Thursday 8 August 2013

Waikiki, Whisper, Vanilla and Wagtail.

As the sun was out again I thought I would whip out and take some better pictures of the latest four cria here in Patouland. I know I am rather biased but they really are very gorgeous.

We have had a major move round this week and the 13 older cria with mum's and females without cria have gone across the road to a recently topped 5 acre field that we have kept empty for the last three months. This just leaves the latest four cria with their mums (obviously) and the three females who are still to give birth in the 'birthing paddock'.

The new cria are certainly enjoying life where there are a few less bodies getting in the way.

Pictured below are Waikiki and Whisper who seem to hang around together all the time.


As they are so lovely I have given you a second picture of them. We had a good look at all the cria fleeces yesterday and these two are definitely ones to watch.

 
Next up is the smallest cria of the year. Little Vanilla is Tsars full sister and is so delicate and dainty you just couldn't mistake her for anything other than a drama queen in the making. Her fleece is stunning! She weighed 6.65kg at a day old and put on 250g in the following 24 hrs so she is growing, she just looks so small!

 

Vanilla is so beautiful that I have added a second picture of her too, aren't you lucky!
You can probably see the flies on her right eye, we are under seige here at the moment and although we are spraying the cria regularly the little bastards are still pestering them. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Any tips on getting rid of or putting off flies will be gratefully received!


And lastly, we have Sirrocco's little girl, the latest arrival. We have named her Wagtail. The reasoning behind naming her after a bird is that she is constantly darting this way and that and that she has a white bottom which is constantly on show as she does seem to wag her tail a lot! She has a slightly grey head which is a little strange but she is gorgeous nonetheless. I guessed her weight at 9kg and wasn't far out when She weighed in at 8.90kg yesterday.


So as not to leave Wagtail out I have added a second picture of her too, this one with her mother Sirrocco. 


A long birthing season has almost come to a close, we have three left to give birth. Dilly and Skye were 345 days pregnant yesterday and Sahara, pictured below is 342 days today. My money is on Sahara beating the other two, I mean look at the size of her! Although Dilly, the white in the background and Sahara's mother, is also rather close to bursting!


May the sun shine for a little longer and may all three be out by the end of the week!

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Blooming heck Sahara!

Lovely cria Mark...but Vanilla takes the biscuit for cuteness!

Apple Vale Alpacas said...

Flies are bothering ours too, but apart from being more vigilant after a birth, when we sprayed a bit of Ruggle-It and an anti-flystrike spray on top-knots and legs, as they aren't blow flies/bluebottles we've decided we can't realistically do anything - every time it rains it will wash off, and then it's sunny and out come the flies.

Zanzibah Alpacas said...

Beautiful babies, loving Wagtails colour ! I've used Swish it lasts for up to 8 weeks ; recommended by my vet, its only licensed for cattle, but not on the pregnant ones,on the ones after the cria have arrived,I don't know if they pass on some protection to their cria via the milk ! But we also have had a bit of a fly problem this year .....Jayne

Judi B said...

Flies are really bothering our 2 brown boys..hanging on all around the eyes, not biting but just an irritation to them. We have just ordered some marigold Spray as read good reviews, so will post if it's any good! Apparently it's safe to use right up to the eyes and other sensitive areas and it's a natural product!