Spit Checks...

Here are some mom's cushing patiently waiting for a
date.  The cria are not so patiently waiting for their
mom's to get up!

Our sunny days and warmer weather are quickly fading a way.  It is time to wrap up our breedings for the year.  Even now, this is getting late in the year for us to be planning for October cria next year, which is really a bit later then we prefer.  Mainly due to the grey, dreary, wet weather, which starts here anytime after September.  The later in the year, the less dry, sunny days a cria has to stretch their legs, run, play and absorb all that nice vitamin D.  So no more breeding means no more receptivity checks...aka "spit checks".   This is where the anxious Herdsire, ready for his date, gets to go say hi to his potential girl for the day.  Alpaca Herdsires are generally ready to go with any opportunity.  Alpaca females will let you know when they are in cycle and ready to breed and when they are not very clearly.  We call this behavior testing or receptivity checking. 

Flirty young maidens~

This weekend will be the final spit checks of the year. Meaning, if all went according to plan, we have everyone pregnant that we hope to have pregnant.  If we have read the signs of receptivity correctly, we generally will obtain a positive pregnancy in one breeding.  Then we check for signs 7 days later, which we'll continue to do until we are confident the pregnancy is solid or we get an ultrasound done.  These are the days that poor unsuspecting Herdsire gets taken for a walk around the females, thinking he is there to do his business.  Their way of letting him know they no longer require his services is generally to run up and spit in his face.  Some of our females are more adamant in the message they send then others.  These girls don't like anyone near their hind end ever, which is tough in a crowded catch pen!  If a boy is around they will spit profusely at anyone in their way.  As long as you don't get in the direct line of fire, and do maintain some sympathy for the forsaken guy in the story, this can be rather humorous to watch.

Group of females all gathering around waiting for the Herdsire to get there~

We often have visitors new to alpacas ask us how do we tell one from another and remember all their names?  Spend any time around alpacas and you will quickly learn how individual they all are.  They are so animated and definite in their behavior you too can quickly tell them all apart.  So put me in the house looking out the window at a group of white alpacas, no I can't tell them apart just by looking at them.  However, there are definitely some nuances that are unique to some and I will be able to tell you who is who by those actions.  Knowing our herd as well as we do makes behavior testing even easier by noticing changing moods.  We do always confirm pregnancies by ultra sound, but by the time we have that done I can tell you we are pretty darn accurate and have very few surprises.
 
So at this point for 2011, who ever is pregnant is and if they aren't they'll be waiting until next spring to breed again.  Everyone is now spitting off that we expect to be pregnant, which is a positive sign.  This means we could have up to 14 cria born at Moonshadow in 2012, less any we sell before they deliver.  So there's been plenty of spitting over the breeding season to get to this claim, with less then half of those now confirmed by ultrasound. This is a pretty big crop for us in one year, 10-12 being more of our norm.  As much as we love each year's new cria, anticipating the next group is always just as exciting.  


A couple Golden Victory boys with future stud potential!



A couple other young guys hoping
to have a chance in the future!



It's amazing how quickly the birthing season comes and goes.  Doesn't seem that long ago that we were watching all the new cria arrive and have watched how fast they've grown.  From the first cria born in June to the last in September, you can see all the 2011 cria born at Moonshadow on this Flickr set.