We had sunshine for a couple of hours yesterday so we hiked the young boys out of their field and attempted some photographs. They were still pretty damp but not sopping wet. We couldn’t do the up and coming males for the stud brochure as they need super pictures so lets hope we get several days of dry eventually. The farm is swathed in mist, quite warm mist, but there are drips everywhere and I have already stood under several of them.
The British Alpaca Futurity Silent Auction of stud services starts shortly. All the owners of the nominated males put up services and quite a few other breeders are supporting the show by doing the same. We are very pleased and it is good for them too as their male gets publicity and it can bring new business as the people who buy the service visit their farm.
Last night Chas did a telephone midwifery class for a breeder whose pregnant female appeared at eight in the evening with one leg of the unborn cria sticking out. He had to talk them through finding the other leg and the head. For a while it appeared it might be a breech but luckily not and the cria was delivered safely. Chas had the phone on loudspeaker and I felt like cheering when it eventually arrived. A breech would be fairly unusual, we have only had two in all rthe years of breeding alpacas. The vet pulled one out but it died. Chas did the next one on Boxing Day several years ago. The girl was obviously in trouble but there was nothing coming out and when Chas put his hand in he felt a tail and the cria was in the cush position. Getting the legs out safely is tricky as you have to cup your hand round the foot so that it doesn’t tear the uterus. This was an old girl and there was plenty of room so once we had the legs out it was pull like hell to get the cria out as fast as possible so that when the cord breaks it doesn’t breathe in a load of fluid. All went well and the animal is alive and well today.