
Speaker:Oh, not again. Not again. They just stand there and let me do it.
Speaker:Oh dear. So we're just keeping an eye on what else is going on and if anybody
Speaker:else needs it. It's not been cold yet. Ha!
Speaker:But that's coming, of course it is, of course it is. So we have a...
Speaker:Can I close the lid? I'm just checking. I think there's an alpaca in my...
Speaker:What are you doing in here? You're helping yourself. You shouldn't be helping
Speaker:yourself to that. It's not good for you.
Speaker:Hello, miss.
Speaker:So Megan was in helping herself. She's the first one to follow in and to kind
Speaker:of see what's going on in the haystall.
Speaker:And so she was in there.
Speaker:I noticed that I'd got some activity happening in there because one of the others
Speaker:was just having a check as well.
Speaker:Hello, are you just having a sniff? She's not going to like that, no.
Speaker:They're a little bit spiky with each other today.
Speaker:I'm not quite sure. They're a bit grumpy, I think, just the weather.
Speaker:Hello, are you going to say hello to me?
Speaker:What do you think? No? Oh, no. Oh, don't look at me too closely.
Speaker:There we go. So, yes. It's a tricky one because it's so wet and you've got to be functional.
Speaker:So you do a quick whiz round and put the food out and get everybody doing it.
Speaker:Sorry, I just noticed what... So Megan's just got in.
Speaker:Megan and Alice have an understanding mostly, but Megan just got over and kind of...
Speaker:She didn't actually nibble Alice's ear, but she got very close.
Speaker:She did kind of get her mouth on the ear and it was a warning,
Speaker:kind of if you keep your head in there, I'm going to nibble your ear because
Speaker:she wanted to check what food was left in that bowl that Alice was busy with.
Speaker:No, there's not much in there and Alice is protecting it, so she's quite happily
Speaker:feeding and then Megan is clearing up crumbs in the other one,
Speaker:which somebody else has left, so.
Speaker:Yeah, no, because I was just saying about the rushing round,
Speaker:you end up rushing round just doing the functional stuff and you can get away
Speaker:with that if you need to and between downpours is probably a good...
Speaker:Hesitation there. A good excuse, I don't need excuses. I shouldn't be using
Speaker:excuses, but there is a reason.
Speaker:It's okay, so I needed to get around clean up, slush the water out,
Speaker:refill the water things, because they tend to use the water more.
Speaker:They can't go for a while without it, and then all of a sudden everyone's really thirsty.
Speaker:But they're doing all right, so they're going to probably have a morning in,
Speaker:which is quite nice. I think I'll have a board again as well.
Speaker:I'm not sure there's any need to be out in the rain.
Speaker:Still take a couple of minutes just to quick spend your time looking.
Speaker:Anybody out of sorts, anybody hanging back that really shouldn't be,
Speaker:anybody off on their own, particularly cushed down, none of all that.
Speaker:So they're all just happily feeding, cleaning up the crumbs and starting into the hay,
Speaker:which is good depending on where the winds coming from they tend to wander they
Speaker:go oh it's going to be damp we'll we'll go this way into the the garden paddock
Speaker:easy access back to the stables if they need it so that's what they're up to
Speaker:you know birds flying around we've got the red kites up on the top there,
Speaker:it's just the sound of water everywhere and a squelchy underfoot
Speaker:oh I haven't had that for a while it's been rain on
Speaker:top of rain on top of rain and it's just you know a
Speaker:lot of people have it a lot worse I know and a lot of people could do with the
Speaker:rain and they've got the dry so I'm not really complaining I'm just observing
Speaker:it's a subtle difference I know but uh yeah so there we go so that's the whiz
Speaker:round and I'm having a little sit before it starts raining again and where did
Speaker:I put my hat down I didn't need my hat,
Speaker:so I've put it down somewhere I need to collect that before I go back,
Speaker:otherwise I'm gonna leave the house and suddenly go oh where's my hat gone oh what come to that.
Speaker:You've got to keep track of these things when you put things down.
Speaker:Where are my gloves? Oh, they're in my pocket. Okay, which pocket?
Speaker:They're a bit damp and a bit dirty. I think they need a wash.
Speaker:I'm realising that because they're damp,
Speaker:and what I'm handling and stuff I'm ending up with, when I come to take them
Speaker:off, I've got slightly damp, but we won't compare about that, but dirty hands.
Speaker:So I'm thinking it's probably time for a wash of the gloves.
Speaker:They're also getting a little bit worn, a bit thin.
Speaker:I've found some really good ones with a good grip that work really well.
Speaker:They protect from a lot of thorns, not all of them.
Speaker:The bigger heavy-duty stuff, they're still going to get through.
Speaker:But for the general stuff, it's really good. It's good grip and good protective
Speaker:things. So they're a good find.
Speaker:And it's finding those things that work for you, waterproofs as well.
Speaker:I'm finding something that's a good mix of value for money that are going to
Speaker:last because you can have something that's really good as throw away.
Speaker:It's once and you're done and there's no point in having gloves like that.
Speaker:So I found some that last really well but eventually they do wear out and we've
Speaker:got a little supply of those so that's good. Buy them 10 at a time.
Speaker:It also means I can give them to helpers when they come.
Speaker:It doesn't happen often, I know, but occasionally we get visitors and helpers
Speaker:that will come and help work.
Speaker:It's really been good to be able to give them some gloves and occasionally waterproof
Speaker:trousers and that kind of stuff,
Speaker:just to be able to make it easy for them to help without it being the worst
Speaker:thing ever. I'm never doing that again.
Speaker:If you find a good helper, it's worth hanging on to them, for sure.
Speaker:And uh one of my challenges is uh we haven't got enough to be doing you know
Speaker:all the time and occasionally we get vet students or whoever wants to get some
Speaker:experience with alpacas well i can i can kind of set some stuff up and we can do some stuff,
Speaker:together but it's not quite the same um but there's a little burst of activity
Speaker:in the morning but it's activity in the afternoon not a lot to be done the rest
Speaker:of the time particularly when it's raining like this so finding a way of of
Speaker:making use of the assistance that that is available,
Speaker:trying to find a a way to give people a good experience of being up close and
Speaker:working with the animals because these girls are really pretty relaxed about having people around,
Speaker:and having me around and all when I stood now stood in front of me she's giving
Speaker:me a good listen and she's checking out what I'm saying.
Speaker:She's getting an advanced copy of the podcast. Is that right?
Speaker:You know I'm talking to you years, I know. Years up, years back. Wandered off now.
Speaker:The young girls, I can still identify them as the young girls,
Speaker:I know who they are, but they're looking a lot more mature these days.
Speaker:They're all looking pretty dirty.
Speaker:Oh dear, this wet, muddy thing, they end up shifting to that Welsh grey colour.
Speaker:They're all white, not all of them, but the ones that are white,
Speaker:they do definitely look grey at the moment.
Speaker:But as soon as we get a bit of wind, a little bit of sun, tomorrow we hope, then it'll be a nice day.
Speaker:And they'll fluff up and they'll dry off. They're dry, clean animals.
Speaker:So as they dry, then they become clean because all the dust drops off.
Speaker:Most of the fleece, you can see a lot of the girls, the younger ones particularly,
Speaker:the fleece is thickening out and getting longer. They're getting a good coverage.
Speaker:And the older ones, yeah, you can see that it's not growing so much.
Speaker:So we're just keeping an eye on who's looking a bit more exposed.
Speaker:For when we get the, not at the moment, but when we get the colder weather,
Speaker:which is coming at the weekend, just to dip down.
Speaker:I'm not sure whether it's the start of anything, but it's going to be a bit
Speaker:colder which will be sort of welcome I think,
Speaker:and we shall see what comes with that we might get a bit of frost not expecting
Speaker:any snow we might have some later we're only in mid November it's a bit early yet,
Speaker:so yeah so the hay store is full you know what I feel about full hay stores
Speaker:they're just so nice makes you heart glad,
Speaker:to have a hay store full of hay it's really nice and a bit more serious use
Speaker:of that now it's just kicked in a bit the grass is still there but the good
Speaker:stuff is short because they've grazed it it's just not growing quite as quickly
Speaker:so they're they're kind of getting to the point where,
Speaker:they're enjoying the hay for sure and almost getting to the point where they
Speaker:kind of need the hay, just to supplement what's going on, so it's good.
Speaker:It was nice to be able to have that, have it available. We had a delivery and
Speaker:we loaded it up into the hay store.
Speaker:The birds are still being busy we had a visitor over
Speaker:the weekend we had the swan return the male swan turned up
Speaker:oh that does your heart good
Speaker:as well that was really nice to see um and
Speaker:uh it was funny the way the the ducks
Speaker:gathered they came over and and very much they they're happy to be together
Speaker:and there's a bit kind of the causeway the bit between the stocking pond and
Speaker:as was and the main lake and there's a kind of a concrete wall thing.
Speaker:And that's where the swan settled and he could then paddle in the shallows really.
Speaker:Yeah, he was having a dibble and a paddle but all the ducks as well decided
Speaker:that this was the place to be and so they settled either side of where the swan
Speaker:was and there's a little line of these water birds in the water.
Speaker:It's got a standard level for the lake but when it goes down a bit there's less
Speaker:paddling space for the alpacas so when we have a little bit more extra rain
Speaker:it kind of fills up the channel and they love that,
Speaker:I'm sorry I'm thinking it's cold no no no no this is wonderful so they were
Speaker:having a good old paddle and in the water standing on the road next to it just
Speaker:being around the water is nice.
Speaker:They're a funny bunch yeah so some of them particularly having a paddle oh no
Speaker:having a sit down as well not just a paddle this was a sit in the water and,
Speaker:Harrod what was she doing I don't know why did she like to do that she just does,
Speaker:I worry less about her because she's one of the younger ones so she'll be alright she'll cope,
Speaker:the ones with the coats on I'm thinking no no don't you go in and sit down because
Speaker:then you get a really soaking wet coat dripping wet and and it's not gonna do
Speaker:its job of keeping you warm and keeping you dry.
Speaker:That's always a treat for them and i i enjoy watching them get in the water
Speaker:and have a paddle but they were around it was funny the the,
Speaker:The swan was in and was kind of cruising up the lake a bit.
Speaker:But the alpacas were out and on the side, on the bank, on the path at the side of the lake.
Speaker:And they were kind of meandering along and gradually going along.
Speaker:And the swan kept pace, that's not the right word, kept position,
Speaker:I guess, with the alpacas.
Speaker:So he kind of drifted up the lake a bit and was in line with where the alpacas were.
Speaker:Which was really interesting to see, really interesting to see.
Speaker:Because he wanted to be around. He wasn't, I'm not too close,
Speaker:but he wanted to kind of be close to where the alpacas were,
Speaker:but in a diffident kind of, I'm not really here, I'm not really following you,
Speaker:I'm not really interested in you at all.
Speaker:He's got a funny kind of way of interacting.
Speaker:He doesn't miss anything, he's watching all the time, but chooses to be quite
Speaker:cool, whereas the ducks thought it was wonderful having this one around.
Speaker:And the alpacas, they don't mind. I'm not sure they're enthusiastic about having
Speaker:this one around, but they don't mind.
Speaker:And that was quite nice that they were happily being in the same sort of space
Speaker:together without causing any problems either way. So that was good.
Speaker:But yeah, no, a delight to see that. And the swan was definitely watching me.
Speaker:And I was mixing the food, sort of splitting it down into smaller bags so we
Speaker:can carry it up the hill easier.
Speaker:And also mixing in some of the extras, like the speedy beet,
Speaker:sort of sugar beet, that's been nicely dried and processed, which means it'll
Speaker:absorb and reconstitute really quickly,
Speaker:really easily. So that was what I was doing.
Speaker:And he was up the lake and he cruised back down to the opposite where I was
Speaker:so he could see what was going on.
Speaker:And there's a slight sound in the background.
Speaker:That was Sue being really quiet, trying not to make a noise as I go.
Speaker:So, hi, Sue, thank you for doing that.
Speaker:And I'll leave this bit and I won't edit it out. Thank you.
Speaker:It's nice to have you in the valley with me. And you've been up to see the boys
Speaker:and they seem to be doing all right.
Speaker:We'll check them out again later. We'll have a good look at them tomorrow, I think, when it's dry.
Speaker:And just check the two who are on watch.
Speaker:I'm being I'm definitely being pestered here by old Wenner she keeps coming back,
Speaker:and checking out she's pestering the others as well and having a little sniff
Speaker:so I think she's I don't know what she's she's looking for for milk or comfort
Speaker:of some kind I don't know what she's up to it's a slightly different behaviour to normal normal,
Speaker:so we'll keep an eye on that we'll keep an eye little pearl you alright?
Speaker:What was that little hmm for?
Speaker:Are you going up to where the others are? They're up there at the moment because
Speaker:it's kind of dry, but it's not going to be. Oh, chaffinch.
Speaker:There's some crumbs, let me come in.
Speaker:It's funny, the alpacas notice the birds around, but it doesn't really bother them.
Speaker:They don't feel the need. When they were youngsters, it was really funny.
Speaker:They said, ooh, movement. I need to go investigate. And they'll kind of chase
Speaker:these birds around, move towards them, and the bird moves away.
Speaker:And then they think this is a great game. Pied wagtails, particularly.
Speaker:And the grey wagtail, down by the water side, by the leg side.
Speaker:So some are settling outside, grazing outside. Some are settling inside.
Speaker:And a lot of them are just standing staring at me and going he's doing that
Speaker:thing again it must be a podcast week,
Speaker:so thank you girls nice to see you,
Speaker:yeah I don't know whether to encourage you to go and spend some time with alpacas
Speaker:no I do want to encourage you go spend some time with your alpacas or someone
Speaker:else's alpacas or my alpacas I hope you've enjoyed the brief visit in the rain.
Speaker:And we shall see you again soon take care stay safe, stay warm, stay dry bye for now.
