On a summers evening, on the banks of the river Eden a herd of alpacas hum contentedly to one another. They are discussing the fine dining that the paddock offers, their commitment to fleece growing and which female might get to mate with the best stud male this year.
However did I end up with a herd of alpacas?
It all started in 2014. I bought a very special house, a ruin to be exact. Its name is King Garth and as a child I would gaze across the River Eden at this house on the riverbank, dreaming that one day I would own it. Never did the varied and crazy ideas of what I’d do with this house include alpacas!
But King Garth came with a paddock I needed something to eat the grass. Determined that the 'lawn mowers' had to earn their keep and loathe to kill for meat or be committed to milking, a fleece animal seemed a sensible option. Sheep? Goats? Far too common!....Alpacas????? Why not!
And remarkably as fate would have it there was an Alpaca sale coming up at the local Auction. I started with four Alpacas.
First they won me over with personality. Then I became addicted to breeding, improving the herd by using top stud males and buying some special females. In a few short years King Garth Alpacas have graduated from lawn mowers to prize winning show animals.
It’s all very tranquil down the river in summer but winter is a different matter. This part of the Eden is tidal and with a combination a big tide, a big wind and a swollen river the alpacas are in danger of getting their feet wet in winter.
They are moved to high ground at West End, Burgh-by-sands. More fencing, more shelters, and as the herd size grows the herd is split between the two sites. Now the pregnant ladies stay in Burgh for the summer whilst the youngsters go to play by the river.
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