Spring Grove Alpacas
The other week end (9th of February) we visited our
friends’ farm. On the first day we mucked out the pigs and fed the alpacas. Unfortunately
the field was very muddy so the pigs were in a shelter. We also fed the goats.
On Sunday we did the morning feed and tidied the yard. We had to rub oil on a pig’s bald spots to
lubricate the skin where it had got dry. Then we let in the alpacas. They all needed
vitamins (A, D and E - because we do not have enough sunshine), given as a
paste through an oral syringe, and injections of detomax for worms and mites. We
started with the little cria (a baby alpaca) and two slightly larger cria. To catch
them I had to grab their necks and pull them against my body. Holding their necks against my body made them
think that there was no-where to escape to, so they calmed down. To open their mouth I stuck my finger into
their mouth to find the gap at the back where their teeth finish. This causes them to open their mouth so we
could give them the vitamins. Finally we did the adult alpacas - there were 5
of these. Naomi held them for me while I tried to adminster the vitamins. I almost gave Naomi a dose of vitamins when
paste went right through the other side of the alpaca’s mouth!
Next, we did the intramuscular injections. We could tell
that they needed the detomax because they had crusty scabs on their noses where
mites had been. Naomi held the alpaca
and Scott parted the fleece over the thigh muscle. I inserted the needle, then retracted the
plunger a little bit. If I saw blood then I would remove the needle, because it
would mean i had hit a blood vessel. If not then I could continue the injection.
Once the fluid had gone in, I took out the needle and rubbed the site to
disperse the liquid.
While I was there, I also got to clip a sheep’s hooves and
do a check up on the goats. After this we had to go home.
When I was injecting, the only thing I was worried about was
hitting my hand, or Scott’s hand. I was
not worried about injecting the alpaca as Scott showed me how to do it properly.
We are going to return at Easter to help with the lambing. I am really excited.
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