We've had two more cria since the last blog but unfortunately the camera was playing up again so I couldn't take any photos. It was either the battery or the charger,and in the end probably both.
The cost of replacing both was only twenty euros cheaper than a new camera and a camera much better than the old one.
What a wasteful throwaway world we live in. Anyway, I am now the proud owner of a new (hopefully trusty) Canon. Being over fifteen years of age I am still trying to find my way round all the different functions it performs. The fact in came with half a dozen instruction manuals and not one of them in English doesn't help.
Evita 'unpacked' a week ago,and nearly three weeks sooner than she should have. A girl this time,not especially small at 5.9 kilos but very weak,very down on her pasterns and unable to stand. or hold up her head. Another unusually late afternoon birth.So it was mum and baby into the barn,hot water bottle plenty of wrapping,warm electrolytes inside her and glucose and anti-biotic injections. A comfy chair for me and we were set for another long night. After a few hours she began to show signs of improvement but was never going to feed herself in time to get the colostrum. So around midnight mum was milked and baby was fed by bottle. She was lucky enough to have the sweetest ,calmest alpaca for a mum who stood perfectly still and unheld whilst we took what we needed at two hour intervals through the night.
The importance of having alpacas with this temperament is often overlooked but on occasions like this can prove to be a life saver.
After a few days she slowly found her legs and is now feeding from mum and is back with the herd and doing alright.
The second arrived yesterday. Afternoon birth again! This time two weeks early but a huge 9;5 kilo boy that literally hit the ground running.I have never known one so determined to get up and go!
Once his cord was iodined he was off, heading for the otherside of the field and within one hour of being born he was running with all the confidence of a two week old!
Poor mum was desperately waddling after him humming and cursing, her placenta still swinging, in an attempt to get him under control! Quite incredible.
These pics were taken today at one day old, he's changed colour as he's dried from yesterday but we're still not exactly sure what to. Rose grey I think.
Heres another picture of Izzam whilst we're at it. He was found to have a small umbilical hernia so he's wearing a strap-on.
Our Suri still keeps us guessing. Now running to 381 days! and not at all bothered. It's certainly a mixed bag this year!
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