The Lord

We have purchased our first herdsire. Actually, he's a Junior Herdsire, which means he's too young to breed yet, but we're hoping all goes well.

His name is Robasia's Lord Muireach. We call him either "The Lord" or "Muireach". I have some other pretty obnoxious names for him too (My Pretty Boy, for example). We'll start breeding him next year. His first "date" has already been arranged - ask for details sometime.

Rescue update

We haven't had any foster dogs or puppies for a while. My husband's stepfather passed away suddenly in June, and we "inherited" his 12 year old Dalmatian, Moses. Moses is aggressive towards new animals (no trips to the dog park for him). As such, we've decided it's a bad idea to bring new dogs / puppies to the house every few weeks. We'll start fostering again when Moses passes (and let's face it - he's a 12 year old Dalmatian with bad kidneys, so this probably isn't a long term commitment).

My sweet baby Zigmund (see post from 7/22/09) is finally over his mange, and is up for adoption. Check out Shelter from the Storm's web site if you're interested in adopting him. He's such a couch potato, for a young dog. The adoptable dogs are listed in alpabetical order, so of course, he's last on the list.

The new guard dog

We decided to get another Livestock Guardian dog. Patty is great, but she is getting old, and working dogs tend to age faster than house dogs. We wanted to get a puppy while Patty was still active and getting around so she could train the new dog.

Enter Bucky. She is 3/4 Pyrenees, 1/4 Newfoundland. We got her from some alpaca friends of ours in Holland, Michigan, at Sunset Dreams Alpacas. This is the day we brought her home. She was about 14 weeks old then.



The training seems to be going well; Bucky idolizes Patty, and is often seen trotting around the pasture right behind her. She rarely barks, too, which is nice.

One night, we were laying in bed, and we heard a big dog bark. We were a little freaked out because it was unfamiliar. It was Bucky - her little puppy bark was long gone, and she was barking at some perceived threat. Patty was still in the barn, so this was Bucky protecting her herd all by herself.

NAFD Update

Thank you to everyone who came out during National Alpaca Farm Days! We had a wonderful weekend, and great turnout.

Thank you to the fiber artists who came out and share their craft!

Thank you to Cicely Combs who shared her artwork!

Thank you to Lynne Johnson of Sauk Creek Alpacas who brought lots of alpaca knowledge (and some of her beautiful fiber).

All in all, it was a great weekend. Stop back next year - we'll have 3 crias to watch, and a lot more fiber on display! Drop a note if you need socks or scarves for Christmas - info@offbeatacres.com. We'll even gift wrap them!

National Alpaca Farm Days!

Directions from Madison:
Take I-94 East towards Milwaukee
Get off at Exit 244 Hwy N - Cottage Grove / Sun Prairie
Turn left at the bottom of the ramp, northbound on Hwy N
Take the first right onto Hwy TT (four way stop)
Go 3 miles, and turn left on Pierceville Rd
Our farm is the third place on the left.

Directions from Milwaukee:
Take I-94 West towards Madison
Get off at Exit 244 Hwy N - Cottage Grove / Sun Prairie
Turn right at the bottom of the ramp, northbound on Hwy N
Take the first right onto Hwy TT (four way stop)
Go 3 miles, and turn left on Pierceville Rd
Our farm is the third place on the left.

Signs will be posted, once you get off the Interstate!

Come - meet the alpacas!

Offbeat Acres is proud to be participating in National Alpaca Farm Days on September 26 & 27.

We are located at 5453 Pierceville Road, Cottage Grove, WI. National Alpaca Farm Days is a great, free opportunity for the public to come meet alpacas and learn more about these inquisitive, unique animals.

We will also feature barn tours, pictures with the alpacas, fiber demonstrations, local artists, refreshments, and fresh country air. All activities are free.

Alpaca yarn, roving, socks, and scarves will be available for purchase. $1 from every pair of socks and scarf sold will be donated to Shelter from the Storm, an all breed dog and cat rescue serving the greater Madison area. Painting, jewelry, and other art will also be for sale.

For more information, contact Erin Egan, (608) 219-6369, e-mail info@offbeatacres.com or visit www.offbeatacres.com.

Willow update

Willow is doing fine. She's up and running around, and is cute as a button.

Right now, we're treating every day as a gift....