Earlier this month local radio feature reporter, Rachel Belle of Kiro Radio in Seattle, paid us a visit! She interviewed us for a local travel piece about Whidbey Island - and she wanted to include us! The story aired on KIRO Radio last week. We are flattered and delighted to share it! Conducting visits on a regular basis, I talk about alpacas all the time, so this shouldn't have been any different, but I suddenly became nervous when the microphone came out. Rachel is a true pro and did a great job editing. :) Hit the link below and then scroll down just a bit to hear the interview. Hope you enjoy it!
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The last cria of the season has arrived! At 352 days gestation, Leilani delivered her cria today! Leilani had a speedy and trouble-free delivery - 18 minutes start to finish! Baby is robust, seems healthy - and look how cute!!! Leilani is a first time mom, but is already handling it like a pro! She is patient, gentle and very attentive to her baby. I have to admit to being a bit surprised by this cria's very light color, though... Leilani is dark brown and Dad (Camilio's X-Man - aka Manny) was dark fawn with white markings on his face. This baby is lighter in color than both of it's parents. Sadly, Manny passed away last month - just a day before his 17th birthday, so this cria is extra special... Scroll down a few blog posts to learn more about Manny. We are delighted to have one last cria to follow in Manny's footsteps. And as you may have guessed, it's a boy! Though not what we expected, we love his pretty coloring. It's hard to tell in the photos, but he is a beautiful light golden color all along his top side, fading to white on his underside. We look forward to seeing how this little cutie matures!
We are excited to announce that at 344 days gestation, Damaris delivered her cria on Monday! A darling little male covered in curly white fiber! Even though Damaris is brown, we were not surprised by the white baby. He takes after his Dad, Accoyo America Triumph, who is solid white. Just 2 hours earlier, Damaris is resting (relatively) comfortably in the shade. Though she was spotted resting comfortably just minutes before, delivery started a few minutes after noon. Damaris delivered quickly and seemingly effortlessly. Look at the time-stamps on the photos! Be warned, the group of 5 photos below are of the actual delivery... Please scroll past if you wish. After the 5 delivery photos, there are more photos of the baby. Damaris delivery - start to finish was less than 20 minutes! The entire female herd was on hand to greet the new arrival. They are curious and very gentle with the baby. We are always delighted - and relieved - to see the cria up on its feet and nursing right away. Damaris is a particularly patient and nurturing mom, and this cria seems robust and healthy. Young Ranger will be this little guy's companion growing up. It's nice to see them together from the start! It's a little too early for play, but we expect to see them running around the pasture soon!
Are you wondering why we haven't announced his name? That's because we won't be naming him. His new owners will give him a name! Both Ranger and his mom Little Lilli, and this little guy and Damaris, have been sold! They are staying here for just a few weeks until they move to their new home. The next cria due (and the last of the season), is Leilani's. Leilani and Damaris were bred on the same day, so we expect her cria any time now. Our fingers are crossed - we're hoping for a girl. We want little Clarissa to have a pal, too! |
About the author:
Always an animal lover, alpacas entered my life in 2005.
I enjoy all aspects of life with alpacas - from caring for them, to training them, spinning and knitting their wonderful fiber, photographing them, and even writing about them! Archives
July 2021
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