Watching..........waiting.......

Watching...........waiting................waiting.................watching.
Not watching.......................but still waiting!

Like many alpaca breeders/farmers/growers out there we are waiting for the first birth of the year.
Our resident spit fountain, Bobby, is once again the first one due having produced recent multiple rosette winner Patou Penelope in Spring last year. That was after a 330 day gestation. Previously Bobby has produced our multiple rosette winning Patou Poppy after a 315 day gestation (as you can see Bobby tends to produce something good).
Bobby has now hit the 328 days mark and is showing a lot of signs that she is about to 'unpack'.

She is as wide as a very wide thing, moves very slowly around the paddock and spends a lot of time gazing into the distance as if she's trying to remember where she put something. She lies down a lot and is acting a little bit spaced out. Not only that but she has gone from being the first one at the feeding trough, skipping sideways spitting at will, to being the last one to lumber up the hill. Once at the trough she looks at it as if she doesn't know what it is and wanders around watching everyone else.

Bobby in contemplative mood earlier this week.

Bobby is pregnant to the simply awesome (fanfare required please) Lillyfield Jack of Spades of Inca. Jack is my favourite stud male in the whole wide world and he is as impressive looking as any stud male of any colour that I have seen, anywhere. Get the picture? He is pretty special. He is also owned by my mate, His Royal Highness the Lord Lieutenant of Inca Timothy Tippietoes.
As a result we are very keen to see what the Jack and Bobby show can produce.

The simply stunning Jack of Spades posing in front of our cottage when he was visiting last year.

Anyway today Sue and I will resume the Bobby watching, my 6.15am check revealed her to be up and grazing with the herd.
To indicate her readiness to unpack, below is a photograph Sue took earlier in the week of Bobby lying in the sun. When she showed it to me I said "I take it she's in mid roll?" Apparently not. Bobby was just lying there in the sun, her stomach so big that all four legs were off the ground.


It's a lovely sunny day today................it would be nice...................... meanwhile, we'll be watching......................and waiting.........................