Another cria rejection?....

Well, after a very long wait (370 days) Beck Brow Fine Romance went into labour this morning. She had been humming away for a week, so we have been expecting a delivery any day.

 For those of you not familiar with Roma, she is the dam of Beck Brow Foxy Sox (born in 2012). Foxy Sox, who was bottle fed... because her mum didnt want her! Roma didnt have a cria last year, and we were rather hoping she might have gotten over her self importance, and look after her cria this time. So some slight anxiety...

Beck Brow Foxy Sox (born 2012)

We viewed from a distance, through the long lense of the camera...and first signs were good, she didnt seem freaked out in any way by the second stages of labour...

also it was white (we decided that she didnt like Sox being fawn, as she had ran around after all the white cria in 2012). In fact she seemed remarkable chilled, not even bothering with the final push...

Not bothering to move is; Beck Brow Cloud Nine, our ninth female delivered on Sunday by Chaska. It's as if she is saying; "hey, I haven't featured on the blog yet"...

Still trying to ignore the fact that she has a cria crawling out (a leg still inside in photo below), Roma doesn't bother to stand...

But he (yes, our first boy of the year) is determined to meet his mum (leg still inside...we are avoiding any interference)...it is looking hopeful as she looks round (below)....

After a quick dry and spray of the cord; I sat him next to Roma, and stood away...It was looking good...

 What a little star, he was up on his feet and looking for milk within 15 minutes. Roma was not having him near her udder, but she was calling him...at this point I was hoping that she just needed to pass the placenta, then she would bond. However, he was up and away and running around. She called but didn't go after him. I returned him a number of times but she wasn't interested.

We have now closed them together in a pen outside on the grass (with Lady Gaga and Posh Pants for company). Experience tells me not to hold up too much hope. Unfortunately Roma does not appear to have much of a mothering instinct. It is so sad to watch...another cria that will have to be bottle fed and not cared for by his mother...she sniffs the cria but walks away.

I am sure that the lovely Ep Cambridge Solstice will have him in her creche. She is pictured below with Beck Brow Snooty Boots (left). As mentioned in my last blog, Solstice runs the creche, as well as paddock protection services...

                     

busy in the creche...

calling in Stardust for paddock protection duty (that will be Velvet in the grass!)

Finally on a happy note...some cria who do get looked after by their dams...Juno (St Patrick) and After Eight with Valentine (black Sabbath)