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Just a short note to let you know how everybody at West Webburn Alpacas is getting along.

Demeter’s Cria was born in May, a very large healthy boy tipping the scales at 11kg which is huge by anybodies standards. He has continued to grow at an Impressive rate and at four months old is nearly as big as his mother and twice as big as the other youngsters born a considerable time before him. He has a remarkable soft white fleece and since he has not been sheared this year looks like a teddy bear. We have continued with our Dartmoor theme and called him Logon.

July 3rd this year was shearing day and with the hot weather we had in early summer was a very welcome date. We took all our animals to Tiverton where they were shorn by mobile shearers on the breeder’s farm. The whole process reminded me of a medieval torture routine, without the torture of course! Each animal is immobilised by stretching it out on the floor with ropes around its fetlocks and a strategically placed pulley. Two minutes later, with a few well practiced flicks with a sharp pair of shears and hey presto a brand new hair do. Once shorn I can never quite get over the transformation in appearance, the proportion of fleece to animal is surprisingly large and once the latter is removed you’re left with something that looks like it was made with pipe cleaners. Their fleece grows remarkably quickly though, and they soon lose the gangly teenager look and start to round out again.

Since my last update we have been to Widecombe fair and had a very successful day showing off our animals and selling Alpaca garments to the discerning and hypothermically challenged fair goers. We answered a lot of questions from curios and interested people, but were amused by a few less well considered ones such as ‘what do they drink?’ and ‘do they catch rabbits?’

Our friends dark brown girl “Lilly” gave birth to her first cria just after Widecombe fair and produced a lovely jet black girl with more modest proportions. She is doing very well gaining weight and running non stop at every opportunity. Perhaps her colour has afforded her extra athletic prowess. She has been named Ella after a certain singer with the same skin colour. No Dartmoor theme there then!

Carla and her cria Marietta returned from the stud farm in late September. Carla has been mated to the same black male as Phoebe and Imogen, so we are expecting some dark coloured babies next year the first being due around March. Marietta has returned with a magnificent fleece and is looking more like a teddy bear than an Alpaca. Unfortunately with so much fleece she attracts every bit of flotsam and jetsam in the field, so most of the time she looks a mess.

This month we are off to Newbury race course to a very posh alpaca do. It’s called the British Alpaca Futurity and is a brand new concept to show case everything that is good about this growing business. It will include an alpaca show, a firework display, a fashion show, an auction, a very swanky dinner and much more besides. I’ve got a feeling that I will need to dress very smartly and be on my best behaviour in order not to be conspicuous at this one.

We will be taking some of our young animals and Alpaca products to the Christmas Bazaar at Leusdon Memorial Hall on December 2nd ( weather permitting) so if you fancy meeting some of the animals you have been reading about this could be your chance. It’s also a good opportunity to buy some Alpaca socks, hats etc for your Christmas presents.

Our next Update will be in the spring when the first of our 2007 babies are due.

Contact No 01364 631489 or tomcobley @ aol.com