FIRST CRIA OF 2019

... Mmmmmmyup.

Not sad about this.

"Look at my spotty spotty Harlequin FACE!"

Okay, so the chicken kind of stands out in this photo, but at least it's better than the last pictures thanks to my new camera. Yay!

This boy was expected, yet a little unexpected. His dam was actually "due" -- based on a 340 day gestation length -- RIGHT on 4/7/19, which is today. 

The alpaca gestation length is so variable, however, that females almost never give birth right on their "due date," and spring cria typically aren't born until day 355 or even 360+ of gestation. Hence, though I knew that his mama Honey Bun *could* be due any day, I wasn't really *expecting* it, and thus, I wasn't keeping as close an eye out as I do for dams that I think are really close. I would check her in the morning, which is when my dams typically go, and then kinda leave her be.

I wouldn't even have found him except that I happened to be outside in the evening, wondering exactly what I was doing outside, except that the sunset was too nice to ignore. Then, I saw this guy.

... Then I ran back to the house yelling happy exclamations to get my camera phone. Brought them inside for the night, just to make sure he was warm and nursing. He was, and is (nursing), like a champ.

... Thank goodness for that sunset.