Big Sky Alpacas | Agriculture

Big Sky Alpacas

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25.01.2022 Two weeks old and growing well #bigskyalpacas #australianalpaca #australianagriculture #buildtheherd #alpacacria #northernrivers

25.01.2022 Alpaca prefer shorter grass to graze, and are gentle on paddocks. The paddocks on the left need slashing - there’s no way we could even see the alpacas if they were in there!

24.01.2022 Alpacas are great for the Australian environment. They are efficient water users, have a soft padded foot, and their browsing style of eating is good for pasture. Big Sky Alpacas can help you get started in alpacas - contact Michelle for more information.

23.01.2022 The girls enjoying the shade of The Honey Tree on a warm sunny day.

23.01.2022 Following the hands-on conformation assessment, the judge will assess the alpacas fleece. If judging suris, the primary fleece traits are lustre density, lack of guard hair, fineness, handle and lock structure. It is the lustre and lock structure that makes suris unique. The judge is looking for the animal with the best balance of fleece characteristics. (Content and photo used with permission of Kurrawa Alpacas)

22.01.2022 This practical feed trough for our alpacas was made with metal shelf brackets, square steel rod and hard (exterior use) plastic. It’s angled downhill, so when (if!) it rains, the water drains away. Another clever design and construction by Paul Malt.

21.01.2022 With shearing season underway across many alpaca farms, it’s a good idea to consider your biosecurity practices. We have used a footbath here for many years, to reduce the potential for the introduction of disease. All visitors to the farm are asked to use the footbath before entering the alpaca areas. Easy to make - a storage container big enough for your feet, a plastic doormat, disinfectant/antiseptic diluted in water. Replace the water and disinfectant regularly.

21.01.2022 From a blank space to a secure, covered shed! Thanks to my awesome husband Paul for creating a safe overnight area for the herd.

21.01.2022 Happy first Fathers Day to Big Sky Stuart - this time next year you should have lots of offspring to bring you breakfast in bed. For now, Stinger is too busy eating to share any food!

19.01.2022 There is a link between these fleeces, but they are not from the same alpaca...

18.01.2022 Two years old today! Big Sky Suyana arrived prematurely and weighed under 4kg. Sadly her dam had a uterine prolapse and passed away. Suyana - which means hope In Quechuan - owes her life to my fabulous mother-in-law Sandra, who fed her with a syringe until she took a bottle and I arrived home a few days later. Huge kudos to Dr Ed King, from Casino Veterinary Surgery, who delivered her and devised bandaging for her back legs to help her stand up. She might be tiny but she’s feisty, and she’s very special. Happy birthday Suyana

18.01.2022 This is our ‘not so little’ boy Stinger, sired by Stuart. He is incredibly inquisitive and boisterous - like most boys! At 5 months old Stinger is very well grown, with an extremely soft fleece. It will be interesting to get his fleece statistics back after shearing in a few weeks. His dam is Big Sky Sevilla, who comes from a line of fine females and has Shanbrooke Pure Evolution as her sire.

17.01.2022 The boys running up to the shed for dinner. They know where to go! Alpacas are intelligent livestock - which sometimes makes working with them a challenge! #bigskyalpacas #australianalpaca #australianagriculture #womeninag #northernrivers #alpaca #alpacafarm

16.01.2022 That feeling when shearing is done for another year... Thanks James and Taz! #bigskyalpacas #australianalpaca #naturalfibres #shearing #australianagriculture #womeninag #huacaya #finefleecedhuacayas

16.01.2022 3 weeks old today, this boy was born on shearing day. His name is Big Sky Sheeran, paddock name Ed (thanks for the name Paul ). After a slightly rocky start he’s doing well.

16.01.2022 The ultimate goal of alpaca judging is to compare an alpaca's characteristics against the ideal standard, then evaluate individual alpacas against others in the class. A judge will weigh up the good and bad characteristics of each alpaca and make their selections based upon their observations. The eventual winner will be the most complete alpaca or in other words the alpaca with the best balance of fleece traits and conformation. (Content and photo of Natasha Clark from Kurrawa Alpacas used with permission.)

15.01.2022 As grass begins to seed, it’s important to keep a close eye on your herd. This girl developed a large abscess below her eye a couple of years ago - caused by a grass seed lodging in the fleece and making its way under the skin. Another common location for grass seeds is under the jaw.

14.01.2022 Judging starts as soon as the alpaca walks into the ring. The judge looks at the alpaca’s gait, watching foot placements as well as viewing the front and back legs to see if there are any conformational issues. The judge will also look at body proportions to see if the alpaca is well-balanced. Once all the alpacas have entered the ring they look at conformation again while the alpaca is standing. (Content provided by Natasha Clark of Kurrawa Alpacas and used with permission.)

13.01.2022 Best in Show Huacaya Fleece at Grafton Show 2019 - we have this fleece from Big Sky Sarai and others in the herd available for sale. Fleeces are clean and skirted, ready for you to spin, knit and weave into your own special item.

12.01.2022 Time to think about sorting out some fleece...

12.01.2022 Once the alpacas are lined up in the showring the judge conducts a hands-on assessment. Starting at the head the judge will check for a correct mouth and ears. The judge will then run their hands down the top (back) line, assessing body condition, working down to the tail to see if it is straight. (Photo and content used with permission of Natasha Clark.)

12.01.2022 Good morning! #bigskyalpacas #australianalpaca #womeninag #northernrivers #australianagriculture

11.01.2022 Can’t talk, busy eating!

11.01.2022 Well it is 2020.... We’ve had alpacas for over 15 years, and this has been a year of firsts. This little one is the surviving cria of a set of twins. Born yesterday at 352 days gestation, this little one was up and being inspected by all the aunties, when I noticed another white blob in the paddock. The deceased cria weighed in at 5kg - this cria weighed under 4kg, but is strong and has been drinking and is moving around well. Certainly not out of the woods, but is penned with Solstice (the dam) and Suyana, who was our premature bottle-fed orphan from 2018, who also weighed under 4kg. Hopefully she will provide some inspiration for this little one. At least Solstice has an ample udder to provide plenty of milk.

11.01.2022 Alpaca pellets and lucerne hay = happy alpacas! #bigskyalpacas #australianalpaca #australianagriculture #northernrivers #alpaca

10.01.2022 Little boys are now big boys - and Stinger isn’t so bolshie now he’s been separated from his dam! #bigskyalpacas #australianalpaca #weaningtime #alpacas #huacaya #australianagriculture #womeninag #buildtheherd

10.01.2022 Is it time for dinner yet?

09.01.2022 Alpacas are a herd animal - they should be in groups of at least two or more of their own kind.

08.01.2022 The recent wet weather has been fantastic for pasture growth. However, if you are still providing supplementary feed, make sure to check that it is stored correctly out of the weather so that it doesn't become mouldy. Also, check to make sure that all of the feed is being consumed and not sitting in wet feed dishes. Mouldy feed can contain toxic spores that can cause health issues in alpacas.

07.01.2022 Plenty of undercover space for the girls herd in our fabulous shed extension! A huge thanks to Paul for designing and building this secure, dry area.

07.01.2022 Three weeks old and doing well. Introducing Big Sky Shamara - Shamara means battle ready warrior, and this one came into the world tiny but strong, and hasn’t looked back! #bigskyalpacas #buildtheherd #australianalpaca #australianagriculture #northernrivers #alpacacria #whitehuacaya

07.01.2022 When judging huacayas the judge is looking for crimp structure and staple definition. The key fleece characteristics in huacaya are fineness and handle, density, character, lack of guard hair, length and brightness. The judge wants to see a huacaya with an abundance of fleece that opens up cleanly with a highly aligned staple. The fleece should have a fine micron that is uniform across the body. These characteristics should carry as far as possible into the extremities, as this means more usable fleece with little or no waste, giving the breeder more return for their fleece, and an alpaca that will hopefully pass on these attributes to their offspring. (Content and photo used with permission of Kurrawa Alpacas.)

06.01.2022 Oh Gracie, you make me laugh!

06.01.2022 The girls had their first night in the new shelter and enclosure last night. We relocated the feed troughs and there is plenty of room for everyone. A few finishing touches to be completed but it’s great to have a secure covered area - particularly with shearing coming up in a few weeks.

06.01.2022 The girls are heading out on an overcast morning.

05.01.2022 Daily weight checks for our tiny cria - heading in the right direction.

05.01.2022 Our shearing is complete and samples have been sent for testing. We have a number of white and light fawn skirted saddles available for purchase - contact Michelle for details.

05.01.2022 Solstice and her little one - a week old today and is gaining weight. #bigskyalpacas #alpacacria #buildtheherd #australianagriculture #australianalpaca #womeninag

05.01.2022 Soft, squishy alpaca yarn available in 100g skeins - $33 per skein, plus postage. Contact Michelle to purchase.

05.01.2022 Busy morning at Big Sky Alpacas #bigskyalpacas #australianalpaca #naturalfibres #australianagriculture #womeninagriculture #huacaya #alpacafleece

04.01.2022 Alpacas are livestock, and although suitable as pets, need other alpacas for companions and appropriate paddock space to live - they are not a suburban house pet.

03.01.2022 Tall, slight and intelligent, alpaca weigh an average of 65kgs and are a manageable livestock choice for general handling. No special equipment is necessary for herd management - only shelter, access to fresh water and pasture and good fencing.