May 2009
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May Wrap Up
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Date: Friday May 29, 2009
May has come and gone and still no babies. I have since learned that spring births can come up to 3 weeks behind schedule. So the last week I have tried to keep sane and calm, busying ourselves with typical farm work. Several major milestones have been made this month.
We completed siding the barn, WOO HOO! That is actually quite huge for us, although it happened without much pomp and circumstance. We have been picking away at this barn for so long. We also finished siding the cuppola, added our alpaca weathervane, and put in the windows. Again, a huge milestone, but in the scheme of things, it came to pass without much fanfare. Steve and I giggled and hugged, but no photos of us on the roof posing to commemorate the event.
We successfully installed two of the seven barn doors, without incident.
We cleaned our front yard of much of the debris left by the convict logger. (That has been a three year battle, reminds me, need to find out where our court case stands...) We burned debris for three whole days after spending about 60-hours out there cleaning debris. It has taken us so long as it never seemed a priority. But, now that front part of our yard is looking clear and I can see the future pasture taking shape.
We purchased a york rake for our tractor. This is helping to clear roots for the back pasture. We have about 3/4 of an acre completely cleared, thanks to last years pigs, and ready for seeding. We finished picking rocks out this month.
Moved our compost pile that is now completely turned in to the most rich and beautiful topper I have ever laid my eyes or hands on. Started a new pile.
Prepped the area around the barn for back fill. This consisted of moving the accumulating tractor implements, the loads of Siding and fenceposts, irrigation pipe awaiting its final resting place. We still need about 200 cubic yards of backfill around the barn to bring everything up to grade. There is some natural sloping to the ground which we want to make more level and easily slope instead of the steep slope we have going.
Lastly, we have cut down the larger saplings that have taken over the hillside we are setting the pigs on this summer. The pigs will finish clearing the hillside in preparation for Sunday brunch..ahem...I mean pasture.
When I write it all down, doesn't seem like a whole lot. What the heck are we doing with our days???
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Still Pregnant
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Date: Thursday May 21, 2009
Still no cria. After the fiasco of Tuesday where I was sure birth was imminent, I totally did not obsesss yesterday. I absolutely OHM'd my way through the day. No babies, I don't even know if someone sneezed. I did not stare, I may have glanced once or twice, but no obsessive behavior.
Part of that was preparation for today. I had to leave the farm this morning on business. I did not want to get it all in my head that it was going to happen today, in this heat, while I was not home.
I arrived back this afternoon, to find Odanak, and the rest of the herd, lined up waiting for me to spray them down with the hose and fill their pools. Odanak has been holding her tail up and away from her body this afternoon. Not sure what it means. Since she is the only one doing it and it is out of normal for her, my guess is that it has something to do with Partruition.
Now, for those of you thinking "Could she really have left the farm without a care in the world?" HECK NO! My kind neighbor Lynn (The "Shriner's Wife) was kind enough to stop in regularly then call me on the road to tell me everything was fine. As a matter of fact, when I called her on my way out this morning, she admitted to coming over if she didn't see my car, just to see if there were any babies on the way. I LOVE MY Neighbors. They are like an extended family. I do not know what I would do without the Shriners and the Goose Lady.
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Today really is the day - Maybe
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Date: Tuesday May 19, 2009
So today Odanak is clearly in early labor stages. I AM POSITIVE this time. Really.
It sounds and looks like she is experiencing some sort of contractions. She is pushing harder while on the dung pile, nibbling on hay, not really hungry, and, when she just stands around, which she seems to be doing a lot of, she has a low hum that indicates she is uncomfortable, which seems to become slightly lower at the same time her muscles are stiffening.
As a reader of this you are possibly thinking several things, all of which I have running through my head at the same time..imagine that.
1. Karrie is waaaaaay to in tune to how Odanaks hums differ.
2. Karrie has finally popped that last screw and is just out her damn mind.
3. Karrie will be disappointed later today when nothing happens. She will realize she has wasted more energy skipping through the rooms of her house singing "Today is the day Today is the day Today is the day. La La La. We're havin a baby, la la la"
OR, if you are an alpaca farmer, maybe, just maybe you are going to give me the benefit of the doubt and think
4. Karrie, this could be the day
Update:
Crud! Maybe today isn't the day. Odanak is STILL Pregnant. She seems to have calmed down. Maybe she was upset of black flies, maybe she just had indigestion, maybe that baby was sitting on her bladder or kicking her kidneys. Who the heck knows. Still nothing and it is early afternoon. I know, I know, it could still happen. This emotional roller coaster is killing me. I have three more to go. Other alpaca farmers, do/did y'all go through this every time? It has been 5 (?) years now - will this ever end? Maybe when I have 30 head instead of 12 it will be different. Maybe then I won't care. Maybe then I will just randomly look out into the field and say nochonantly "Oh look, a cria was just spit out...that's nice." patience...
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Cria watch continues
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Date: Monday May 18, 2009
This morning I continue my vigil over my two females that are approaching their 345-day gestation mark. I am hoping this journal will be therapeutic for me. This will be a way for me to go back and know what changes occur in behavior so I know when something is normal.
You see, it seems every time a cria is due on our farm I have forgotten what the experience was like last time. I have a tendency to look at every SINGLE behavioral change as a sign that "Today is the DAY!", only to be outsmarted again and have the cria not arrive for 2,3, maybe 4 weeks later.
I know. Every alpaca is different. They have different experiences from one another and from each birth. But you cannot ignore that there will be some very similar changes in behavior and physicality of an animal. Maybe if I jot them down in this journal, I can search later to find out at what day Clover, or Odanak did something that made me think "Today is the day!".
Today. Clover and Odanak are approximately 324-days of gestation. Here at Abenaqui Alpacas, we use a rule of thumb that their "due date" is at 345-days. If you go online and search for "what is the average gestation of an alpaca, you will get a large range of answers, anywhere from 329 to greater than 350-days. Many farms start really making a concerted effort to observe alpaca behavior around 320-days. The length of gestation seems to hinge on many factors. So, for us, a sane number is 345-days. AND, I have been a bad scientist, cause although I keep that information in a database, I have not tried to correlate the results with anything here on our farm. Okay, another thing to add to the List.
At 324-days of gestation, Clover and Odie (Clover is the dam of Wawiobwan and Odanak and Odie is a Maiden - never birthed no babies) both seem to be resting more. When the other ladies are up and feeding, Clover and Odanak are sitting at the base of the hay feeder. Believe me, they are not farm from it and easily get plenty of hay, they just are resting more.
Yesterday, while Farmer Steve and Iwere working in the barn, we saw a lot of 'thumping'. This is when you can see the cria's movements effect the back end of the alpaca. The soft tissue under the base of her tail will 'thump' for the lack of a better term. I have been watching for this 'sign' and first noted it yesterday (d:323).
That is enough ramblings for way too early in the morning.
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Just so you know -
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Date: Monday May 18, 2009
I have been up from my desk here at home at least once every hour to stare at those damn alpacas. Still no babies. I do this EVERY TIME!!! crazy...
ooh, better go check again...
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The test results are in - Now what?
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Date: Friday May 15, 2009
Well, we just received all our fiber histogram results from the lab. Now What?? I need to speak with Farmer Steve. There are some things here I just don't understand. I was never much for statistics...I will let you know what they all mean later.
[Aside: when I look at this fiber photo, I cannot believe it is Wawiobwan's fleece. His MFD on his histogram just came in at 18.7. I just love this fiber photo. Our best.]
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