Sunday, December 12, 2010
Farming Challenges
Winter always presents special challenges to life on the farm. Whether it's navigating icy roads on the way back from the Co-op with a load of feed (thankful for the extra weight in back!) or overcoming the shell-shock from a more- than-doubled electric bill (due to bucket and cria heaters being on nonstop), challenges are as common and unique as the snowflakes that fall this time of year.
Challenges make this venture rewarding and are a natural part of navigating this lifestyle change called raising alpacas. Whether its learning a new skill, trying to effectively market, or making good breeding decisions; I always feel good when I figure something out and actually become proficient at it.
I have published an article on this site on a challenge that many non-medical people have -- calculating drug dosages. I have the advantage of being educated as a pharmacist, so I learned how to do this proficiently early in my education. In the article below, I share an easy formula for calculating prescribed or recommended doses based on your alpaca's weight. By understanding the concept and practicing several times you will become comfortable doing this, and feel good about it too.