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 born on our farm. His teeth are out and his ears are up; he’s not showing any other signs of being dismature except for the small size and overall weakness. He can stand to nurse and move around a bit when we get him up, but he’s not been able to stand himself up yet. His dam is not helping. She is a bit enthusiastic in her nuzzling and is pushing him over rather than nudging him. She’s experienced and a good mother, so we’ll have to hope it works out.
We’re not entirely sure there isn’t a problem here, perhaps a heart or respiratory issue, but so far all we see is a small, weak cria who is getting a little stronger as the day goes on. The weather is good; he’s warm and dry and temp is normal. He’s been given an injection of selenium and he is nursing a bit. Time will tell, but we’re hopeful he’ll be OK.