What did you do in the garden today?

[Sueby]

Chickens are hilarious. My neighbor has been outside working in his yard, he tells me as soon as I pull in the driveway the girls start getting all loud demanding to be let out. Sheesh, can't even wait till I get in the door & pee first!

Just a video of my silly dog eating a tree if you're bored. We were camping at a music festival & he was in his glory:

 

[WthrLady]

They sound fun! How much land do you need to keep them? We only have 5 acres, so not sure if we could keep animals like that, although I have often wanted to have more than just our dog, cats and chickens. If they are around crops, flowers, and shrubs, will they eat them?

The boys have a barn with two 12'''x12 stalls. and one acre. We feed alpaca diet pellets with mineral and tim grass pellets and then hay. Easy.

 

[WthrLady]

They sound fun! How much land do you need to keep them? We only have 5 acres, so not sure if we could keep animals like that, although I have often wanted to have more than just our dog, cats and chickens. If they are around crops, flowers, and shrubs, will they eat them?

Sorry I decided I needed a real keyboard.
Yes, they will sample anything they can get their cute little lips around! LOL. And some things are not good for them.

I have 4 foot high wood fencing squares that I built around the two larger trees in the pasture. Lets just say I'll never have to trim my weeping willow tree to keep the branches from dangling on the ground. It's less of a weeping willow and maybe more of a mopey willow. LOL! They love it SO much, that when DH goes down the hill to towards it to reset the squirrel traps, the alpacas chase after him in hopes that he's going to the yum-yum tree and will gift them with a leaf.

Goobers. OC watching a 200 pound animal skip and frolic and downright funny.

As for space..they really don't need a lot. People down the road keep 6 alpacas in an open - 3 sided shed, and it's not even facing the right direction. and their area has no pasture, just a mud lot of 12 feet wide and about 30 feet long. All they eat is hay, no kibble. The range of care between keepers is amazing, some in my opinion, border on abuse. But there it is. I'll just say, you get out what you put in.

...they can handle the cold, it's the heat and humidity they have trouble with. Which is why I am out there watering them like a delicate bed of violets when it gets hot. But you can only cool off their bellies and legs. Otherwise it like wearing a hot wet sweater they can't get out of. They really just need out of the wind in the winter and out of the heat/sun in the summer.

I hire a shearing team, only because they are SO stinking fast, it's worth my time and money to do so. But you need to learn to trim toe nails. Which is easy, after you catch them, bribe them, beg them, hold them still, and then wipe spit out of your hair. So like a kid.

 

[Sueby]

I swear all my cucumber vines are dead - but still producing cukes! Will probably make a couple more loaves of bread & tear out the vines this weekend. So over cucumbers.

Picked a bunch more cherry tomatoes, washed, chopped & froze them for future salsa. Picked about 10 more plum tomatoes to ripen inside, then freeze for canning. I think I might have to can this weekend.

Have a ton more brandywines on the vine, some turning, some still green. I can't believe the tomatoes are still going so strong. Its supposed to be warm into Oct so I don't see them quitting any time soon.

 

[WthrLady]

I swear all my cucumber vines are dead - but still producing cukes! Will probably make a couple more loaves of bread & tear out the vines this weekend. So over cucumbers.

Picked a bunch more cherry tomatoes, washed, chopped & froze them for future salsa. Picked about 10 more plum tomatoes to ripen inside, then freeze for canning. I think I might have to can this weekend.

Have a ton more brandywines on the vine, some turning, some still green. I can't believe the tomatoes are still going so strong. Its supposed to be warm into Oct so I don't see them quitting any time soon.

My indeterminates are still happy!

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good morning. After my last tomato canning session I've decided to just give away anymore excess tomatoes. I'm done with them. The Roma tomatoes are pretty much done anyway. I got a few more green beans this morning. Yay! I had some with dinner last night and they were so yummy. I have one cucumber vine that is still green and it has 2 small cukes forming. LOL! I managed to get my front yard mowed yesterday. Nothing planned for today since we are having an upside down temperature day. The high temps are right now and cooler temps and rain are rolling in for the remainder of the day. I'm hoping I can get some painting done in my sunroom this weekend. Have a great day everyone.

 

[chickmom3941]

WthrLady - Alpacas sound fun and quite amusing, but Hubs would probably think I'd lost my marbles if I suggested getting some - LOL. Are they expensive?

Made zucchini bread the other day, and both loaves are almost gone. Hubs is already asking me to make more. This is my last day off before work, though, so not sure I'll have time to make more today. May have to wait till Monday or sometime next week.

We have a few more red tomatoes left, and there's also some green ones on the vines. One of my friends from work says fried green tomatoes are delicious, but I've never tried them before. I might make some this year, just to see if we like them (and to use the green tomatoes up, rather than just throw them in the compost bin). Has anyone here ever tasted them?

We're having LOTS of rain both yesterday and today. Nothing is going to get done outside today.

 

[WthrLady]

WthrLady - Alpacas sound fun and quite amusing, but Hubs would probably think I'd lost my marbles if I suggested getting some - LOL. Are they expensive?

Made zucchini bread the other day, and both loaves are almost gone. Hubs is already asking me to make more. This is my last day off before work, though, so not sure I'll have time to make more today. May have to wait till Monday or sometime next week.

We have a few more red tomatoes left, and there's also some green ones on the vines. One of my friends from work says fried green tomatoes are delicious, but I've never tried them before. I might make some this year, just to see if we like them (and to use the green tomatoes up, rather than just throw them in the compost bin). Has anyone here ever tasted them?

We're having LOTS of rain both yesterday and today. Nothing is going to get done outside today.

From $100 to $15,000 EACH depending on the seller and breeder and pedigree
Usually you can find them locally through craigslist and breeders
There is also an annual farm days were you can visit local alpaca farms you probably didn't even know were around you.

http://www.alpacainfo.com/ and search regional farms and there is a search on there somewhere for an interactive map to show farms near you.

 

[WthrLady]

Here's a regional one:

Upper Midwest Alpacas
ContactMichelle Durenberger
Mailing Address28472 Fox Way, Cannon Falls, MN 55009-4134, United States
Contact Online
Phone612-239-2793
Fax
Website
www.uppermidwestalpacas.com
States/Provinces associated with

 

[pennyJo1960]

For them that can do as they are great fun to watch and as in potato chips at least have 2. JMHO I still have tomato coming on and zucchini, potato like allot even some jalapeno still