They have arrived!!!!

Yes Millie's puppies have arrived (in the end) after a very fretful night followed by a fretful day the first little one entered the world at 15.40, Millie had not liked me moving even a couple of feet away from her and the minute I left the room she promptly jumped onto my sweatshirt!! She definitely wasn't going to use her whelping box, it was the settee or nothing, so out came all the old towel and the settee was covered by several layers!!. And that was me set for the day.

Late afternoon she started to have strong contractions (and just like when the alpacas are in labour everything goes through your head, is it ok? is it stuck? is it going to be alive? should I call the vet??!!! then after about 20 minutes the first one was born and it was a little boy.

Millie was the perfect new mum, licking and cleaning him, and chewing the cord and eating the placenta (yuk didn't like that bit!!) its amazing how they know what to do, the only problem was I had to keep an eye on her as she was getting a bit keen on chewing the cord and I knew if she chewed it too short it could cause a problem and maybe even infection. He was a strong little man and within minutes was making his way to the milky bar, finding it with no trouble at all (not like the frustrating time you have watching the cria trying to find the right place and at the same time as trying to manage to stand on its new wobbly legs!!)

She had about 40 minutes rest, again after about 20 minutes the next little one arrived another little boy. Which again she pay plenty of attention to and he was soon settled at the milky bar with his brother.

She seem to settle down and had a lovely happy proud look on her face. Was that it??

No, about two hours later it all started again and out popped a lovely little girl. Millie started licking, cleaning her and chewing away at the cord, I went to shout to my husband to tell him she had just had a little girl, less than a minute and disaster struck!! Millie had done exactly what I was worried about, she had chewed the cord too short and there was blood pumping out!! I shouted for my husband to come quick, he held the pup while I put some cotton around the cord trying to stop the bleeding, it was very difficult to tie the cotton around such a little cord and the puppy was wriggling around all the time, eventually I managed to tie the cord off and it seemed to do the trick. With a quick spray of antibiotic spray to stop infection and Millie doing any more chewing!! disaster was averted and all three pups were happily having their fill at the milky bar.

So here is proud mum Millie with her three little babies, and they are so cute even if I say it myself.



Thankfully non of the alpacas gave birth, not quite sure what I would have done!! But its now back to cria watch and the wait for the new arrivals to the herd.

Ginnie