A day of ups and downs...

We had some very sad news last night from Cathy at EPC. Lady Gaga delivered a very premature (319 days) male cria, who sadly did not survive. I don't know if it is better or worse that she was not here; We are thankful that we did not have to witness the upsetting event, however it is difficult not knowing exactly what happened. At least Lady Gaga is reported to be fine.

As we were feeling somewhat despondent this morning, Phoebe decided to cheer us up by presenting us with a lovely little girl. White, as expected, with a fawn splodge on the back of her neck. She really is as fit as a fiddle, racing around with the other cria at two hours old! Phoebe is another one who came in to feed and left her cria in the paddock. Only this time it was the cria who noticed; Phoebe is far too greedy to let her new born get in the way of her tea.

So it has been a day of highs and lows. I guess any animal breeder has such days. Fortunately alpacas have a way of somehow cheering us up whatever; having just witnessed the cria playing and racing around in the paddock, it would challenge anyone to stay down for long.

Finian... leading the fun and games!

The latest arrivals...some photos at last!

What a busy weekend! I have now got most of my wool back from the Halifax Spinning Company and I also  managed to get 40kg of white fleece skirted and away to be processed. The wool that I have got back is the end result of mixing natural organic dyed alpaca fleece (20%) with the finest white fleece and it looks and feels fantastic. Paul, the mill owner, took a sample to the Woolfest and was amazed at the amount of people wanting to buy my wool. Someone actually offered to buy all my stock!

On Sunday afternoon we enjoyed a visit from Bev and Andy from Yorkshire, who were in the area seeing family. They are very interested in owning some pet boys to keep on some land that they already have, and are keen to learn as much as they can in advance of their purchase. It was lovely to meet them and to witness their enthusiasm to understand the health and welfare needs of their alpacas.

I did eventually get round to taking some photographs of the the two new arrivals:

Galaxy and Roma

Galaxy absolutely adores her daughter Roma, although she did keep forgetting that she had had her on the first day. She actually came in to feed without her, then got in the most amazing panic when she remembered that she had forgotten something; then couldn't remember where she had left her and was smelling anything and everything white. In the end I had to bring Roma to her! Galaxy is a Silverstream Czar daughter. We were hoping that the brown spot on her nose might increase the chances of her having a fawn cria but Roma is a solid bright white and a little beauty.

Noah, pictured below, is a cheeky little chappy. Bonita is being very protective at the moment but I can't imagine that she will keep him under control for long.

Noah ...looking cute with his brown spot!

If fact Bonita is being so zealous with her mothering, that she won't come in the barn to eat. Last night I took her tea out to her in a tub. I did notice that she had left most of the garlic powder in the bottom, but no matter Explorer soon licked it up. He will be on to a Vindaloo some time soon at this rate!

He did allow me to sit next to him after he had cleaned out the tub but was definitely keeping his back to me. Maybe saving me from the garlic breath?

Explorer...that's close enough!

All white at the end of the day...

I had such a busy day yesterday; by the time that I had finished I didn't have the energy to write a blog. I did manage to pour myself a glass of wine to have with my pan-fried tuna steak, then it was an early night. Paul has been away for a couple of weeks in the USA, so the plan was to have a nice meal and to be scintillating company. No chance!

We had had an early start yesterday. Paul was off on his way to Fowberry Alpacas by 8.45 am. I felt that one or two of the girls: Galaxy (mid fawn); Nancy (white); Phoebe (white) and Bonita (light brown) all looked possibles to birth, so I had decided that I should stay home.

As soon as Paul had driven off I realised that I had forgotten to give him the self declaration form, so I quickly went inside to send the info by email. On arrival back at the birthing paddock I saw that there was already something white wriggling around on the ground! White? Must be Nancy or Phoebe? There were so many alpacas around the little thing that it was difficult to tell instantly. No it was Galaxy, our lovely mid fawn girl with the fabulous fleece. It wasn't fawn but it was a girl, and what a little trooper. She was on her feet and running around in no time. Poor galaxy was struggling to keep her under control. We are going to register as her as Fine Romance but she will be known as Roma.

Next job on the list was poo picking. This meant I could keep an eye on things and get on with the jobs at the same time. Once I was happy all was well I went to do some fleece skirting. I am meeting Paul from the Halifax Spinning Mill on his way back from the Woolfest today. He has some wool ready for me and I was hoping to have some sacks of white fleece ready for him to take to be spun.

I think that I may have got a little carried away and not checked the paddock for a hour or more. Anyway when I went back there was another white head and legs waiting for the final push. Bonita! That serves me right for my comments on my previous blog about Legacy always producing coloured cria from coloured dams! I have double checked and out of more that 60 progeny he has never had a white from a brown before! This one was a little boy. Seen as they were coming in twos we have decided to name him Noah.

That is six cria to date. Four boys and two girls. Four white and two coloured. With five to go and three of them white dams, I think we might be having a white year. Never verbalise plans! Unless you are the Mighty Patou of course and have a fairy godmother!

Gold star for Holly...

Well I predicted a busy week for births this week. What I didn't predict, was that it would be Katkin and Holly who would do the delivering.

Holly had a lovely little boy at 323-days gestation yesterday morning. He weighed in at 7.5kg and was a little slow to stand and slightly down on his pasterns, but was up and away after a couple of hours. Holly is a fantastic Mum and great milk producer. This morning Finian tipped the scales at a healthy 8kg.

Finian is a fabulous golden colour. Both Parisien and Finian are Legacy of Purston progeny. Legacy, although white, consistently produces coloured cria from coloured dams. A rather good trait  for us. We will be using Legacy again over Holly in the hope that she produces a golden female for us next year. This is three boys in row for Holly!

Galaxy is still walking around with her tail horizontal and has been bagged up for weeks, but still no action. This year expected due dates seem to mean nothing. It keeps us on our toes I guess.

Holly and Finian...still getting the hang of balancing!

Camilla and Explorer are having a trip to Yorkshire tomorrow. Camilla has a date with Top Account of Fowberry. We are keen to have some of Top Account's genetics in our herd and have had him in mind for Camilla for some time. After this year's efforts we think that she certainly deserves the best.

Make that an expresso to go!

I wasn't quite sure who I should be keeping an eye on this morning, but it became clear by 10 am that Katkin was the one showing all the signs of getting ready for birthing. She was down then up. Up then down. So I decided to give the trainee midwife a call. Always on cria alert, Amanda was quick off the mark and had arrived by 10.50.

As Katkin appeared to be having a pause in proceedings, I decided that a cup of coffee was required for our time on the paddock bench. With a biscuit stuffed in our pockets we arrived back in the field by 11 am; to see a lovely dark fawn girl already on the ground. Sorry Amanda! After all her rushing we had missed seeing the birth by minutes.

After that I thought that the least I could do was to let Amanda name the cria. She has decided on Parisien; after the brand of coffee we were drinking!

Parisien weighed in at a healthy 9.4 kg and was up and drinking within 2 hours. Born at 334-days gestation, that's 51 days less than Explorer's time in the womb!

Katkin with Parisien

That's my boy....

With four girls likely to give birth very soon we are hoping for an exciting week ahead. Galaxy is still holding on, and is looking like she may get overtaken by Bonita who has been humming away all day today. Also in the running are Phoebe and Katkin, both were under 11 months last year, but have already passed that milestone, thankfully.

I really could do with some colour for my cria photos now. However, as Ben rightly points out; the white ones go nicely with the buttercups!

 I keep trying to get a photo of Explorer that doesn't have him looking like he has been through a war zone. Although, his wounds: pieces of fleece missing from his neck; matted fleece on his face from a watery eye; and gunk stuck to the end of his ears, are all evidence of what the little fella has been through.

This morning I managed to catch him in profile (below right with Kenzie left) and was pleased to see that he has inherited some of Camilla's elegance.

Well maybe not so much the case front on; Not quite the elegance seen in profile! There is certainly no mistaking what sex he is!

Explorer...definitely all male!

Kenzie however, does look very sweet from all angles, but he does hold his own in the neck wrestling challenges despite the opposition looking like a rugby prop!

Kenzie...looking refined!

If you can't beat 'em... join 'em...

We have enjoyed a week of lovely weather and lots of visitors this week. Minnie is always in her element when there is any attention going, and gives everyone a warm welcome. Today it was the turn of Amanda and Karen. Karen has never visited us before, but that is no problem to Minnie. She did however get a little bored with them sitting watching Galaxy (342 days) so decided to join them. In between them to be precise! 

Minnie and Tyke competing for attention from Karen & Amanda.

Minnie posing to camera with Karen!

On a very recent blog, I was praising myself somewhat on making an alpaca decision using my head rather than my heart. Well, I have done the opposite today. Hoity Toity, who lost her cria at five month gestation, was due to go back to receive a re-mating to Sanjo Shalimar, a very nice male indeed. However we have not got anything organised and she has been desperate to be re-mated, especially since the two boys have been born. She sits watching the other girls being mated and won't move from the spot. Today she looked so depressed that I mated her with Legacy of Purston. Oh well at least she looks happy now!

Good news, Pebbles who had been refusing to go near any boys, sat happily for Hollywood today.