Finally the rain came...

Published: 8/21/2010 12:00:00 AM

In praise of the wet stuff

I hate to say this in light of the arable farmers deperately trying to get the harvest in in these mixed conditions but I am grateful for this rain we are getting at the moment.

What a summer! It's been positively continental here at Toft for almost four months with hardly a drop of rain until this week. I really thought we'd end up feeding the alpacas on Ryvita come winter if it had continued like this. Mind you the alpacas have positively thrived in these dry conditions. Not one of them has lost any weight and some of them are a little  overconditioned, having eaten all the pies! So although the grass hasn't been growing for quite some time the alpacas are obviously getting more than enough to eat. Maybe its the warm nights which mean they don't expend any surplus energy keeping warm- whatever the reason the grass is now turning green, the alpacas are trhiviing and the fifty cria we have running around keep us entertained from sun up to sundown.

But it's good to see the rain....

Rob Bettinson

Toft Alpacas, Dunchurch, Warwickshire