Today we were all set to go get hay. There are 190 bales just a few miles away waiting for us to pick up, bring home, and stack for the fall. Just as J got the trailer hooked up, I peeked out back to check on the ladies before we left and there was a cria's head and two legs sticking out of Bay's back side!!
Bay wasn't due until 9/1/2012 but keep in mind we set those dates on 350 days gestation, birth can happen as early as 335 days and be full term. In fact there are times a cria is born before 335 days and is fully cooked. At the same time, there are some at day 350+ that are born and have some prematurity. They cook at different rates. So while it feels "early" for this birth, it wasn't. And the cria was fully cooked: eyes bright, alert, ears erect, and teeth erupted.
This is a cria from our dam, Butterscotch Bay, bred to a male from Ashton Stone Alpacas, Incan Alchemy:
She was sitting up, and trying to nurse in no time at all:
She actually did have to stand before really nursing, but she got that very quick:
2 comments:
Congrats! such a cutie too. is this the last?
Linda ~ we have two more due yet this summer. Lots of babies :)
Cara
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