6/24 ThunderStorm Video

For all of you in the Southeastern, MA area you know how violent the T'Storms were yesterday as they swept through the area. Thankfully everyone is intact, and the garden and flowers soaked up the rain. Here is a video we threw together of the storms and the birds.


Rain is Beautiful from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

Overdue cria finally arrives!

Last night about 6:30 Golden Touch's Amazing Grace a.k.a. Nayla finally gave birth to a medium fawn female cria. Nayla was due for her baby on June 12, 08 and has never gone beyond her due date more than a day. So it was a great relief for both of us that she gave birth to a beautiful healthy baby. Seeing that she was born on my daughters wedding anniversary I wanted to give her a name that tied into the wedding. My daughters flowers were Stargazer Lily's so we decided it would be a great name for our new addition. Introducing Golden Touch's Stargazer Lily, weighing in at 22 lbs.

New Cria - totally unexpected!!!!

This morning has proven to be quite an interesting day. We have been on cria watch for three of our females that are due this month (one being overdue). After morning chores and a shower I went back out to check on all the females, the girls I'm patiently waiting to deliver were quite comfortable resting chewing their cud. I decided I would go for another walk to the back pasture and check on the other female pen, well low and behold Cover Girl had just given birth to a true black female cria. The funny thing was I was planning on breeding Cover Girl this Spring. I attempted to breed her for the first time last Fall but she never acted ready and would run from the males (no wonder). I assumed she was still immature and would hold off until Spring, Surprise, Surprise. I know last Spring we did have a break in to the girls pen with Teddy and Dante and I didn't think they had a chance to breed anyone, boy was I wrong. I strongly suspect Dante is the father as his mother was a true black. I will know for sure when I send in the blood to match up the DNA.
I happy to say that Cover Girl is the most attentive mother especially for her age. She has plenty of milk. I will post a picture of Golden Touch's Black Lace this afternoon. She weighed in at 18 lbs. 2 oz.

First Cria of the Season Born

With the Summer Heat Wave sweeping across New England, our first Cria of the season was born and it's a girl to boot. Golden Touch's Light My Fire (Tee Tee) gave birth to Summer Sizzle, a 22.6lb light fawn girl. It is Teddy's first Cria on the ground, and we couldn't be happier.

Alpaca Page Updated!

Hey Everyone,

Just wanted to make a post about the new and improved Alpaca Section on our website. We have categorized our herd into Females, Herdsires, and Fiber Pets to make it easier for interested parties to find exactly what they are looking for. We also have added easy to access information on the Alpaca Lifestyle, as well as the Investment opportunities associated with raising Alpaca as livestock.

Now that the section is live, we will be constantly updating pictures, descriptions, and adding new Animals so check back often. If you see something you like, Request More Information on the animal.

We have packets made up of our Investment Quality Females as well as our Herdsires available for Stud to send to interested parties. If you live in the area, schedule a time to come and visit to get a first hand experience with the animals. If you are unable to come out to the farm, we also are able to capture video and images of specific animals so you can really get a good feel for the animal before making a decision. Check back often as our Alpaca Section will always be evolving.

It's baby time again!!!

Cria watch has begun on the farm. Baby time at the farm is always so exciting. It doesn't matter how many births we experience every one is just as exciting as the first one. The four girls due this month are being closely watched, just waiting for the signs of impending labor. The last month of their pregnancy always goes slowly, as they say the last mile is the longest mile. So true! To keep them comfortable, on hot days we spray their belly's down with a house. Even though the temperatures have not been on the high side, it really helps keep their bodies feeling cool and refreshed.
I'm overly anxious to see this crop of cria as they are sired by my two new herd sires, Teddy and Dante. These will be their first kids to hit the ground. If we are lucky enough to catch the birth happening we will try to get a video of it for all of you to see. If we can't get the video we will surely post some photos.

New Video - Birdwatching in May

Now that May has come and gone(almost) the Feeders are really starting to pick up with all kinds of great activity.


Birdwatching on the Farm from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

New Video - Hummingbirds of May

Hummingbirds in May from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

New Video - First Day on the New Grass

GTF's Alpacas - First Day Out of Barnyard from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

You can watch it in full HD Quality here - http://www.vimeo.com/1006506

Spectacular bird watching!

This Spring has been great for bird watching. We have enjoyed the wild turkeys on a daily basis in our pastures and in the yard. I'm glad they find our farm a fruitful place to stay.
The Baltimore Orioles are here in droves, with the apple trees blossoming along with the maple trees they are just all over the place. Check out one of the latest videos and catch one visiting the hummingbird feeder.
We have 5 blue bird nest boxes up and I'm happy to report that 2 out of the 5 are actually occupied by blue birds. I love to see the male blue birds in flight as their color is just magnificent.
The male Goldfinches have turned from a dull olive green to a brilliant yellow hoping to attract the females. Good luck to them as there seems to be a lot of competition.
The hummingbirds are in full swing at the feeders. I purchased larger feeders this year so I won't be filling them twice a day in peak season (then again maybe I will be) The new feeders hold 32 oz. as opposed to 16 oz.
If you enjoy birds it is a great time to get out in the yard and see what is happening in your neck of the woods.
ENJOY!

There's no place like home!

For the last two weeks Chris and I have been on the road at alpaca shows. The first was MAPACA in PA and the last one was Buckeye Alpaca Show in Columbus Ohio. We had an information booth for ( NEAFP) The New England Alpaca Fiber Pool and it was great meeting many of our customers in person and making many friends along the way. Columbus Ohio was a haul, 14 hrs to be exact and driving straight through after a long day made it even seem longer.
Thanks to everyone who stayed behind to take care of the farm, you all did a great job and I really appreciate that. It's nice to be able to go away and know everyone is in good hands. THANK YOU!!!

Bird Watching - Baltimore Oriole Siting

It is not just the Hummingbirds that are back around. Now that the Apple Tree's are in blossom, the Orioles have decided to hang out for a while. Here is a short clip we shot yesterday. Head to Vimeo.com for the full HD version (if your computer can support it).


Bird Watching - Baltimore Oriole from goldentouchfarm on Vimeo.

Hummers finally arrive!

We had our first sighting of the hummingbirds today and it is always like a holiday when they arrive. Last year they showed up on April 29 and I was curious how close to that date would they show and low and behold it's April 30. I wonder if they would of showed up yesterday if the weather had not been so lousy.

New arrival

On Saturday April 12 we had a baby chinchilla born. Mom and baby are both doing well. I'm not sure if it is a male or female yet as I don't want to interfere with the bonding process. He/she looks just like mom, light gray. I'll post a picture in a couple of days.

All eyes to the sky!!!

The hummingbirds should be arriving any day now. They have already been spotted in MA so if you don't have your feeders up already now is a good time to get them out. I've had my feeders up for a couple of weeks and can't wait to spot my first hummer. I'll be sure to let you know when they arrive.