Sunshine & Showers !

 Here is Zoretah greeting me today, the weather is very unpredictable the moment, its red hot then raining within minutes.  She has been soaked with one of those heavy downpours that we have been having.  Zoretah is one of those lovely alpacas who just love to spend time with you...she is always happy to have a cuddle.  Needless to say she is very special, regular readers will know that she is just over  one year old.  When she was born last year she was huge and needed a helping hand into this world .... that was when the friendship was cemented and I just love her !  Having said that ....I love them all !!

 Zazu today has decided to try a leaf or two, the Dockings grow faster than most other weeds in the field, so every helping hand is appreciated. He chewed on this for ages.....but I don't think he knew how to drop it.  Zazu is also a friendly bundle of mischief... just like all the babies.

 This picture captured the inquisitive nature of the babies, today.  Marquette is sunning and the babies were amazed at her, they couldn't quite make her out. Zanto (L)  Zodo(M) Zazu (R)  The boys are full of mischief and got a telling off when they interrupted Marquettes afternoon snooze !

When I grown up ...will I be as big as you !  Little Zodo is looking up to Trienza.  He is doing just fine, he might be small but he is all there.

 Just to prove we have had some sunshine....in between showers.  The girls are all back together will the younger girls from last year and this years babies.  Mind you they still like to come in for bedtime !

Zavia is the oldest of this years babies, he has been spending some time pretending to be a haversack.  He has started to do what little boys do, I don't mind but he is teaching the younger little boys....bad habits !

Zanzibah Zirdar !

 This is  Zanzibah Zirdar sleeping ....he has been named.  I managed to sneak up on him the other day .... ah ! He is doing just fine and he is already bigger than little Zodo ...who is really quite tiny compared to the others.

Zavia and Zazu having a loving moment earlier this week.

 The girls out grazing the weather has been better, but unfortunately this brings the flies ! As we have had a spell of fine weather, this brings on the thought of making....haylage !  I have moved the hay-turner out of the barn in readiness for the event.....I am fortunate that I have lots of grass, too much infact and the fields are growing quickly.  It won't be long before the decision is made for this year to start the cropping......thankfully the haylage takes around 3 days, so it is much quicker, which is good going off the so called summer at the moment.

 Little Zodo and Marquette, he seems to be on the mend, he is tiny compared to the others this photo was taken a couple of days ago when he had a coat on.  Even Zanto has grown much more than him in a week...he now is joining in with the playing and although he is tiny he is a little character and a lovely  friendly little fella !  With a great big ....toot !

Zanto is thankfully doing fine after his little episode.  He has continued to thrive and he is happy doing what a little cria should be doing....running round playing with his friends.

New Baby !!

 On Tuesday morning around 10.30am Tremona had her baby, a lovely Light Fawn Boy ! This makes this years total to 5 boys and not a girl in sight !  The complete opposite to last year when I had 4 girls and 1 boy ..... I cannot complain as this baby is the first son of Zorba, out of five matings he has produced 4 girls for me and now this gorgeous little boy. He is yet to be named, but he is doing well and is really quite beautiful like his mother who has gorgeous dark markings around her eyes. 

This is Zodo, Marquette's baby he is now just over one week old.  He is the smallest baby here at the moment and he has been having a little toilet problem, I think we have it under control.  He is very vocal and has a rather big 'toot' for his size.  Marquette has lots of milk and I think this might be the part of the problem.  I am keeping a very close eye on him.

This is Dusty and Zanto today, we had a bit of a scare with him last week. To cut a very long story short, I found him in the field the day after he was born, not breathing I ran all the way up the field to find him lifeless...lying with his eyes open.  I had only left him for minutes after keeping a close eye on him all afternoon.... it was a horrible moment.  I just managed to get there in the nick of time and somehow I managed to revive him, I was so relieved when he came round and started to breath and come round.  I really don't know what happened but I think maybe he was knocked over or something ...maybe the pigs were the culprit as they had got into the orchard and the girls hate the pigs......maybe in a dash to escape and he was caught in the stampede to run away from the pigs.  Thankfully I found him in time, but I believe that if I hadn't noticed him at the time I did ...he would not be here now....!

This is Zavia and the new baby getting to know each other today.

Zavia, Zazu and the new baby having a bit of a play.

This is the girls today out grazing in the field, the group is growing day by day.  Needless to say we are on baby watch after the last weeks events.  Just goes to show...you can't be too vigilant.

Oh .. Baby ... Baby !!

 Today has been one of those exciting days, the sort that just happen when you are least expecting it.  After keeping a close eye on the girls for over 2 weeks and trying not to get caught out....that's exactly what happened this afternoon....I have been checking the girls early morning and knowing that the babies were due anytime Now.!! However after turning them out this morning, I was busy bedding up the barn ready for evening....I then went in for some dinner...I thought that I'd have an easy afternoon, I had just walked into the conservatory with a cuppa tea...looked over the hedge to see the girls....and I saw THREE ! ...for a brief moment.... I thought to myself.....I had TWO earlier !!   Then I realised...I've got a new baby...I ran out to the field to check who's who !  As I had two babies due a quick check and I quickly realised that Marquette had just given birth to her lovely brown baby....who was up and moving when I discovered them....this little one was born at 2pm.  He is a beautiful little BOY ....He has been named...and I'm thrilled to announce the arrival of Zanzibah ZODO.

As I was checking over the new arrival.....I saw that Dusty was lying down......I thought to myself ..that she also had decided to have her baby today....within 20 mins Dusty was having her baby too.....I watched then from the bottom of the field and I did have to help reposition the baby to help with delivery......so here is the second new arrival today....He was born around 2.20pm.  He has been named and we are also pleased to announce the arrival of Zanzibah ZANTO.  As he is the full brother to ZETO, I thought the name was fitting.

Tonight as we have rain again, everyone is inside keeping warm and cosy....here are the two new arrivals this evening, having a well earned rest.

The new arrival is greeted by Zavia and Zazu !

I am always excited to see what the new arrivals look like, I can honestly say, Zanto is a double of Zeto and he is very similar to Zimushka, his full sister who was born here last year.  Its lovely to see that my plans and breeding programme is working, Dusty is a wonderful mother and has produced some fabulous grey babies here.  In fact Marquette is her first baby she had who came with her at foot all those years ago....its quite strange that they both decided to have their babies on the same day.

Zavia, the oldest of this years babies having a good sniff of the new arrival.... Zodo.

And finally...this is Zazu he is now 11 days old.  He is growing up fast and its amazing just how fast these babies grow !

Love Thy Neighbour !!

 The babies are doing fine, it has been much cooler over the last couple of days and Zazu has had a little coat on to protect him from the rain showers that appear from no-where. Zavia is full of life and spends lots of his time pestering the new baby...I have seen him having a bite of Zazu's bum !

 Unfortunately the 'Love Thy Neighbour' has not rubbed off onto the alpacas where the pigs are concerned....the alpacas spend lots of time ......screatching a warning call and running away up to the top part of the field.  The new mothers take their babies further away so that they have a head start .... on the survival run from the scary neighbours !  Niggy, Noggy and Norka are oblivious to the chaos that they are causing.....

 Watching the scary monsters that have appeared in the orchard/chicken area. 

 Noggy and Norka on the rampage running in for bed-time.

The younger girls in the big field which is temporary accommodation watching the boys.

The other neighbours don't cause such a stir, Norris with the mother Orpington and her chicks now enjoying their freedom in the orchard.