When chickens and guinea fowl succeed!
Why we have an alpaca farm? →
We think the video says it all! Daniela hanging out with Neve-Maria. We breed friendly, healthy and gorgeous huacaya alpaca's.
We are the only huacaya alpaca breeder in Wollombi Valley. Contact us for alpaca's as pets and we also have milled and raw fleece available for sale.
Australian Alpaca Association
The Australian Alpaca Association are coordinating the 2018 Australian Alpaca Weekend over 5-6 May!
It’s a great opportunity, whether you are interested in joining this growing agricultural industry, thinking of owning just a few alpacas as pets, or simply want to learn more, visit a farm and talk to a breeder in your area.
Visit: www.alpaca.asn.au/alpaca-info/australian-alpaca-week to find an alpaca farm near you!
Alpaca Grooming Day
Keep an eye on our Facebook page for the next Grooming Day. You will be taught how to handle, hold and cut alpacas toe nails. We do this every three months and if it has rained, its even better as their toenails are lovely and soft to cut, making the whole process nice and swift. It’s also the day to check their fleece, teeth, eyes and give them a cuddle or two.
Daniela with Bianca, Sophia and Zoey taking a casual walk around the paddocks.
Fun fact: Alpacas come in two types: Suri and the huacaya . The huacaya has a wooly, dense, crimped fleece — like a teddy bear, giving it a very wooly appearance. The suri's are long, shiny and dreadlocked looking. At Little Valley Farm, we specialise in the huacaya. (Pronounced wah-KI-ya).
Photo courtesy of Jim Merchant
Meet Sophia and Loren
Our beautiful girl, Sophia arrived at Little Valley Farm about over four years ago. She was so pretty with her glamorous fluffy ears and long skinny legs. She was glam but over the years, she become goofy and oh so playful. She went from Sophia Loren to Lucille Ball!
She was soo goofy in fact, we wondered what she would be like as a mother. Well, our girl did not disappointed. She produced a lovely little fella named Loren and then a second male, one year later. She is now feeding and caring for her new cria and loves being a mum. I do have to say, these animals are wonderful with their young and all day and night long you hear mum calling for her bub when they wonder to far. Its just simply lovely having little cria about. I think Sophia, would agree with me.
Here is Sophia and her bub.
Lilly and her bub born around the same time. So we have double trouble pronking about the farm.
Contact Little Valley Farm for alpaca sales from wethers, females with cria-at-foot and pregnant females. Training days on how to care and maintain alpaca's can be arranged. Simply email us your requiremnets and we will send you a quote.
Drought impact in Hunter Valley likely to extend into winter as farmers stock up on hay
Daniela Riccio's Little Valley Farm interviewed by ABC Newcastle regarding the drought in the Lower Hunter Valley.
As you can see from the images, it took its toll on the farm but my cattle and alpaca's remained nice and healthy, thanks to us hand feeding the last year. Me... well, I look exhausted by the 43-45 degree summer days. Click on the link to read the full article.
Words and images courtesy of Robert Virtue, ABC Newcastle.
LAGUNA FARMER FORCED TO BUY FEED FOR OVER A YEAR, AS DRY CONDITIONS BITE IN HUNTER
Well here, I am again, looking rather exhausted during the summer drought. The ABC Newcastle was here to interview us and several other farmers about the lack of rainfall in the Hunter Valley.
Click on the link to read the full article: https://www.facebook.com/1233newcastle/posts/10155957223377591
Photos and words courtesy of Robert Virtue, ABC Newcastle
Dry Drone!
On a stinking hot day in January 2018, Doggie Drone visited our farm and we just managed to stand out in the stinking hot sun for twenty minutes otherwise we were going to roast away! Anyways, Perry captured how dry our little farm is during this drought. I do have to say, looking at vid from this angle, the farm was looking worse than I thought and yearned for some rain and long long green grass.
And as I write this, we are still waiting for rain. Still waiting!
Thank you to Perry for this amazing drone clip.
Hunter Magazine
Little ValleyFarm featured in the Hunter And Coastal Magazine.
From globe trotter to alpaca farmer - am sitting trying to work out how I got here?
17 MUST DO HUNTER VALLEY EXPERIENCES
Little Valley Farm featured in Wine Selector Magazine.
LUSH LAVENDER
Daniela Riccio bought Little Valley Lavender Farm five years ago and while she still grows over 100 lavender bushes, the farm is mostly an organic garlic producer, alpaca breeding base and fleece retailer, bee keeper and miniature cattle grazier. It's is also a part of the Department of Primary Industries' Visit My Farm program, whereby city slickers can spend a day learning about farm life.
Words and images courtesy of Shonagh Walker
'Whodunit': Eagle hunting guinea fowls at Hunter Valley farm caught on camera
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-01/eagle-hunting-guinea-fowls-hunter-valley-caught-on-camera/8486226
Read MoreAgriculture tourism project aiming to break down city-country divide in New South Wales →
On 16th March 2017 Little Valley Farm was featured on the ABC Newcastle radio and internet regarding the 'visit my farm' programme. Daniela Riccio was interviewed by Robert Virtue of the ABC. Click on the link to watch the video.
Photos and words courtesy of ABC Newcastle, Robert Virtue.