|
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.
|
