With A Little Help From Our Friends......................

Is there really a drought going on our there?  Are we the only ones having rain every day?  Who makes the decision about droughts?  Do they ever go outdoors, or at least look out of their window?

Yesterday we were feeling really fed up with the weather and the fact that Wellground Jemima was obviously fooling us again.  It was gas and she was just fat so she was moved out of the birthing paddock to make way for the next due girls.  We did have more chicks hatching so that was fun but we couldn't get the mower out to cut down the weeds as the grass was just too wet.  The pekin pen is overrun with nettles so we keep losing the hens in the middle of it. 

In the afternoon Si was tidying the barn as the forecast is no better for the rest of the week and we have the shearer booked for Thursday so room has to be made to take the whole herd in on Wednesday to keep them dry.  I was very brave and decided that the paddock cleaning still had to be done so was walking up the chase towards the top when I saw a really clean alpaca.  It took a while for it to sink in that we didn't have one that small and I shouted Si.  He came running out of the barn thinking something terrible had happened and I just pointed.  Jemima had given birth on day 370.  The only thing Jemima does in a rush is get to the feeders.  She is a great mum and dotes on all the cria that are born.  Si went back down to collect a towel, teramycin and, of course, the camera. 

Not great photos, I admit but we were delighted with this new little girl.  We haven't decided on a name yet but she wouldn't have been here at all if it hadn't been for all the advice I had from friends in US and Australia.  We hadn't been able to get Jemima pregnant so she was flushed out, given antibiotics and mated on two consecutive days as well as being given Receptal.

We decided that we had to get them back down to the birthing paddock and when Si tried to pick up the cria poor Jemima thought he was kidnapping her baby and started to scream while chasing him all the way.  She's not falling for that again and hasn't left her baby alone all day, we haven't even been able to weigh her but as she is quite lively and seems to be feeding well we are going to leave well alone for now.  It is lovely having a baby in the paddock right outside our window, especially as she is from our own bred herdsire, Ashdale Cooper.