Bright future

Determined to keep learning and improve her herd Nicola Grant was thrilled when her work paid off and the Solomons Alpacas’ show team of six all came home with rosettes on their first outing to the South of England Show, writes Alpaca editor Liz Mason

Nikki started with a bigger herd than most when she bought 19 alpacas and started Solomons Alpacas, with her husband Jon in 2019.

After looking for the perfect piece of land with some water and a big tree the couple found the ideal property at Blackhorse Farm, in Hampshire.

A former DJ and civil servant at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Nikki now works full time with the Solomons herd which has grown to 38 alpacas. “Our intention was to find a small piece of land – about an acre with a big tree and a little bit of water. We have never been big holiday people so this was going to be our retreat,” Nikki explains.

While they were looking for the ideal place for their retreat the couple visited a property with alpacas. Although she had been around horses for most of her life, and trained as a riding instructor with the British Horse Society (BHS), the visit was the first time Nikki had come into contact with alpacas.

“When I met the alpacas one in particular, as I know now, was an incredibly friendly alpaca and kept following me around, nibbling at my ears, and I said to my husband I’d love to have some when we have our own place, to cut the grass.”

Jon agreed – providing Nikki looked after them. But when they bought more land than they expected the couple also bought more alpacas than planned and Jon too now works full time with the herd.

Nikki says: “We found nearly seven acres and at the same time as the sale went through I accidentally came across a herd of alpacas that were being sold because the owner was moving on to do other things.”

After researching everything she could about alpaca ownership, and the pedigree of their potential new herd, Nikki and Jon bought seventeen females. “The real surprise was when the owner said ‘of course we will cover them’ although we were unsure how many were in fact pregnant,” Nikki adds.

The following summer nine cria were born. The dams were all maiden females and while there were some issues with milk supply the births were fairly straightforward – only one required intervention because the cria’s leg was bent back.

‘Chance in a million’

There have now been 27 births at Solomons Alpacas with one heartbreaking and unexplained loss in 2020 and one female cria who last season survived against all expectations. Born with apparent narcolepsy (a rare sleep disorder in alpacas), Nikki and Jon refused to give up on her.

“We were advised that our best choice would be to put her to sleep. But she grew out of it after about 10 days which proved it wasn’t actually narcolepsy,” Nikki says.

“She was literally like a bag of bones. There was no life in her at all. We tried giving her injections of vitamin B1 which would wake her up for a few seconds, and if you held her to her dam’s teats she would suckle, but the minute you let her go she would fall to the floor. We didn’t think she would survive overnight.”

However the cria, called Solomons Chance In A Million, grew into a healthy young female and went onto win first in her class at the South of England Show in April. “She did very well, and to bring home a red ribbon for us was amazing,” Nikki says.

Chance was one of six homebred girls that made up the Solomons’ show team at the South of England. To Nikki’s delight they won two firsts, three seconds, two fourths and a reserve champion. “It was my first ever show and all but one were animals that I have bred. We also sold a boy who won third for his new owner, so every animal there with a Solomons name won a rosette.”

A reserve champion win for Solomon’s Cassiopeia, a junior grey female, with “an incredibly soft” fleece was also unexpected, although Nikki was hopeful she would do well. “To take six and come back with seven rosettes, including one for sire’s progeny, was incredible. It really took my breath away and showed our breeding policy is going the right way.”

Encouraged by the comments from judge Jay Holland and the support she received from other owners Nikki plans to continue to show locally. “We had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed it, but I will never compromise the welfare of the animals – their welfare is paramount and I will always make sure they are comfortable at shows, and will not travel more than two hours with them” she adds.

Breeding the best

Having spent many hours learning, and researching alpaca breeding, Nikki’s aim is to produce top quality alpacas, particularly greys. “I want to improve the alpacas we are breeding but I’m also looking to improve alpacas generally. I’ve passed the BAS assessment courses, including the beginners, intermediate and advanced courses and I was going to continue to become a judge but the physical demands meant I wasn’t able to continue and qualify as a judge.”

A riding accident has left Nikki with back issues, but she doesn’t rule out further judge’s training as she says this will help her to improve her knowledge. “I am doing well with the alpacas I am producing but I want to breed the best possible fibre animals I can,” she adds.

As part of their breeding policy Nikki and Jon have introduced four females with grey bloodlines into the herd. “I particularly love the colour, and have learnt to spin by hand. I have a spinning wheel and have been spinning since August.

“We have a grey boy and I have recently been spinning his fleece straight from the bag without carding it first. The yarn has a variegated effect from white through to black and back again which I just love.”

Perfect place

After finding their ideal farm, with streams and mature oak trees, care for the environment is a priority. Nikki has taken a course in using faecal egg counts for worm control. Avoiding routine use of chemicals on the land and on the animals where possible is better for the environment and is in line with being frugal, she says. “When we had horses we would only worm them when necessary – it is better for the animals and the planet, and it also saves money.”

The couple grow their own hay and Nikki has a love, and knowledge of wildlife and the countryside acquired as a child from her grandfather. The farm is in a beautiful, peaceful rural area and Nikki appreciates all it has to offer, including the red kites and owls that regularly fly overhead.

Nikki and Jon have found their rural idyll and, while it may not be the retreat they planned, the farm and the alpacas have brought a lifestyle and potential business that offers a bright future.