Fiber Arts Friday - SURPRISE!

Welcome to Fiber Arts Friday!

I had planned to post about the socks that I've been knitting, Tour de Fleece, the Olympics with their war against Ravelry and the Ravelympics but while I was at 4H with the kids last night I received a phone call from Grumpy that a cria had been born.

Now I wasn't expecting any births on the farm for at least two weeks.  Yikes!  June Bug had a little boy at somewhere around 5pm.  Grumpy didn't find him until around 6:30pm and he was already standing up try to walk.  He cleaned him the best he could.  We immediately left 4H to get home.

The little boy weighed in at 9 lbs.  That is not a very big Alpaca.  His teeth were erupted and his pasterns were good.  Confirmation wise, he looks like he should except he is super tiny.  June Bug, his dam, doesn't want to milk.  This is her first cria and she is freaked out. She was starting to "bag up" around 10pm last night but didn't want the little guy anywhere near her for feeding.  She seems to be very attentive but just doesn't want to nurse.

Grumpy and I spent a good part of the evening holding her while guiding the cria to her for nursing.  He wants to nurse but as soon as he latches on, she freaks out.

I mixed up a baby bottle of watered down goat milk and have tried to give him some.  He drank some but...it's not mom.

So...my night didn't turn out like I expected.  I shall post photos of my socks this weekend but my night was sleepless, worried about my new cria.  I do wish I had a camera in the barn.  A couple of trips to the barn just seemed to upset them so I am staying away until morning.  They need their sleep too.

I will wait until at least 5am (yes, it's 3:30am right now) to see if he has nursed or needs a bottle.  Thank goodness we have a ready supply of goat milk on hand.   Aggh!  I'm just a worried farmer right now.  Another reason for you to love and cherish that beautiful yarn you knit and roving you spin.  Some of these fiber producers have a tougher time starting out in the world.

Now share your Fiber Arts Adventures and wish our newest addition good health.  We still need to name him.  It was such a surprise with him coming early we didn't even think of a name.



Fiber Arts Friday ! 

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