It’s been ages since we mentioned the alpacas. It is actually a sign of how well they are doing. They are very much enjoying being out on the 3-acre field where the grass is growing really well. And as the pictures on the 31st March and 1st April show, they are really enjoying being with the ewes and lambs.
The big question of course is… are these two (Saturn and Venus) pregnant! With their coats now very thick, it is hard to tell. We keep comparing them to the boys but that has not helped. Saturn is quite big in the belly but she always has been a tad pot-bellied anyway. IF they are pregnant, we can expect the cria in June so we could be a good nine or ten more weeks away yet. We are feeding them to make sure their condition keeps up although the grass is hopefully providing much of the nutrition they need, plus hay of course which alpacas enjoy (and need for the additional fibre) all year round.
The likelihood of them being pregnant is high according to Nigel, from whom we bought them last summer although Venus will be a first time mum so is, as yet, unproven.
And then decision time: do we keep them or not. We are really enjoying the fact we are not overstocked here and all the animals have so much space...