The New Crias!

We are happy to report that we have three new crias!  They were all born in September and are doing great! 

Faith and Mom Felicity

Sting Ray and Mom Twizzler

Hannah's Faith was born on 9/13 three weeks early.  Though there were some worrisome moments, like being too weak, and unable to nurse because of it, she is now three weeks old and gorgeous!  To thank friends and family that have helped us on our alpaca journey I've decided to name any Zephyr Hill Farm crias after them.  Faith is named after our daughter Hannah, who assisted us this past spring with our first shearing.  

The last two crias were both born on 9/26!  Sting Ray was born a little before 7:00 a.m. and June Bug at 10:30 a.m.  Nothing like togetherness!  They were both born close to their due dates and had no problems.  All three are gaining weight, active and too cute!  Sting Ray was named after our good friend Ray who has assisted us with the construction of all our barn stalls.  His grandkids call him Sting Ray!  June Bug's intials stand for our son Jeremy and son-in-law, Brad who helped us erect our first fencing last year.  Jeremy also assisted with our shearing this past spring.  Thanks to all of you!  We wouldn't be where we are without your help.

Hannah's Faith

Sting Ray

June Bug with Faith behind her.

Both Faith and June Bug are considered Dark Browns.  Their coloring is so close that their Mama's often have to sniff them to determine one from the other.  Sting Ray's Pinto coloring isn't seen too frequently.  His dominant color is a Medium Fawn, with a little bit of gray around his eye.  He has four white symmetrical socks, a white neck band and a white star and nose.  

Sting Ray and Linus have a meeting.

Thursday we finished our fencing project!  We made a paddock for the boy's outside of the barn by taking away a small section of their pasture.  We added four gates.  One 10 foot gate from the boy's pasture to the back pasture.  A four foot gate from the new boy's paddock to the back pasture.  A lane from the barn to the the second 10 foot gate which allows access to the newly created back "back" pasture.  We divided the "back" pasture in half.  The lane allows access to the back half of the back pasture.  Clear as mud?

Back "back" pasture gate and new fencing.

We have a lane!  Now we can have alpacas sharing the back pasture separately.

The new "lane" looking towards the barn from the back pasture.

The two new gates from the boy's paddock (on the left) and the boy's pasture (on the right).

I'm trying to wrap up fall projects before the weather is no longer accommodating.  I've created a hay feeder in the girls stall which I will enclose to create a cria "creep" feeder.  This will be a cria only area where the crias can come to munch on alpaca crumbles and hay without the adults snarfing it all.  I'll make an opening just the right size for crias to enter but big Momma pacas can't.

New hay feeder

New hay feeder with hay in it!

With the help of our friend Ray, we've created a third stall to house the crias when I wean them in the middle of March (at or about six months).

Just when I think I've checked off one item on my list a new "to do" replaces it.  Sigh.  The work on a farm never ends.  The only troubling part about this is that my obsession to complete my list never gets satisfied.  I love, however, living and working on a farm.  Guess I can trace my farming roots back to my maternal Grandma Vi.  She was always pressing the envelope during her life.  She ended up living on a cattle farm with my step grandfather in Onaway, Michigan the last half of her life.  Thanks Grandma for the farming legacy!

The mist rolling in at sunset.