Happy Birthday Sophie (our first Radley Alpaca)

Sophie our first cria (baby alpaca) was born a year today. It was a scorching day and one my mum and I will never forget. It was exhausting from the excitement and the heat.

I wonder how many cria we will have this year? Our alpaca babies are due mid August, their gestation period is about 11.5 months. I am sure Camilla, Sophie's mum, the larger white is pregnant, and hopefully Alice the brown, but I am doubtful about Suzy the black girl because she keeps flirting at the fence to the boys in the bottom paddock. We will just have to wait and see. Alice and Suzy were both maidens and since they have not been pregnant before it is harder to tell as they give mixed signals. They don't always show their cria (baby) bulge as defined because their muscles are tighter. Also during the spit off (when male stud alpaca is presented to girl alpaca and if she spits at him, it's a good indication she is pregnant) first time mums may give wrong signals and even sit for the male as if not pregnant. So fingers and toes crossed - all the girls are pregnant.