Waiting for baxter's playmate

We've been waiting a long time for Baxter to arrive, and it's still a little surreal that he is here!  He is the very first cria (baby alpaca) to be born on our farm.

We know you enjoy watching his activities and antics as much as we do! He is so much fun to have around and he can't wait to have a friend close to his age to play with (he can't seem to get his aunties to race around the paddock with him.
He'll have a new playmate soon since we are expecting our second cria in early June with Amity. Being the 1st cria for us, the night of Baxter's arrival was both exciting and nerve-wracking, yet it turned out to be a textbook perfect birth.  Based on that experience, it gives us a baseline for when our next cria arrives.  Our hope is that Amity's cria delivers as easily as Summer's did.

Alpacas generally don't have birthing issues, but that doesn't mean things cannot go wrong.  The birth itself could be difficult, the cria could be breech, etc., but the key is to  prepare for anything and hope you need as little intervention as possible.  Here are some of the things we have ready and waiting:

• Alpaca birth/neonatal manual that walked us through everything from alpaca breeding anatomy to cria development, to delivery, to post-birth assessment and actions (essentially, what to expect when you're alpaca is expecting). 
• Alpaca vet who is aware that your alpaca is pregnant so they have the information on their radar and notify them when the birth is about to take place or has occurred.  
• Alpaca farmers/mentors are handy for questions and, if local, in-person assistance can be very valuable for their "muck-boots-on-the-ground" (literally) experience.
• Cria Kit.  This contains all the items you want on hand when you're in the barn or field with a cria being born or already on the ground.  Some items are as simple as towels, latex gloves, vet wrap, scissors, antibacterial dip, or for complications: baby bottles, colostrum replacement, syringes (needle, oral, and bulb), ob sleeve gloves, and lube, etc. 

There are also certain actions that need to happen within the first 24 hours for cria to start off life successfully:

• Mom and baby need to be separate from the herd to ensure imprinting/bonding
• Body temperature needs to be above 99 degrees
• Record a birth weight for baseline measurement 
• Begin to stand on their own within 30 min of birth
• Find their mom's udder within a couple of hours to nurse and consume colostrum (vital for immunity)
• Have their umbilical cord dipped in iodine or similar 3-5 times within 24 hours to avoid infection
• Defecate within 24 hours

One of the most challenging things to do when all you want is to pick up that cute new baby alpaca, is to be as hands-off as possible. This way, mother and baby bond with each other instead of you. You may have to step in briefly since alpacas don't lick their cria once they're born. I found it necessary to dry Baxter off and keep him warm with a hairdryer since he was born on a chilly April day. 

Amity is due in a little over a month with our next cria, so the temperature should be less of an issue. We are ready and looking forward to his/her arrival.  Baxter will not have long to wait for his playmate to arrive.