This lovely white female alpaca was born at Snowshoe Farm on June 11. She weighed a bit over 13 lbs. Her gestation was a few days less than 11 months and she presented as just slightly premature. She was up and about and nursing from her mother within no time. … Read More
Finally! We’ve been waiting for weeks for the first cria of the season to arrive. The first female due was Rosita, who usually goes at least week or two early. Not this year. She didn’t even go first; her daughter, Glinda, had the first cria of the year. Oddly enough, … Read More
It’s truly amazing to watch not only newborn babies that can stand and nurse within an hour – or less – of birth, but also the new mothers whose instincts kick in and tell them just what to do with their new babies! Yesterday’s birth is a good example. We … Read More
It was good to see a healthy and active cria on the ground first thing this morning! Yesterday’s baby is still weak and we’re fairly sure he has a health problem. But he’s nursing when we stand him up and the rest of the time he’s comfortably cushed next to … Read More
Esther Rose finally gave birth to a male cria this morning on day 366 of her pregnancy. That’s a very long, but not uncommon, gestation length for an alpaca. Despite the long wait, this little guy weighs in at less than 11 lbs. This is the smallest cria that’s been … Read More
We’ve been waiting for several crias to make an appearance and now that we have cool rainy weather, they’ve decided to show up. Today was a good one – two girls! Cinnamon Girl gave birth to her second female cria sired by our champion male, Snowshoe Aristides. The baby was … Read More
We’ve been waiting for several crias to be born and Izabella finally gave birth to a beautiful white male this morning. The dam is our Dom Lucilio daughter, Izzy, and the sire is our champion male, Snowshoe Aristides. Both Izzy and Ari have some really nice offspring, so we’re looking … Read More
Alpacas, unlike many other livestock, have a fairly wide window for length of gestation. At Snowshoe Farm, we use 335 days from the last breeding to estimate each female’s “due date”. This gives us a heads up to start keeping a close eye out for a birth. The actual length … Read More
Our first cria of the season was born yesterday and we’re off to a good start. Snowshoe Praline gave birth to a light brown female at day 325. That’s a little early and it shows; the cria has slightly floppy ears and her teeth have not erupted, but she weighs … Read More
This time of year is as close as we get to “down time” on the farm. Outdoor chores are limited: no gardening, no mowing. Breeding chores are limited; no breeding, no birthing. We stick very close to home in the spring and summer, but this time of year we have … Read More