Well, isn't that just typical. In my last post, I was just saying how we were lucky that we hadn't had any flooding this year and lo-and-behold, by 9am this was the sight that met me when I went to feed the llamas. A big old mess in the field which appeared between 8.30am when I checked the boys and 9am when I carried their bucket of food through to the field. Luckily, the llamas were safe in the side of the field which doesn't flood.
River before After
Pond before after
But despite the hideous flooding, in the hedgerow I found these ....... daffodils in January!!
What will that do to their grazing? Or is your field big enough not to affect it?
ReplyDeleteIn winter, the llamas stay in the other side of the field with their field shelter, lots of hay with extra goat mix and alpaca nuts to munch on and zero risk of flooding so I don't have to teach them to swim and by the spring, the grass will have recovered and will be lush and green again. In fact, all the sediment and nutrients that get dumped onto the field when it floods enrich the soil and the grass is actually lusher and greener after the field has flooded.
DeleteHmmm - Our alpacas love water, and will happily spend the day cushing in it in summer...
DeleteIt's not so much the fact that there is water but the fact that it's fast flowing when it floods and the river breaks it's banks and it's also very muddy so I wouldn't want them to get stuck in the mud and have their legs knocked out from under them. They're getting on a bit in age now, 15/16 years old and I guess I'm a bit protective of them, I've had them since they were about 18 months old. Also, it's kinda cold here in Cornwall at the moment and although they have lovely thick coats, I wouldn't want them to catch a chill if they got totally soaking wet. Like I said, a bit of a protective mama llama :-)
DeleteThe weather forecast seems to suggest a little less rain this coming week, so I hope the water levels around your field drop as quickly as they rose and the llamas can enjoy all of their field again - and maybe a spot of warming sunshine for those elderly bones!
ReplyDeleteYour daffs are in the same state as ours here! Glad the alpacas are safe, my mother's favourite animal.
ReplyDeleteOh no, I hope your animals will be ok x
ReplyDeleteThe llamas were fine, they were safely tucked away in the other side of the field, they spend the winter there because there is no risk of flooding because it's on higher ground :-) frankly, they were more concerned about getting their breakfast on time rather than the river flooding :-) lol
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