Patience

Ok…we are now on day 357 for Dawn.  We see the cria moving, but she’s really not that big, nor does she seem too uncomfortable.  So I guess we’ll just be patient and she’ll get here when she’s ready.  Alpacas can actually hibernate their crias enutero during times of stress.  This helps the fetus’ survival during drought or harsh winters on the Altiplano.  The dams can hibernate that cria and keep it alive until the conditions improve.  Otherwise, they might abort because they could not provide enough nourishment to their developing cria.  The result is that the gestation goes long, but you get a normally developed cria at birth.

I’m not sure if that’s what’s happening here.  We did have flooding this summer, then a very hot fall.  So, it’s certainly possible.  I guess we’ll see when the cria arrives.

In the meantime, we’re occupying ourselves with tree planting.  You know Ron can’t do anything half-way… check out these trees…

 

 

~ by reiling on May 7, 2008.