Itching and scratching

Today has been a bit of a catch up day as the hay making took a bit of a toll on the waste management. The alpacas and I have all been troubled by nasty biting flies and we have all been stamping and shaking our heads. I have been creeping up behind them with the fly spray trying to catch them unawares. Little Velocette runs up to me and thinks it is a great game while Bert lies there and lets me rub it in her topknot as long as she doesn't actually see the spray. Bert's paddock has had a bit of a mite flare up. Where we have been fecal sampling rather than routinely worming and have had negative counts they haven't been getting their cydectin and I fear this is the problem. I have been pestering the vets to prescribe a dog treatment which was suggested for mites but they were not too keen and want me to try two heavy doses of cydectin first. This meant a new order of syringes as I have got to give them 6ml at 7 day intervals - my syringes won't hold that much! My new vehicle drive over disinfectant mats arrived today - the old ones needed replacing and, despite being very expensive, it had to be done. With tractors running over them they have to be tough things.

Sam came back from the Eden Project this evening. He had a great time but I think he was sorry to have missed the baling (probably not sorry to have missed all the stacking!). He seems to have eaten a lot and drunk a huge quantity of Cherryade. They were there with a group of inner city students who were amazed at how dark it was at night and asked when the street lights went on!

It looks a remarkable place. We have never been there, maybe one day.

Sam had just finished his tea when he rushed off with Carl to return some sheep to their rightful fields. Sheep are amazing escape artists - it seems to me if a sheep can find a way of killing itself, it will!