Dream Farm on Channel Four

[Meekle]

i wonder if she did all the correct paperwork to get them. i am hoping she had a CPH number from DEFRA, but i also hope she has done the decent thing and had all her alpacas tested for bovine TB. it is ripping through alapacas like no tomorrow,pretty much anywhere west of oxford is in the "hot zone" as there is no legislative requirement currently to test. without testing she could be moving on crias that are carrying it and spreading it around.

we are looking into alpacas and getting some more land to accommodate them, but we will only buy (and hopefully sell in the event of time) bTB free animals. If we all dont test then the problem will become worse

[katie]

As the bottom seems to have fallen out of the alpaca pyramid scheme, you may be able to pick up some good stock quite cheaply.

[Meekle]

cart before the horse, i need cheap land first

i am looking for around 5-10 acres to rent in south staffordshire - anyone got any??? *cheeky grin*

[Editor Paul]

Alpacas ... still not convinced.

[katie]

I wouldn't mind a couple as flock guardians but I don't particularly find them attractive animals and I would be very wary of hoping to make money from them.

[Meekle]

well, jennie likes them.
if i let her have a couple of alpaca then i might get away with more breeds of turkey and some good pigs.......
personally i dont think they are much use nor ornament, a bit like ponies on good agricultural ground really, but i suppose at least you could spin their wool into jumpers and the like???

[katie]

We play that game too - well, if you can have goats then I can have some more sheep etc....Everybody ends up happy!
Yes you can use the fleece. Where people come unstuck is that they assume that if they buy any old alpaca they will be able to sell the fleece for yarn but the fleece varies greatly in value and you need to breed up to get a good staple (or so I am told!)

[tonyd]

Having now watched the programe I have got to say that I think she is living in La-La land. I believe she thinks she wants to be a farmer but in reality she wants to play with her alpaca`s all day,I dont believe she would sell them (or even want to sell them) even if she had a buyer.
I think she is just enjoying the life she has created for herself and her alpaca`s with the aid of a large financial input fromthe bank of Mum and Dad.

[katie]

I think you're right, Tony. She wants to play with the alpacas but not in the countryside where everybody watches what you are doing and where all the plants are spiky.

[TheGirlsMum]

I have heard that it wasn't just a case of her painting the cottage whilst waiting for planning she actually went ahead and installed a septic tank......how to win friends and upset the locals!!!!!!!

Cloud cuckoo land definitely