2018 ROUND-UP - November 2018
The last 12 months have been pretty satisfying at Shadow Wood with many milestones being reached.
We've moved out of the barn and into our newly renovated house. It's now looking pretty good for an old girl!
We've had two exports go to Europe. The farm is fully approved as an export facility and all the hard work getting the infrastructure in place has paid off. Everything is working well. We're very happy to be part of the international alpaca community where world-class alpacas from New Zealand and Australia are sent around the world.
Shearing 2018 has just been completed. This year we've put in place systems to improve the efficiency of the shearing process and streamlined our classing system to reduce work and deliver a quality product to our buyers.
Now that the big projects are out of the way we've begun the pasture renewal and
fertiliser program. We've re-sown several acres with specialist alpaca seed, sprayed out for buttercup and dock, soil tested and begun the fert program. While we keep chemical use to a minimum we've needed to do some remedial work. Care is always taken to keep the alpacas away from any spraying.
Biosecurity in 2018 has become an item of importance. We've developed many areas to enhance biosecurity at the farm. For example..... a new boot washing area, signage, regular disinfectant spraying of yards and vehicles, excellent record keeping etc.
Husbandry in 2018 is reaching new heights with comprehensive alpaca health checks and record keeping. We use Alpaca Manager to record all events in our alpaca's lives. A standard health check will always include .......weight, body score and a check of the eye membranes. Also a visual check for nails, skin issues etc. Everything is recorded!
Tree planting, paddock shelters, and more fencing are our projects for 2019 :)
