A New Baby & Silly Lilly

It's a girl!!! As we were getting the farm ready today for our big Open House this weekend we noticed Francesca was in labor. I guess she wanted to have a special guest at the farm for this weekend.

She delivered out in the big field and all the girls and Sapele were very excited to meet the new baby. Within 30 minutes she was up and walking. The little girls that were born last Spring were so excited to play with her they almost ran her over!

So Frankie (aka Francesa), her baby, Lilly and Annaschea got moved over to their own field so the little one could practice walking without those big kids knocking her down.

"Nanny Nanny Boo Boo I got my own field with my Aunts".

My mom brought some hay out into the field so Frankie could eat and keep an eye on her cria. Lilly thought it looked like a wonderful place to lay down and nest.  Lilly that silly alpaca.

"Hay that's my hay!"

"Perfect Anna stand there so I can have shade."

"Being an aunt is so exhausting!!!"

"That's it kid you are an hour old now so time to go off and learn to play by yourself."

"Kids!!!!"

"Finally I can rest."

Everytime I look at Lilly I laugh. She is just too funny. Maybe she'll put on a show for all the people that visit the farm this weekend and have her cria.  It would only be fitting for Lilly to put on a big show of her own.

If you are around this weekend my parents farm will be open to the public for National Alpaca Farm Days. The farm store is stocked with yarn, hand knits, alpaca apparel including coats, sweaters, scarfs, socks, gloves..... , honey, cutting boards, toys and lots and lots of other goodies.  We will have a tent set up with fiber demonstration showing how we take the alpacas fleece and process it into roving.  I will have samples of my patterns set up and I will have my patterns for sale. The event is always a fun time and if you are in the area come on by!  Also we are looking for help naming the new cria that was born today. We'll have a name suggestion box.

The weather looks like it is going to be beautiful for people, but hot for the alpacas. I'm sure we will be hosing them down which is always fun to watch! I hope you can make it.

Directions on our website

www.ArrowAcresFarm.com

My sister put together a post from last year's Open House you can check it out here.

Can They Fly?

There are good days and then there are GREAT days. Today was a great day at Arrow Acres Farm.

We welcomed a new member of the herd! 

 

Arrow Acres Sacagawea "Wea" gave birth to a healthy baby GIRL! Yes after 7 grandsons and 7 male crias in a row my parents have been blessed with a girl. Not only is she a girl she is a gray girl!

 

Obviously the rest of the herd was just as excited as we were!

 

When my parents started with their alpaca venture my grandmother "Mommom" was going through a difficult time with her health. She was spending a lot of time in the hospital and then to rehab and then back to the hospital. Old age wasn't kind to her body, but her Spirit never grew old. Unfortunately they didn't age at the same rate.

 

So while she was spending all this time in the hospital my mom was by her side. They talked about my mom's alpacas and it was a great thing to focus on during such a difficult time. My grandmother told all the nurses and doctors about the alpacas. If you ever met my grandmother you would instantly love her and know she had a thing about her that glowed. It was infectious.

 

As her health declined and she was put on more and more pain medications she asked my mother one day in the hospital "Dee Dee do the alpacas fly?"  This brought my mother to tears she was laughing so hard. Her response was, "No they don't fly!!!"

Realizing that my grandmother had never actually seen an alpaca, despite all the conversations she had about them, my mom realized she had to do something about that. So she brought her a small alpaca toy.  She kept that alpaca with her until her last day. 

 

Before my grandmother passed away she asked to have the first cria to be named Sacajawea. My grandmother was a girl scout leader and that is the name of our local girl scout camp. Of course her request was granted and the first born cria on the farm was named in her honor.

 

So now that it was Sacajawea's turn to give birth we prayed and prayed and prayed for a gray female.  My parents are working on a gray breeding program with their alpacas. To make that program successful they need gray alpacas.  So they have been selecting just the right alpacas and making just the right matches and today they got just what they ordered!

 

 

The gestation time for an alpaca is 11-1/2 months. To me that is just about a forever wait!

 



 

There isn't anything wrong or bad about having boys. But having girls means you can breed them and make more alpacas.  In other words make and sell more alpacas.

 

Since the last 7 crias have been boys they all need some girl friends.

But not this guy.

 

Well at least for this little girl. This is her half brother. Their light rose gray father CCNF Smoke Ring has really outdone himself with these two!

He is a whole 3 weeks and already being a pesty big brother to his one and a half hour old little sister.

In a few weeks they will be able to keep up with each other and I know they will be running a muck all over the farm.

 

Geneva is also due with a CCNF Smoke Ring baby and of course our fingers are crossed for another gray girl. I told her to take a good look at the baby and make one just like her.

 

Anna you too.

 

 

If alpacas could hold and cuddle a new born I think it looks like this.

 

So Arrow Acres Bootiful made her grand entrance today and we love her!  I also enjoyed thinking of my Mommom so much today :) I thank her for Wea who was born 6/2/11 and now for her baby who was born 6/1/14. I'll make sure Wea gets a few extra carrots tomorrow for her birthday :)