East Chinnock - Countryside & Farming Matters

Countryside & Farming Matters

Bats	Corvids
Deer	Hares
Wildlife	The Cuckoo
Walking In Somerset	Winter (2009) at Eastfield Farm
Hedges & Trees	Dormice
Bluetongue Disease	The Story of the Alpaca
Otters	Cider an Overview
New Disease Hits Oak Trees

Bats There are currently 17 species of bat breeding in the UK. Somerset has confirmed records of 15 of them, (we probably have the other two as well but not 100% confirmed yet). There is a particularly rare bat called the Bechstein's bat that the Bat Conservation Trust is trying to find the distribution of in the UK. Over a four year period (this is the last year) several counties in the South of England are taking part in the project to see if they can find this bat in their counties. Each county is split up into 10km squares and a suitable wood is identified in each of these squares. The wood should be 25 hectares at least in size or be part of a string of woodlands that together make up more than 25 hectares. Once we have selected a woodland and got permission from the owners to survey the wood, we then set up harp traps which are metal frames with lightweight nylon strings attached that the bats fly into and then slide down into a holding pouch at the bottom. The traps are set up and we start catching from an hour after civil twilight for another hour and a half. We have surveyed six woods to date and have been amazed at the variety of bats we have caught, including a female Bechstein's bat in the wood at Thurlbear near Taunton. This is great news as it probably means we have a breeding colony of Bechstein's in Somerset. We have quite a lot of woodlands still to survey and are hoping for many more Bechstein's bats. I will say it's a good thing that I am retired as the earliest I have arrived home after these surveys is 2:30am in the morning. If there is anyone interested in bats then the bat group has a range of walks and surveys as well as work-shops that cover bat identification and bat sound as well. Please contact me for further details or see our website at WWW.somerset bats.org.uk. Lou Pickersgill As well as the bat activities l am also part of the Yeovil Natural History Society and we have recently been asked to survey the old Odcombe tip site owned by Viridor. A small group of us had an initial look at the site last week and because of the minimum intervention that Viridor use on the site it has developed into a really nice place for wildlife. We had Ravens. Blackcaps. Mistle Thrush, Skylarks and Wrens as well as the common birds like Blackbird and Great tit etc. There was also Roe Deer. and Fox as well as a good selection of bugs including several species of hoverfly. The flowers were also very good with early purple orchid just about to come into flower as well as Dyers Greenweed and many others that are native of hay meadows. We are hoping to survey this site now on a regular basis to see how it changes throughout the year. As it is so near the village it may also be a nice place to hold a village walk in the near future. The site is fenced so there is little disturbance from people and it is a lovely place to wander around. The site was originally opened about wartime and it backfilled three valleys before being capped and closed in 2002. It is lovely to see how the natural vegetation has reclaimed the area. *Lou Pickersgill* *Chair Yeovil Natural History Society*
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Corvids There are eight members of the crow family in the UK: carrion crow, rook, jackdaw, raven, hooded crow, chough, magpie and jay. Crows are mostly resident and rarely move far from their breeding grounds, although weather conditions and food availability may force them to move around. In winter, jackdaws and rooks from northern and eastern Europe join our resident crows, especially in eastern parts of the UK. After the breeding season, young crows fledge the nest at around a month old. Jackdaws are fed by their parents for a further month until they are left to their own devices, while young rooks and crows stay with the adults until the late summer. Carrion crows sometimes remain in family groups through the winter. Why flock? Flocking and communal roosting have several benefits for birds, and crows (or ‘corvids’) form single- and multi- species flocks and roosts with other crows. One particular roost in Cornwall numbered 200 carrion crows, 2,500 rooks and 7-8,000 jackdaws! Outside the breeding season, daytime flocks form from early afternoon. They gather around abundant food sources, such as freshly ploughed fields, and large numbers improve the chances of locating sources of food. More pairs of eyes mean safety in numbers, too: predators are more likely to be spotted and the flock can ‘mob’ them and drive them away. Who's a clever bird? Crows are considered perhaps the most intelligent family of birds and experiments have shown they are even capable of arbitrary thought. They can tell the difference between one, two and three, can recognise themselves, set bait for fish and even solve problems using basic tools. Crows are highly opportunistic and adaptable, and can live in a "wide variety of habitats. The most common UK crow species have enjoyed a population increase of around 80-100 per cent in the past 25 years. So they regularly come into conflict with humans, who are perhaps their biggest predators. Rooks and Jackdaws tend to nest communally whereas Crows tend to be more dispersed. Ravens are the largest Corvid species in the UK and our nearest breeding birds are at Ham Hill. We sometimes get them flying over the village and they can be distinguished by their wedge shaped tail and cronking call. *Lou Pickersgill*
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Wildlife With the recent hard weather we have been having it is noticeable how many of the winter thrushes there are about in and around East Chinnock. While out walking the other day I saw both Fieldfares and Redwings in several of the fields around East Chinnock. The Fieldfares are quite large, larger than our song thrush, and quite grey on the back. The Redwings look more like our song thrush although a bit smaller and have red patches under the wings. The other winter migrant about at the moment is the Lapwing or Peewit. (Peewit is the sound it makes). These have quite a lot of white on them and have quite large wings and a crest. The Fieldfares and redwings come to Britain from Scandinavia each winter to escape the cold, although this year the cold came with them! You have probably noticed how many blackbirds there are about as well. Many of these are winter migrants from the continent, in particular from Germany. A few of our blackbirds migrate south for the winter, but even more migrate into our country to escape the worst of the continental winter. You may have seen some over wintering blackcaps as well. They are generally dull grey in colour with the male having a black cap and the female a brown cap. Although they normally eat insects in the summer, at this time of year they will take sunflower hearts as well. They do not have the strong beaks that the titmice have, so they cannot deal with the peanuts, but they do like fat balls and the sunflower hearts. The Dormice we have in the village should all be hibernating now as will the bats and Hedgehogs. The other rodents are still active though and can sometimes be seen around the bird feeders picking up bits of peanut and sunflower hearts that the birds have dropped. Many of our mammals don’t hibernate, but they will slow down their metabolism during the winter to conserve energy when the food supply is limited. Keep an eye out for the Siskin on your feeders. This is similar to a Greenfinch, but more delicate and brighter coloured yellow and black *Lou Pickersgill*
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Hares The Brown hare (Lepus europaeus) was probably introduced from the continent during the Iron age, or by the Romans. The only native hare in Britain is the mountain hare (Lepus timidus). Where the ranges of both overlap then hybridisation can occur, but is considered rare in Britain. Brown hares prefer cultivated areas to non-cultivated (ie pasture) which is probably why there is a larger population in the Norfolk area rather than in the south west as we have more pasture land here. There are hares around the village though so it is possible to see them about. When hares BOX it is usually the female trying to reject the males advances, as she will not mate until fully fertile. It is not normally males fighting. *Lou Pickersgill*
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Deer There are currently six species of deer breeding in Britain. The Red deer, Sika deer, Fallow deer, Roe deer, Muntjac and Chinese water deer. The Red deer and Roe deer are the only two that can be considered native. Fallow deer were introduced by the Normans about a thousand years ago primarily as a parkland deer and they can form herds up to a hundred strong. The Red deer are also a herd deer but tend not to have such large groups. Roe deer tend to be in small family groups. The current deer population is the highest it has ever been in this country since the last ice age. Deer collisions with motor vehicles cost the insurance sector many millions of pounds per year particularly as there are large deer populations in the south east of the country, which is also where most of our population lives, therefore conflict is inevitable. The Red deer (Cervus elaphus) and the Sika deer (Cervus Nippon) can and do interbreed and it is thought that within twenty years there will be no true bred Red deer left in this country, only hybrids between the two types. The white rump patch of the Roe deer is quite distinctive, particularly in winter and the patch will "flare" when it is alarmed. The Roe is unusual among deer as it has a summer rut with delayed implantation of the resulting embryos. It is also unusual in that the antlers are shed from October to December. They regrow immediately and are fully formed by March. The females can sometimes bear antlers and may be true hermaphrodites. Antlered females in "hard horn' and pregnant have been known. These hermaphrodites are known as freemartins. This situation can occur when a doe has twins, one of either sex, and it is believed that the testosterone from the male gets into the placenta of the female twin thus masculinising it. Due to the very large deer population many of our woodlands are under threat. Deer eat the regrowth of trees and therefore no new trees ever get the chance to mature. This is a particular problem at Stourhead where there is a great deal of concern that the beech woods are not being regenerated. *Lou Pickersgill*
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Have you heard the Cuckoo this year? The answer is likely to be No or very occasionally. Known for its song that marks the arrival of Spring, the Cuckoo has unfortunately joined the `red list' of the UK's most threatened bird species. The RSPB conservation director has reported that the “most shocking" decline was that of summer visiting birds like the Cuckoo, which has seen numbers fall by 37% in the last 15 years. Experts are not sure why migrant birds are in decline in the UK. Some 21 of the red listed birds are summer visitors, most of which spend the winter in Sub-Saharan Africa. Research into the cause of the Cuckoo numbers declining will look at whether there are problems with the habitat, either in the UK or in Africa or on the bird's migration route. The species relies heavily on hairy moth caterpillars for food, and with many species of butterfly and moth also suffering declines, a diminishing food supply could be having an impact. Cuckoos have notorious breeding habits, inasmuch as they do not build their own nest. Up to 15- 20 eggs are laid in nests of other species such as the meadow pipit and dunnock. The female Cuckoo removes one of the host birds eggs and deposits her own egg. The young Cuckoo, which hatches out after 12-13 days, ejects eggs or the young of the foster parent. Therefore, it is not surprising to find that the key hosts are also in decline, so it may be that the Cuckoo was ultimately doomed due to failure to provide for their young. Whist no link to climate change has been proved, there are concerns that, with European temperatures rising, migratory birds are losing their ecological advantage over birds which spend the winter in Europe. With declining numbers all of us from very young to old will miss the Cuckoos familiar song. It is sad to contemplate the possibility that future generations of children will never hear the Cuckoo's charismatic bird call. MW Sources: High Science Technology 8070021 .stm Bird Spotting: John Holland.
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New disease hits oak trees A new, highly infectious disease attacking oak tress in Britain is causing concern to the Woodland Trust and others in the field of forestry and conservation. The disease, whose symptoms include multiple, small longitudinal splits in the bark that ooze a dark fluid, is unusual in that it appears to be affecting healthy, mature trees in woods, parks, gardens and on the roadside. To date, it's been found in about 55 different locations, mostly in the Midlands, East Anglia. London and the South-East of England. Until a cause can be identified, it's being referred to as Acute Oak Decline (AOl)) because the pattern of its appearance is sudden and some of the affected trees die shortly after the symptoms become evident. The last major episode like this on oak in Britain occurred in the 1920s, say a scientist from Forest Research, the research arm of the Forestry Commission. That one affected oak leaves and was caused by successive attacks of an insect defoliating the spring growth followed by mildew that killed the recovery summer foliage, whereas this one attacks the inner bark of the stems. The FC is working hard to determine the cause of the disease and are fairly confident that bacteria are involved. *Lou Pickersgill*
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Winter at Eastfield Farm Farming in prolonged cold conditions Love it or hate it, the cold, is one of Earth's natural mechanisms to keep everything in balance. It only becomes significant to us when it becomes noticeable, and that is generally when things start to freeze. The list is endless from taps, pipes and water troughs - which the animals rely on, to frozen slippery slopes which can cause damage to the animals should they slip over, and of course tractors that take on a life of their own! The milking parlour, dirty water pumps, tractors and machinery that we rely on so regularly can mean no end of extra work as they all seem to die on a cold morning. The animals’ biggest threat is the constant and sudden change in temperature from warm, wet, and muggy, to cold, wet and windy. Ironically a prolonged period of cold dry weather sees most animals thrive, so long as their basic needs are met. That means supplementary feeding when grass is unavailable or of poor quality. Animals do not need `mollycoddling' and often animals born outside during a frost will be the most healthy in the long run. As we know in life, the death rate often goes up in winter and although the cold often gets the blame, it can be of great benefit as it acts as a natural predator of bugs and diseases seen in animals and crops, such as aphids in winter corn. Interestingly, winter corn needs a cold period to trigger vernalisation, a process which starts the reproduction stage of the life cycle. Above all else the cold can come and go so quickly, so as to catch us out, that it must be one of the best lessons in being prepared. *Richard Baker, Eastfield Farm*.
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Walking In Somerset EXPLORE MORE WALKS IN 2010 More than 100 Somerset walks to download and print FREE! There's no doubt about it, walking is good for you. It's good for your heart. its good for your lungs, its good for the muscle and bone growth of your children and it's good for your feeling of wellbeing. Strong scientific evidence now supports the many benefits to health of regular walking - it is recommended that we take at least 10,000 steps a day. Studies show that walking can: Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke Lower blood pressure Reduce high cholesterol Reduce body fat Enhance mental well being Walking offers a great way to help kids get the active habit. If parents express excitement about the prospect of a walk in the countryside, they are more likely to transmit this feeling to their children. It's important to treat the walk as an exploration or ad venture and to go at the child's pace, no matter how often they want to stop and look at things; take treats to eat and plenty to drink; and head for some landmark that will appeal to them such as a castle, a playground, an ice cream van or a boating pond. If children experience walking as part of a fin activity they are more likely to want to go again. So, how do you find out what is on offer? John Harris, a keen walker, got fed up with the lack of information on walks that were going on in the County. So, he decided that if he couldn't find what he was looking for - he had better create it! So www. walkinginsomerset.co.uk came into being. www. walkinginsomerset.co.uk gives you all the information you need for the best walking in the County: Details of more than 100 walks to download and print free, details of all the Somerset walking groups, maps and walk books - plus loads more information. So check out the website and get walking! *John Harris*
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Dormice Dormice are relatively rare rodents that sleep for 6 months of the year. They are quite cute with ginger bodies and a furry ginger tail. The other mice (woodmice, housemice etc) do not have a furry tail. While being quite rare in the rest of the country the South Somerset area is a bit of a hotspot for them (I was advised of this by a colleague who works for Natural England). They are in the hedgerows around East Chinnock and probably in some of our gardens as well, but as they are mainly nocturnal are not usually seen. They will be in hibernation now until the Spring. Hazel is one of their main Autumn foods and the shrub is very common in this area. They also like Honeysuckle as they use the bark from it to make their ball shaped nests. Other native shrubs like hawthorn and blackthorn also provide a food source. So to encourage them plant Hazel, Hawthorn, and Honeysuckle in your gardens and keep an eye out for tennis ball sized nests on the ground in Winter or high in the shrubs in Summer.
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The Importance of Hedges and Hedgerow Trees Over the last few years it has increasingly been realised that hedgerows are the highways for wildlife. The hedgerows themselves and in particular the hedgerow trees within them provide a whole range of habitats in a relatively small area. In the past Elm was a common hedgerow tree valued for its timber as well as for shade, shelter, food, nesting opportunities and a stepping stone between woodland habitats. Sadly with Dutch Elm Disease mature Elms are now very rare (there used to be several tree preservation orders on Elms in the village in the 1970s, but these trees have now gone). Oak and Ash are now our commonest hedgerow trees, but there is also Holly, Sycamore, Willows and Birches now as well. Because of the increasing urbanisation of our country. hedgerows in the countryside and hedges in gardens are of particular importance. Because the landscape we see around us is totally man made (the natural landscape without people would revert to woodland with glades) we must try and enhance these woodland edge features as much as possible. Many hedgerows around the country are either over managed or neglected. Typically over-managed hedgerows have been cut at the same height for so long that gaps have appeared and the stems have become gnarled and twisted. Neglected hedgerows on the other hand have become so tall that they have lost their shrub layer and are in danger of collapse. They can be rejuvenated though. One way to keep the biodiversity of the hedge is instead of cutting at the same height each time to cut 10cm higher at each cut This will only add a height of one metre in over 30 years when the hedge can then be rejuvenated. Rather than cut hedges every year, a two or preferably three year cycle is much better to improve biodiversity. This allows the shrubs to flower and fruit as most flowering occurs of one year old stems. This will also provide food for wildlife in winter as well. The wildlife that benefit most from hedgerows and in particular hedgerow trees are bats and Dormice. Bats trawl the hedges for insects each night and Pipistrelles in particular can be seen flying up and down the hedgerow picking up midges and small bugs. (They can each eat up to 3000 midges a night, so are very useful!). Hedges are crucial for Dormice and the best ones will have Honeysuckle Hazel. Hawthorn, Blackthorn and other native species within them. So the message is plant hedges and trees wherever you can otherwise we will end up with only humans on this planet. *Lou Pickersgill*
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Update on Bluetongue How did the nasty sheep and cattle disease, blue-tongue, gain a foothold in northern Europe? It now seems that calves may play a key role, but this raises further questions about where the latest form of the virus sprang from. The BTV8 strain of bluetongue virus appeared in Belgium in 2006. No one knows how it arrived, but instead of dying away over the Winter along with the midges that carry it, the virus somehow survived and invaded much of North West Europe in 2007. It is expected to resume spreading soon, as the weather warms. According to the UK's institute for Animal Health in Pirbright, there is a "distinct possibility" that the virus might overwinter by infecting unborn calves. In January this year, pregnant cows which had recovered from bluetongue infections and no longer carried the virus were exported from Holland to Northern Ireland, which is free of bluetongue. In February three of these cows gave birth to calves which carried the virus. When biting midges reappear in the Spring, such calves would become a fresh source of bluetongue virus for them. As a result the institute suggests additional controls to be targeted at newborn animals. Intriguingly, the only bluetongue virus ever seen to cross the placenta of infected mothers to infect their foetuses was a laboratory-adapted strain used in experiments with sheep in the 1970s. This raises the possibility that Europe's BTV8 strain might be descended from are search strain or a vaccine. *Précis from scientific publications by Lou Pickersgill*
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CIDER.........An Overview! Cider is an alcoholic drink made from fermented apple juice. It has always been very popular in Britain, Spain and France and spread far and wide to the colonies when migrants took the seeds for the cider apple trees out with them. Cider is thought to have been brewed in Britain since pre-Roman times, but it apparently became more popular after the Norman conquest of 1066. It's popularity at that time is thought to be due to Norman interest and Monastic farming. Indeed the Monasteries would have sold spiced ciders made to their own secret recipes. Also at this time orchards were being planted specifically for the cider industry. By the twelfth century, it was realised that most of Somerset was suitable for growing apple trees. Glastonbury was particularly renowned and acquired the name of 'Avalon' derived from the mythical Celtic `Isle of the Apple Orchard' which was absorbed into Arthurian legend. The land around Glastonbury is still renowned as one of the best cider apple areas. English farmhouse cider, is cider made by the traditional method, using an ale-type yeast. It is light brown in colour, usually still, and cloudy. Mass produced cider is still or fizzy, may be golden brown or very pale and is always clear due to filtration. This cider may be sweet, medium or dry and the brands are well known and include Strongbow, Woodpecker, Scrumpy Jack and Dry Blackthorn. In Britain cider making is mainly concentrated around Somerset. Hereford and Devon, but Dorset and Kent will no doubt have some claim to Having made their mark in this traditional industry. Spanish cider has complex flavours which can include honey and vanilla as well as tasting strongly of apple. It is usually bottled in the same way as wine. The principle cider regions are Basque and Asturias in northern Spain where the climate is cooler and often wet! As a recent visitor to the area I can vouch that the Cider is very good! French cider is paler and sweeter than English cider. It is made of wine-type yeast and usually undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle (in the same way as Champagne) to produce a very fizzy drink. Cider production is mainly centred around Normandy and Brittany. Any apples can be used for making cider, but the best ciders are made from a blend of apples more related to crab apples than eating apples. These varieties are `bittersweet' and `bitter sharp', and they provide a high level of tannin, acidity and natural sugar. These apples are more fibrous in texture and easier to press and can be seen in the orchards at this time of year all over the South-West, not least on our very own Bridge Farm. For centuries apples have formed the backbone of the rural economy in the south west, and the maintenance of good orchards was foremost in the minds of farmers, for without good cider he could not attract a steady workforce. The ration for a strong man was four to six pints a day and at least double at harvest. In 1840 the ration for women was three pints and for boys aged nine one pint a day. Overtime and rent were often paid in cider, it was a currency in times of hardship! With the current financial crisis, maybe that era is about to Return? Whilst researching the history of cider it became obvious that this product has without doubt made an extraordinary contribution to the generations and times of many local people. If any reader comes from a family who played their part in the history of cider, please supply me with the details and next year we will have regular articles on the many aspects of the farmhouse cider industry. *Meg Wellard* Back To Top

Otters

Otters live in and around water. Using 10-20 miles of river, or large areas of lake, marsh and streams, they are always elusive. Many live on the coast, but need to reach fresh water to be able to clean salt from their fur. They eat fish, frogs and a few moorhens and coots.

They mark their presence with droppings called "spraints" which are greenish black but fade paler because of the fish bone and scale content. They are left in prominent places besides water, such as a bridge support, on a rock, the point where two streams join or high up under an overhang scoured from the outside of a bend.

They need freedom from disturbance, a clean environment and plenty of fish. By improving water quality we can help otters to return to places they previously occupied.

Otters can be detected by their 6cm wide footprints in wet mud or sand, with a round front and a long hind pad and five tear shaped toes. Cubs are born in dens called Holts which can be in tree roots, a hole in a bank or under a pile of rocks. The cubs emerge after 10 weeks and stay with the female for a year before dispersing. Otters can live up to 10 years, but realistically average only 4.

The otter catches fish by using its whiskers. Eyesight is poor and in the water it closes its ears and nostrils. Its whiskers detect vibrations and the movement of water so it can hunt in very difficult conditions.

Otters have been seen in the East Chinnock brooks and are known to be in the river Parret at Haselbury Mill.

WWF and the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust are working together on a suitable habitat for otters moving through the district. They are doing this by creating an historic wetland area. WWF is also surveying parts of Cheshire and Essex for otters and hopes to monitor their movements in these counties.

There are proposals for two Special Areas of Conservation for otters and WWF is lobbying for more protected sites so that habitat suitable to otters and other aquatic animals can be maintained. Such activities builds on WWF initiatives to try and ensure that carnivores and people across Europe live in Harmony with each other.

Lou Pickersgillplus a short précis from the WWF Web Site.)

The Story of The Alpaca

I am sure that everyone who lives in East Chinnock appreciates the extraordinary site of the herd of Alpaca in Westway fields and a few pet animals in the grounds of Patricia and Tony Fleet’s property. Although Nick Weaver has spoken about the alpaca to village organisations, I intend, with Nick Weavers support, to serialise the history of these splendid creatures in a few issues of the Chimes. After all there are at least half as many animals in the village as there are people, so it makes sense to know their history and the role of the British in alpaca history.

Alpacas are much more than just cute little “fuzzy camels”! These South American camelids have a very interesting and colourful history. A better understanding of their history lends a greater appreciation for these wonderful creatures and the opportunities they provide.

In The Beginning The fossil records indicate that there was an alpaca like animal that lived in North America once upon a time. All of those ancient animals died out, so today the alpaca is found indigenously in just South America. Heaviest concentrations are in the countries of Peru, Bolivia, and Chile, with smaller populations in Ecuador, Argentina and Paraguay. There is an especially heavy population around Lake Titicaca area, on the boarder between Bolivia and Peru.

Nobody knows for sure how long alpaca has been tamed, but it is undoubtedly thousands of years. Two native groups, the Quechuas and Aymaras, are credited with first domesticating these animals, consuming their meat, spinning their fibre into clothing, and burning their manure for fuel. Although little is known about how the Quechuas and Aymaras cared for the alpaca in the ancient days, it is clear that the alpaca readily took on a significant role in everyday life, much like the bison did for the native people of North America. The story of the alpaca becomes much clearer beginning in the early 1400’s with the formation of the Incan Empire.

In the 1400’s the Incas conquered virtually the entire western half of South America. They were noted for their weaving skills and only designated courtiers were permitted to spin and weave alpaca fibre. Clothes made from alpaca fleece was reserved exclusively for member of the royal family and highest government officials.

Unfortunately the story of the alpaca goes downhill dramatically with arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the early 1500’s. The Spaniards brought with then their own European livestock - Sheep, (particularly Marino sheep) goats, chickens etc. Those animals competed for scarce pastureland and damaged the fragile terrain along the coastal and mountainous regions of (what is today Peru). Additionally the European livestock carried diseases to which the alpacas were not immune; so thousands of alpaca died.

As more boatloads of Spaniards arrived, with the sole intention of capturing the land and it’s treasures for the Spanish monarchy resulted in the alpacas becoming a means to an end. The conquisitors became increasingly belligerent towards the indigenous people. They quickly recognised the importance of alpacas to the indigenous people in the sociological and religious sense and for provision of food and clothing. The Spanish soon figured out that if they deprived the local people of their alpaca they would be much easier to control. In brief it is believed that 90% of the alpaca population were killed and 80% of the indigenous people in rural areas also died. Fortunately the Quechuas, Aymaras and Incas tribes managed to outsmart the Spaniards by hiding some alpaca herds in a remote area of the Andes at an altitude of 3.000-5,000 m. Only the most hardy animals could survive living on low quantities of low protein vegetation.

Fast forwarding the “ historical clock” brings us to the mid-1800’s when something truly wonderful happened for the alpaca.. That is the “discovery” by the British on how to process Alpaca fleece on a large-scale commercial basis — it’s something that may not have happened if it had not been for the vision of one man. The late 1700’s and early 1800’s saw the arrival of the industrial Revolution throughout Europe. This was the era of Charles Dickens, of very polluted cities with sooty air, cholera-laden waterways, and child labour. It was in this environment that a man, by the name of Sir Titus Salt acquired a package of raw Alpaca fleece. He saw its tremendous potential for making soft yarns and garments and set about the task of modifying the existing equipment at his mill to accommodate the lanolin free fibre of the Alpaca. He then developed a luxuriously soft alpaca cloth that came into favour with the British royal family, spreading later to the aristocrats of continental Europe. Sir Titus became a very wealthy man. He reinvested his wealth in building a large alpaca exclusive mill called “Saltaire” in the British countryside , providing modern housing for his workers and improving both their living conditions and their productivity.

Thanks to Sir Titus, the modern world has alpaca included among its luxury fibres, available all the year round all over the globe. Alpaca is considered by many leading fashion designers to be a pre-eminent fibre with which to work singularly, or in combination with other luxury fibres like angora, mohair, silk and cashmere.

In the Twentieth century, the alpacas cruel treatment suffered under the Spanish conquistadors five centuries earlier returned with vengeance. Shifting economic forces, drought and some fifteen years of alpaca killings by the “Sendero Luminoso” (“Shining path”) terrorists in the prime alpaca-rearing regions wreaked havoc. In some areas of Peru the alpaca population may have decreased by as much as 50% in some regions from 1967 to 1992. It was against this backdrop that the governments of Bolivia, Chile, and Peru lowered their restrictions against exporting alpacas, both as a means by which to provide a source of income for the rural farmers, and also as something of a rescue operation to preserve the alpaca.. Breeders and importers from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, England and Israel were among the first to go to South America to select a few animals for Importation into their countries. This presented the opportunity to save the alpaca and these very attractive and pleasant animals can be seen in many areas of the UK including of course on Nick Weavers Farm in East Chinnock.

Meg Wellard

The Story of the Alpaca is a précis from an article by The Alpacas Owners and Breeders Association and was facilitated by Nick Weber