Zanzibah Zoretah !!....

Zanzibah Zoretah.....is here.....she needed a little bit of help....into this big wide world !

Anna.....with the new arrival.....first time, she has seen an alpaca being born....

Trienza...with her new baby.......minutes old....

Me....and Mum with her lovely new baby....!!

We have a new arrival here .......and it has been slightly traumatic !

As expected I was keeping a particular eye on Aymara and Trienza......who I thought might be next to have their babies...

Sure enough....I let the girls out this morning...thinking....Im sure one of those two will have their baby today.....however at 8am....nothing un-toward....

By 9.30am I noticed that Trienza was humming alot and walking around being slightly restless.......so I decided to keep a close eye on her......at 10am....she was showing more signs of her early stages of labour .....and I knew that today was going to be the day...I decided to watch her from the barn....just incase she needed help....as this was her first baby...

I left her for half an hour and I could see that the feet and the nose were present.....that was good...at lest the presentation was right....I waited...to let nature take its course....

However, at 10.45am....she was struggling....and not getting any further.....so I decided to intervene......I had rang my friend Anna and thankfully she came over to see the new arrival..just as I was about to assist....

On closer inspection....she couldn't deliver the legs and head....so I had to push the legs back slightly......in order to allow room for the head to be delivered.....once I had done this...with a little more assistance....we managed to deliver ...the head and legs......phew it was traumatic at one point.....and it was definitely the right thing to do....to help her....you always have that doubt....whether to help or not.....and I'm glad I did....as left too long.....the mother and baby just get weaker.....

I managed to deliver....her and she is quite a size, she is much more weaker on her legs than Zirrianna...who was standing....ready to greet me....when I found her....

I have named her Zoretah......both were brought in as the weather changed to showers....to keep a close eye on them......I was getting worried about her feeding, as Trienza appeared not to have much milk....and the baby was struggling to stand...to feed....

By 2pm.....things were still the same...so I decided to get my colostrum....and my goats milk...to tube feed her.....I found her...lying down in the barn....so I went to warm up the feed.....when I came back...with my colostrum and tube feed bottle......as I walked into the barn.....I looked....and she was up and feeding......which was great....

I had a good check....to make sure she was getting milk and all four teats had been tried......by this time now the placenta had been passed....and this should mean that Trienza will start to produce more milk......

So ......we have another.....new arrival......a very shaky......beautiful.....brown baby girl !!

I'm hoping to weigh her tonight...when I bring them in.....later....

One thing for sure......I'm glad she is here safe and sound....although its very early days.....

Beautiful Day !!....except for the flies...!!

Beautiful....day !

Zirrianna......with flies under her nose !...

What a life.....how to spend the afternoon......

Zirrianna........snoozing with Zakhura......today

Today has been a beautiful day.....everyone has been resting and enjoying the fine weather.

Zirrianna is four days old now....and I thought we might have had another new arrival for company...however we are still waiting. A couple of nights ago I thought Aymara was in her early stages of labour....I was up early to check her, however no new arrivals....as yet.

So we are still waiting.....I'm sure we won't be waiting too long. All the alpacas have had a lovely day.....I managed to take some close up photos of Zirrianna, however after a close inspection......she has some flies under her nose !....those flies.....get every where...even when you use fly repellent...!

I took the time today to just have some alpaca moments......enjoying their company in the field......its just a great way of relaxing......I find.....these animals have a great way of de-stressing you.....not that I'm stressed .....well how could you be.....in such good company.

I wonder what tomorrow has instore !

Doing Just Fine .....

Zirrianna......dry now !

Two days old now.....

Jessie......she's 7 months old......and was looking for a new home !!

Zirrianna is now two days old....and she is doing just fine !

She is a bundle of joy .....bouncing around getting to grips with those lovely long legs !

The other girls are looking more likely, infact I have spent last night checking Aymara, who I was convinced was in her first stages of labour last night.......after being up and down all night, things are just the same !

Everyone is turned out into the little paddock, so if I have an emergency I can get them into the barn, which is just across from there.

The youngsters, namely, Zienna, Zullulah and the Nick Nacks ...have met the new arrival and are really funny with her........they are very submissive around the new baby and have a quick sniff of her .....then scoot away !!

Changing the subject slightly......I have a new addition .....she is very small, sweet and also quite cute.....she was looking for a new home......and I think she has just found it......

Meet Jessie....she is a Mini Jack Russell .......apparently !!

Zanzibah Zirrianna !

Zirrianna ........just minutes old !

Zakhura with her little baby !.....enjoying a well earned rest .....

It started to rain....so they all came in....

My lovely new arrival is doing very well this morning....she has been checked several times...and it appears that things are fine with Zakhura and Zirrianna......yes she has been named...

Most of you are aware by now.....that my alpacas are named with a 'Z' to go along with a bit of a tradition I have started......I think that most of us, who own these animals....have one or two...odd habits !! ......I have a list(of 'z' names)

Anyway that is mine....no doubt I can hear some saying...amongst others !

Yesterday.....in the morning it rained...so she was brought in......then after trying several coast on...too small....too big.....I found one to fit.....in the afternoon the sun came out...and I decided to turn the alpacas out......for what I thought would be a lovely afternoon...for the new baby !

I was wrong......checking regularly...as you do....I found her sitting in the field with her mother....being...eaten alive...by some very nasty flies.......she was swiftly brought back in again....and that is where they spent the day.....in the big barn......in out of the rain and those horrible swarms of flies.....she was bitten all over her little ears and face......she was cleaned down and some fly spray squirted over them !

Zakhura is a brilliant mother....very relaxed...infact she lets me deal with the baby with no real concern......I think this has alot to do with nature and the fact that most of my girls I have bred are quite well handled......sadly I can't say that for some others...who lurk in the herd.....you know who !

Its a much cooler day today...so there should be no fly problem..however....I shall be putting a little waterproof coat on Zirrianna.....I'm afraid.....you might have a bit of a wait to be able to see her true colour.......she looks like a cross between a cappuccino chocolate colour with a touch of burnt orange thrown in.....!! Quite unique.....

Zanubis her father when he was born...was a dusty pink colour.....I couldn't believe it when he was born.......he has a very distinctive.....cappuccino tinge round his legs, face and belly....it looks like she is this colour completely !

As the afternoon went on and she dried......she definitely looks......burnt orange ! ...that will be a new one for the colour registry ! ;0) Zirrianna looks to have a lovely calm persona about her already....its funny how there personalities....are so different......right from the word go..... she has been wieghed yesterday and was 7kg.

I'm just hoping that when Tremona has her baby....its just a little more chilled out than she is ! She is so flighty....and spends most of the time......frightening herself !!

Early morning check of the alpacas.....and no new arrivals..as I type....but you never can tell.....if they come like Zirrianna....that will be a surprise.......even when I was keeping an eye out !

Special Delivery !!!!!!!!!!

Look what I found...this morning !

Zakhura and her lovely new baby ......

Oh....just look at me !!........

Minutes old.......a special early morning delivery !.......

We have a special delivery !!!

It was an early start for me this morning....I couldn't sleep and got up at 5.30am...I looked out of the window...and the girls were resting....some lying down...and I could see Zakhura just standing..... nothing unusual there...then...

So I decided to go back to bed....I couldn't sleep and debated about getting up...which I did...I thought I'd have an early shower.....so I re-got up at 5.50am.....

I looked out of the window....to check the girls again...and briefly I thought I saw something little....!!!!!! so I shot out into the conservatory to get a better look over the hedge !

WOW !..............we had a special delivery....how did I miss that ....then !!

I have been waiting with loads of excitement and worry .....for my maidens...to have their first baby !.....and this is one of them......that's the way....to find them.....already up on their feet ...

We have a beautiful little girl.....she is fantastic....and very bright and strong to say so young. I have been waiting for 340 days to see what we got....and she is well worth the wait ! This beautiful little girl....by the looks of things has taken after her dad for colour ! At the moment...I think she is looking like a very dark almost cappuccino grey, for those who have seen Zanubis....he is a very unusual colour.

Mind you having said that....when she dries....I shall get a much better idea.....

Oh....I'm so excited........as you know we had no babies...last year....and Ive been waiting for what seems like ages...to see some lovely little arrivals......well .....she is here.....

I have been watching how things are going...as Zakhura is a first time mum and things are fine !....Ive already seen the little one feeding and it amazes me just how able these babies are after a few minutes of life........

Any way ...enough of my drivel...........meet my lovely new......special delivery !

Lets hope......they all arrive just like that......

Just Typical !!.....

Little Zelqui.....sitting in the field...before shearing !!

Everyone....in ....today !!

Stravinsky.....and the youngsters....on the other side of the girlies....

The girlies......its like winter...up here....tonight...

The Nick Nacks....are starting....to settle in...

As most readers are aware....some of the alpacas have been sheared......and guess what .....

Yep you guessed it.....since then...it has been raining....and raining...infact its more like October than June !

So ......after the alpacas were sheared....they were turned back out into the fields....however this was short lived or at least till the evening....

I have one little alpaca who goes by the name of Zelqui..he spends most of his time keeping a sharp eye on the girlies in the opposite field...however they weren't there....all the girls and the youngsters including the Nick Nacks...were tucked up in bed in the barn !

The other boys were happily sheltering in the field-shelter....but not Zelqui !!

As the time went on.....I went to feed the boys and noticed some were shivering.....so what about poor Zelqui...well he came down for food....and then went back to his post...out in the field....looking for his girlies......

At about 11pm...the weather was getting worse...and I decided to go and put a coat on Zelqui......I had thought about giving him a tent !!.....I took the towel to dry him and I managed to...try on two coats.....one being too small and the other being far too big !

So I decided to lead him back to the old stone steading....where I decided to tie him up and go and get the other boys...in for the night.....

When I went back out to the gate....all the boys were there waiting to come in....so they all ran in....and that's where they have been....all day !....

No-one has been out today....including Norris....who has also spent the day.....in his old house where he grew up !!...he knows where to go...and he also ran in last night !! for bed-time...

The girls are on 337 days and some are looking rather....expectant....its still a waiting game...mind you ...I have spent some of the evening...watching Aymaras baby bouncing around inside......Ive also seen.....Tremonas baby moving tonight....and I'm sure that Zakhura won't be too long now......so its a case of keeping a close eye on these girlies.......

I have moved Zienna and Zullulah in with the Nick-Nacks....as Zullulah was having a sneaky feed from Marquette......which is not good.....especially if she has her baby soon....we can't be having that.....after all....Zullulah is nearly 2 in October....she has to grow up at some point....

Zullulah was not happy and spent about an hour....trying to jump over back with the girls.....so last night I spent quite a bit of time...making sure she didn't get over and didn't hurt herself.....eventually she lay down in the huff......

and settled.......herself.....but was not happy.

......and finally..it is Duke's 2nd Birthday today....so he got a Birthday Kiss...sent from Debbie at Barnacre Alpacas.... he's a big boy now....!!

New Look for Summer !

Zeto......getting sheared !

Zullulah, Zienna.....Stravinsky and Sparky....with the new summer look !!

The younger boys......folowing the girls !....

Zullulah and Marquette.....mother and daughter......

Yesterday evening saw the arrival of James Dixon and his wife Kym. It was late evening when they arrived with us at Zanzibah Alpacas.....as they had been busy shearing all day for other alpaca owners, what a long day they had ...started off shearing at the Isle of Skye and headed across to Inverness to shear for Tigh Mhor and others before eventually heading down to me for the evening.

It was a bright and early start for us this morning, we started shearing for 8am. I had already got the alpacas in for the evening as the weather forecast mentioned showers overnight and bet your bottom dollar if I'd left them out....it would have rained.....and they would have been soaked......as I had brought them in....obviously it stayed dry !!!!

The first to get his morning new summer look was Duke.....who screamed right through the whole process.......from start, when James caught him...... to finish.....he is a real screamer.....!! With the odd spit thrown in just for good measure.

Thankfully the others were much more dignified.....and behaved themselves...apart from Zaninni who tried to get a sneaky bite of Kym......he was showing himself up ! There is always one or two....who lower the tone.

So we are all up to date with the husbandry tasks....toe nails, new hair do, and wormed all in one day....hows that for an alpaca treatment.

Today I have got the Nick Nacks in with the girls who are in the little baby paddock, the weather forecast wasn't looking good...so I might just keep them all in there for the time being. Sparky.....(could be nick or nack) has spent the afternoon.....trying to meet the girls who are having none of it.......as I look out of the window they have settled down to graze and are quite happy together.......the younger girls who are not pregnant also were sheared...so look very different from the others....

Just waiting for those babies to arrive now.......we are on day 336.....and still waiting !

If you got it.........Flaunt it !!!

Zerquo .........flaunting it !

Zanubis.......watching 'how its done'

Boys in high spirits ......

Zeto .... keeping out of the way !!

Zorba, Zelqui and Socksy in the background ........the gauntlet has been thrown !!

Yesterday we had a lovely sunny day..so to take advantage of this I got the camera out and decided to do a bit of a photo shoot of all the alpacas.

Especially as most of them are due for shearing next week.......and the change is massive, which takes a little getting used to .....I must say !

The boys were in very high spirits and decided to have a good old parade and stand off with each other........then the fun started, for supremacy !! ......as boys do !

Thankfully they ran them selves round and a bit of a play fight ended with no real harm done. As the boys are in over a 6 acre field they can run away and eventually tire them selves out before any real problems start.....Boys will be Boys....but I do keep a close eye on them all !

The girls are just doing what girls do......spending most of the day resting, grazing a lounging around, after all most of them are carrying very important cargo !!

So thankfully things are ticking along nicely here, no babies as of yet and still counting down the days.....

So ........lets hear it for the boys.....after all ...

If you got it...........Flaunt it !!

A Little Bit of Knitting ......

A blend of Zanubis & Zeto .....with a little touch of Zeuss and Dusty !!

The Nick Nacks......quite amused with Norris !!.....

Zanzibah Zeto .......under a full fleece !.....he'll be looking very different on Monday !

Beautiful......bums....!!! Duke(L) Zanubis(M) Zeto(R)

Last week I had a bit of a knitting task !

It was a bit of a surprise present for my friend Anna, as it was her Birthday.

As she loves the Grey Alpacas, I decided to knit her something with this fleece. It was a bit of a mammoth task......but I managed to get it finished in time.

I started off with a hat, then I decided to carry on and knit a scarf........then as I had some wool left I decided to make a pair of hand warmers ! So in the end I had made a nice matching set.

The alpacas are all doing fine, we are on day 331 today for the girls and the weather has changed to slightly cooler with scattered shower.....and this is forecast for the weekend and for the early part of next week......typical...for shearing !.....great !!!

I'm just hoping that it won't be too cold......and miserable ....especially for my pending babies....after all that was the whole reason for changing the 'birthing clock'.......to summer !

Does any one know where it has gone !!!!!

Norris....has had a Hair Doo !!

Norris...looking very smart !....

Norris getting sheared....I think he enjoyed it ! Zanubis.....

Norris...looking rather hot !!......

A couple of weeks ago Norris had a new Hair Do !

He is the first to get the new summer look......if you remember last year I hand sheared him, but I didn't manage to get under his belly sheared !

So this year I decided to get the professionals in.....for a much 'cooler' look.

Norris behaved remarkably and he was done it about 5 mins.....

The alpacas are due to be sheared next Monday so lets hope the weather is kind to them after the big day.

Sods Law usually dictates that the weather is horrible just after shearing, you never know we might even get a little new arrival before then.

Aymara is looking like she is starting to prepare herself for her new arrival, she is currently at day 330 ! I don't think we will be waiting too long, mind you I have four or more girls at the same gestation, two are maidens, so might carry slightly longer than the others.

Having said that, Zakhura looks the largest between the maidens closely followed by Trienza !
Apart from that is has been another lovely day ......just a case of waiting and counting the days.....its starting to get just a little bit exciting.....

What a Palava !!!!!!!!!!!!........I'm BACK !!

Duke ............on the move !

The girls..............

The Nick Nacks.........

Some might have noticed .............I have been missing !! ...... I wonder if I have been missed !

Short story.....BT cancelled my line in error ....which resulted in me having no phone or Internet !

It has taken this long to sort things out......not impressed comes to mind along with a very long list of swear words !!

Anyway ....................IM BACK !!!!!

I can't wait to spend no doubt ages....trying to catch up on all the things that have happened since the 20th of May !!.........so I might be a little behind...when it comes to the goings on !!

I shall.....catch up ......

For those who are wondering.....I have no babies...we are on day 328 and some of the girls are looking rather large....so not long now.....I have noticed lots of you have got babies....and I need....to get acquainted with them all.......