New arrivals and sad farewells.

Well, it would be an understatement to say that this hasn't been a good week. I have shared the sad news on Facebook, so I won't dwell; but my worries about Wellies were well founded...my hopes that it wasn't meningitis were not. There was obviously a niggle of doubt in the fact I mentioned it, and I did start Marbocyl. However, he started to go rapidly down hill on Monday morning and despite a battle by all to save him, we lost him on Wednesday. If there is anything to learn from the postmortem I will share. We are so very sad.

               The beautiful Duke of Wellington...RIP.               

Now, where to start with the next bit of the bad week...I came back from taking Wellies to the VLA for the postmortem, a horrid experience and I was probably not at my best. Anyway, I walked the birthing paddocks to see if any one was looking like birthing...nothing in the Beck Brow paddock. I then walked the livery paddock... nothing...I then walked back passed the shed, whilst talking to Amanda on the telephone..."OMG I will have to go"...There in the shed was one of the black livery females (I won't name names but she is a bit of a grump) with a new born cria.

So this is were the day gets possibly worse...I quickly grab the iodine to spray the naval (the shed floor isn't the cleanest place to birth) and walk towards the dam and cria. I have my head down as I sense she is going to spit at me, and I am speaking in reassuring tones. However, I was not prepared for what happened next...which was my fault as I am so used to my own alpacas being so friendly...and of course the female didn't know me well...but boy did she go for me...she bit my arm and head, pushed me over, jumped on me, then bit my face...so I am on my back with her about to attack me again when I spot a yard brush..and I use it in my defence.

 I managed to push her away and roll out of the shed kicking the door shut behind me. I had forgotten that a delivery driver was outside unloading some wood...he looked horrified as I got to my feet covered in green slime and blood pouring down my face...but mad as I am I couldn't help laughing...what must the scene have looked like? You are allowed to laugh...everyone else has!

I did explain that alpacas are normally very timid creatures, and this behaviour was very unusual. I share the blame as I should have approached more carefully. However, I have since heard that this female has never had her cria weighed because she is so aggressive. The lovely blue black male is 7.5kgs...I will not be beaten! I am rather sore today as you can imagine, but we have come to some kind of a truce...although she is still scary! 

A blue black Prophecy male (dam is shut in the shed!)

Right, Debbie; the longest gestation in alpaca history?..a fat lass with a retained CL...Yes, I had the vet scan her and he found nothing. I know that scanning isn't 100%, and we did debate about giving the Estumate, but we decided that she needed to be induced any way. That was on Wednesday and we have no cria...so it would look like just too many pies...I am going to try mating her again soon.

We have received a photo from New Zealand, of another Timbertop CT Goldmine ET progeny. We just can't believe our luck, that we have managed to purchase a working male who is producing such stunning cria, and has such amazing fleece stats. Exciting times!

A Timbertop CT Goldmine ET cria born this week

On Tuesday we had a delivery...three new arrivals...

Yes that is a lovely grey female cria...no they are not mine...they are additions to the livery girls...and very nice too. Maybe I could get in to greys after all!!