Nina had her cria at about 2:00pm today. It’s a girl, and we’re calling her “Humbug” (because she hums fairly constantly) until we come up with a real name.
Here she is at less than an hour old.
Do these legs come with an operating manual?
Happy Turkey- and Tofurky-day to those of you in my homeland.
May all your gastronomic excesses bring only slight discomfort.
Luna wishes she was there.
This is our usual “resting” spot on our bush walk. It’s just inside the northern most boundry of our block. That little yellow house to the left of Luna’s head is ours, and is only about a 50 meters inside southern boundry of our property. In between are lots of ups and downs. It makes for a good walk.
We continue to have weird weather for Spring (as you can see in the grey-sky of the photo), with most of the last few weeks being over-cast or even snowy, interspersed with the ocassional hot & humid day. What would really be great is a week of spectacular downpours followed by the usual mild sunny Spring weather.
She’s due any day now.
Recently she’s been spending a lot of time sitting kushed or lying flat on her side, presumably because the baby is too heavy to be comfortable in any other position.
to see pictures of the babies. How exciting.
Baby – singular. Twins are very rare, and rarely survive. We’re hoping for girl.
Alpacas are quite civilized, and tend to have their cria between breakfast and lunch. When Icaught sight of them two days ago, Nina’s udders were still not showing any sign of her having “dropped” her milk, so I’m thinking she’s still a few days to a few weeks off.
At nine-years-old, Nina’s an experienced mother – so I’m trying not to worry or get impatient.
that they like day time deliveries. Do they tend to need no help so you can just be a very interested bystander?
From everything I’ve read, Alpacas rarely have trouble birthing and usually take about 20 minutes to give birth, and another hour to pass the afterbirth. I’m planning on staying close to home during the early parts of the day until the baby comes – just in case.
The people we bought her from live only a few kilometers away, and will gladly come to help if needed.
If you’re around during the actual birth, it would be really cool to have pictures.
anyone would have to ask. 😉
It’s probably why I’ve never been asked to attend a human birth.
Imogen’s brother’s wife is German. when they had their daughter we got called a few hours after she arrived and I was able to email photos to Oma and Opa in Germany later that same day. They were thrilled. My german got a severe work out as well, when I called to tell them that “Ich habe Fotographeren zu Ihrem email geschickten.” Or something to that effect.
why would you want photos of that?
I’ve never understood why people like watching any kind of births, unless you know, they brought it about, in which case you have a legitimate and over-rising interest in seeing the results.
But apart from that, extended viewing of straining, tearing, bleeding, mucous and slime, followed by more bleeding… what the heck’s the attraction?
I speak, you understand, as a vet’s daughter who say waaaaay too many sheep and cow births in particular.
Sorry, I missed the actual birth. I’d been checking her every few hours and we went from no baby to baby between checks.
We’ve dried out and had a drink.
What a little darling she is!
What wonderfully wobbly, knobby legs.
Is the name criamy?
Girl or boy or have you been able to check yet?
I need to learn to read the text instead of just looking at the pictures.
What a pretty little cria! Hummy looks just like her (his?) momma.
I see that, now. So good you got your baby girl, as you wanted. She and her mom will look so much alike when she gets big.
Congrats keres. She’s a beautiful baby.
It’s early Saturday morning here, and I just went out to check on mum and bub (Australianism).
Both are doing very well and Humbug got up and had her breakfast while I was there.
Inti is not happy that he’s been “demoted” and is being a big pest across fence separating him from his mum and little sis.
It’s very foggy at the moment, but it should burn off. I’ll get some more pics (and better ones) once it does.
I’m not dirty, I don’t need to be cleaned up. Ask Hopeful — he’ll tell you, I’m not dirty.
who has become one with the earth.
Fortunately, Luna likes a good toweling. Otherwise she’d rarely get let into the house.
Giddy’s normal approach is to wait until it all falls or is rolled off but it was within an hour till dinner and she wanted in so she could follow me everywhere until I fed her.
Yeah, those northern clime dog coats are great the way the dirt falls right off them once it drys out.
Luna’s finally shed the last of her winter undercoat. Which means she has less tolerance of getting rained on, and now wants to come in whenever she’s nicely damp.
And speaking of puppy, she’s just come to the front door – presumably for breakfast.