Wednesday, August 26, 2009

An alpaca is born!

Yesterday I finally got out to Alpaca Acres, which was even more exciting than expected.

As Ann Clayburn took me out to the field she mentioned that one of the alpacas was likely to give birth that day. Well, darned if I didn't see something suspicious protruding from said alpaca as Ann pointed her out. Hey, I saw our school hamster have babies back in grade 4, so I knew what to look for. Things were definitely underway.

Ann asked if I'd like to stay to watch and I said YES PLEASE! because how often do you get to see the miracle of birth? and though I didn't document Madison's hard work having her new baby boy, I did take pictures of the two of them having some special time together in their own pen afterward.


Apparently alpacas are born with a full coat, but they're so soggy at first it's hard to believe.


I know that last shot makes it look like the little guy didn't make it, but really, he's just resting. He worked hard too!

We left to look at yarn* and when we came back, Baby Boy was mostly dry and looked far more comfortable in the world than you'd expect from somebody less than an hour old.


I was glad to catch this little nuzzle.


He tried to get up a few times, like this:


and fell down just as many:


Still, he seemed pretty happy to be here, and I was so happy to watch him arrive.



* Yarn!!!!!

Of course, I bought lots. But I'll have to tell you all about that tomorrow, because it's too rainy this morning to get any good photographs. Suffice it to say that Ann and Dan's animals produce beyond-fabulous fiber, and They Do Mail Order. Ann and Dan, that is, not the animals. If I'm reading Evelyn Clark's Swallowtail Shawl directions correctly, you (by which I also mean I) can make a version in creamy white fingering spun from Emy's fiber for a mere $20. So what are you waiting for?

5 comments:

Kathleen Taylor said...

aaawwwwwww....
And swallowtail takes surprisingly little yarn. I skipped the nupps (I'm a chicken), and used beads instead, so mine took even less yarn (I used handspun).

alpaca....yummmmmm

Karen said...

Oh, Maire, that's so sweet! And you're so lucky to have been there just at the right time.

Mary Keenan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mary Keenan said...

Think it's a coincidence I had my St. Christopher in my pocket as we pulled up to the farm?

Anonymous said...

Great photos. A baby! How adorable!

I did the Swallowtail Shawl as my very first lace project - it's really well written, so I had no problems, and you're right, it takes surprisingly little yarn.