Tuesday May 6, was an incredible day on this farm. Usually alpaca crias are born between 10Am and 2 PM. Sergio and Anna had finished for the day and were leaving around 2:30PM to go get their boys from school.
I got a call on the cell and the heavy Spanish voice said "BABY"...Well, that meant that we had a cria on the ground. But when i got to the pasture and Sergio was headed up the hill, i did not see a cria on the ground. What i saw was a mama way out in the field. When she turned around, there was a head and one leg protruding from her hind side. We got the big towels and convinced her to stand and after flipping the other fetlock free, the 22 pound white Symphony's Sonata was in this world and breathing on his own. Sonata is being held by his owner, Penny Millar in the above photo.
I got a call on the cell and the heavy Spanish voice said "BABY"...Well, that meant that we had a cria on the ground. But when i got to the pasture and Sergio was headed up the hill, i did not see a cria on the ground. What i saw was a mama way out in the field. When she turned around, there was a head and one leg protruding from her hind side. We got the big towels and convinced her to stand and after flipping the other fetlock free, the 22 pound white Symphony's Sonata was in this world and breathing on his own. Sonata is being held by his owner, Penny Millar in the above photo.
While all this was happening, Tiarra, my grand dam, put her head over Charisma, the mama in labor's back and groaned. I did not pay immediate attention even though both of these females were due on this exact date!
So, we took Charisma and Sonata up to the bonding pasture, cleaned him up, dipped his navel stump, checked the mama for colostrum and all seemed to be right on schedule. The placenta presented later, but Sergio thought it best if they leave. They left to go get into their truck down the hill.
As I was attending to the new cria, another phone call "BABY". So i dropped everything, got some fresh towels and headed to the lower pasture and surely enough Tiarra had delivered her cria, Coeur le Candeaux was now on the ground and reddish brown, but that was the dirt! Tiarra had her in their dirt bath bowl. The cria is snow white, but could not tell it at that time.
So, here we go again, taking a mama and a baby up to the bonding pasture.
So, we are now : dipping two navels, on placenta watch for two mamas, got to make sure two babies are hooked up with the nursing thing and that all are resting quietly for this first 36 hours. I truly believe that the "First 36" is critical.
A cria never gets over a good beginning or a bad one.
The photo tells the story.
Now, here we are one week later and these babies are best friends, the mamas take turns watching them. They are in a bigger pasture and will be integrated with the main herd this week.
God is truly good. He blesses the faithful and I am here to tell you that He runs my life.
MCMx
So, we took Charisma and Sonata up to the bonding pasture, cleaned him up, dipped his navel stump, checked the mama for colostrum and all seemed to be right on schedule. The placenta presented later, but Sergio thought it best if they leave. They left to go get into their truck down the hill.
As I was attending to the new cria, another phone call "BABY". So i dropped everything, got some fresh towels and headed to the lower pasture and surely enough Tiarra had delivered her cria, Coeur le Candeaux was now on the ground and reddish brown, but that was the dirt! Tiarra had her in their dirt bath bowl. The cria is snow white, but could not tell it at that time.
So, here we go again, taking a mama and a baby up to the bonding pasture.
So, we are now : dipping two navels, on placenta watch for two mamas, got to make sure two babies are hooked up with the nursing thing and that all are resting quietly for this first 36 hours. I truly believe that the "First 36" is critical.
A cria never gets over a good beginning or a bad one.
The photo tells the story.
Now, here we are one week later and these babies are best friends, the mamas take turns watching them. They are in a bigger pasture and will be integrated with the main herd this week.
God is truly good. He blesses the faithful and I am here to tell you that He runs my life.
MCMx
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