Summer - Classical MileEnd Alpacas

feature letter from belgium
feature letter from belgium
alpacas; it can also detract from other things
like children and enjoying the open air. This is
of course another excuse for me to ‘opt out’ of
the housework.
I did receive some comments after the last
article about how courageous and brave I was
to admit to having had a few problems. Maybe
I am too honest but I would be very suspicious
of anyone who will not admit to
up by the time this article goes out. We have
had interest from as far away as Spain and
Switzerland so are hoping for a good turn
out. The dates for your diary are 13th and 14th
November.
There is also a show being held in the North
of Belgium at Antwerp on the Sunday 17th
October and I believe
Scruffy the Dog BEFORE...
...and not so Scruffy AFTER shearing...!
Hello from
Belgium again
Birthing season, alpaca shows, dog
shearing, Mr Jambon the pig and going
to school with Belgian police...
Belinda White keeps us up to date
on life across the channel!
I think that all of Northern Europe has
had a bad winter this year; we certainly had
our fair share of snow and couldn’t get out for
two days even in a four wheel drive, tank of a
car. It dragged on for what seemed like forever
but, compared to the year before, although
longer, it wasn’t as hard. We again got through
a lot of hay but when spring finally did arrive
it brought with it a great mix of sun and rain
which had the grass growing well in no time.
I am sure that animals as well as people
suffer from SAD syndrome, nothing was ill but
all, horses and sheep as well as alpacas, looked
‘down’. The first real sunny day saw everything
starting to have a run round, a good roll and
there was generally a more cheerful and
playful feeling. It also brought our first cria of
the year and they haven’t stopped since.
Oh what a different feeling to the last
birthing season. For a start, all those lessons
in how to tell the time have paid off; all have
been born between 7am and 1pm. All have
been born outside and all have fed with no
problems. I have been walking round with a
silly grin on my face all spring. When I get the
chance I nip down the field and sit behind a
tree just watching them. I was feeling guilty
about this until a friend pointed out that
most of us don’t just have them for business,
we also have them for pleasure. Oh how
true and if we don’t watch out all life’s other
distractions take over. That doesn’t just go for
At the St. Brieuc show in Brittany
something having gone wrong at
some time and it gives me great pleasure to be
able to write about all the good things that are
happening now.
We are probably later than most in starting
our shearing but all the alpacas will be finished
by the middle of June. First to be sheared this
year wasn’t an alpaca it was Scruffy the dog;
He is the only dog that the alpacas have never
chased. I think that they are confused because
he is so hairy. Now, with his locks all gone
they can see what he really is and he does get
chased out.
Besides Soda the llama who shares with the
alpacas, this year they have been joined by a
lamb that weaned herself from her mother and
moved in with the alpacas. She has shown no
interest in moving back with her own flock
and I am now hoping that the two abandoned
lambs that we have been bottle feeding might
be adopted as well. Francine, who I was given
in the local supermarket, blotted her copy
book yesterday by trying to jump on the table
when we had a BBQ. I don’t think it was a
suicide attempt I think she was after the salad.
She really needs to spend more time with her
own kind.
As for alpacas in general here in Belgium,
well we are very busy with the organisation
of the South Belgium Alpaca show. It’s a bit of
a bureaucratic mine field but, I am sure that
when we get through this year, it will be easy
in years to come and it is starting to come
together now. We have had a hiccup with
the website:
www.alpaca-show-belgium.com
so apologies to those that haven’t been able
to get on to it as yet; it should definitely be
details can be found at www.baf-fba.be
I find it very positive that the two show
committees can talk to each other and share
ideas so we are both hoping to do Belgium
proud.
Another extremely positive step is the
launching of a European alpaca register. It will
be an open register so anyone can consult it
and plans are to have two levels. A DNA based
stud book and a non DNA non stud book
section. Animals registered in the non DNA
section can be upgraded at a later stage if
needed. It should make recording and tracing
of animals and their pedigrees far simpler.
More details can be found at
www.alpacaregister.eu
James and I spent last weekend at the St
Brieuc show in Brittany. Besides the alpaca
show, the first to be held as part of a main
line agricultural show here in Europe, Linda
Hitchcock had organized a number of alpaca
fashion shows, clothes for people not the
alpacas. I hope that I was of some use in
helping her out with the changes, a job
that quite a lot of the men volunteered for.
They were slotted in between the very well
sponsored mohair shows which among others
had the reigning Miss Brittany modelling –
very thin, needs to drink more Chimay.
Linda had rounded up six friends to model
and in my opinion their enthusiasm out shone
the professionals, the clothes were lovely,
very classy and elegant and the show itself
very sharp and to the point, not to long. I have
nothing against mohair but I do have doubts
about mohair swimsuits catching on, what
happens when they get wet All in all, Linda
did a fantastic job promoting alpaca fibre and
it is something that we can all benefit from.
We are probably later
than most in starting
our shearing but all the
alpacas will be finished
by the middle of June.
First to be sheared this
year wasn’t an alpaca it
was Scruffy the dog...
66 Alpaca World Magazine
summer 2010 summer 2010
Alpaca World Magazine 67