The Big Sale is over but do not despair! With every ending comes a new beginning. Our first cria of the year has been born! Our llama Cassie has blessed us with a fantastic true black girl.That's Cassie sniffing at her. This cria's daddy is our suri alpaca Fanfare. We chose to breed a mix of llama and alpaca because I like the idea of a smaller statured llama for handling reasons.
WooHoo! This is Cassie's first baby and she has taken to it like an old hen. Delivery was easy and the cria was up and nursing within 40 minutes.
It always amazes me how the mommas
usually take right to it, like they've been doing it all their lives. Delivery isn't hard to figure out. It hurts and feels like it might come out so you push. Like evacuating the bowels but on a much grander scale. The part that baffles me is just after that. The wiggly thing that just dropped out of her behind stands up and not only does it want to follow her around but wants to lick and suck on that belly place that's been itchy and ouchy lately. What tells the mom to be patient and stand there? To let this alien take it's nurishment from her body like a parasite. What tells her that she should protect this thing at all costs? How does she know that the afterbirth isn't the same kind of thing, to be fed and protected?
I love cria watch time and this year should be a great one. We have 7 or 8 more due this spring. Unfortunately I am not physically able to help this year as I am recovering from major surgery but I will still be watching and waiting and wishing like always. I still have to name Cassie's cria and all the crias to come. That's always fun and a thing of great debate in our household.
