Our First Summer Hill Cria

We raised Jacob sheep for almost fifteen years before purchasing our first pair of alpacas earlier this year. Dory and Malibu have been such amazing blessings, and we are so excited to see where they take us! That being said, we have bred Dory to Krypton. I have been ready to explode with excitement for two weeks. How do you wait an entire year for such an amazing little creature? Five months is a long enough wait with sheep, and we rarely have only one pregnant at a time. And many of them have twins! But to wait a whole year for one little creature... this little one will have a lot of press coverage when he or she is born! I already catch myself doing what I do when we breed sheep: I imagine what gender the baby will be. I imagine the different color possibilities (which are much more extensive with alpacas than with the Jacob sheep) and wonder what little personality is percolating in there. Will it be a male? Female? Outgoing? Shy? True Black? Dark Brown? Something else entirely? Will he or she create more alpacas in his or her lifetime, stamping our farm name on registration papers for generations to come? Will he or she be presented with a ribbon in the ring? Sure hope he or she will enjoy hugs and kisses, because they're coming! How does an alpaca rancher wait a whole year? I guess I'll be finding out! I'll post about the journey as it goes. So far, Dory has passed two spit tests (without spitting, because she's way to nice. Hope she passes that personality along). Both parents are so gorgeous, we can't go wrong. And this little cria is already so loved. Can't wait to meet you, little one! -- Lindsay