Spotty New Bugs

(Painted Pines) Maximus - aka Maxi and (Painted Pines) Lateece - aka TC are newly arrived from the Barossa Valley, ably transported by Rohan Dalgleish.  They have now been accepted into the herd and have started their halter training, they are both very calm and quiet animals, so things are progressing well, especially with TC, who is already eating llama lollies out of my hand :)

This is TC, pretty in pink:

And Maxi in blue:

Such pretty little alpacas, love the spots!!

Of course if there is something going on, the usual sticky beaks will have to be checking it out, Pearl:

Did someone say llama lollies? - Jade:

If there are llama lollies I'm here - Bianca:

Llama Crias and Alpaca Bath Time

All the llama crias are doing well in their lead and halter class.  Cumberbatch was a late starter, but is now the star pupil :)

Cumberbatch is an huariso (alpaca x llama) and he has the prettiest colouring (with or without the pink Chloromide spray on his neck!!) combined with a lovely fleece, very much a llama in his head.

Bianca is not keen on having the halter fitted, but once its on, she walks perfectly :)

I don't know why she doesn't like putting it on, she looks so good in pink :)

 Jade was 3 months old yesterday and is thriving.  She too is doing well at lead and halter class, but steadfastly refuses to co-operate if I want a photo of that!!

Azzura's son Rhys is a handsome little fellow, and like the others doing well in class.

I thought this piece of farm infrastructure was a drinking trough, but Tiana Rose begs to differ, she sees it more as a bath!!

It was a balmy 16 degrees yesterday, but Jemma was not to left out of the action.  She is day 390 today, and still shows no sign of giving birth, though plainly she huge and uncomfortable!

Maggie, showing off her new fascinator ;-D

And finally, in the garden... I have ONE white nerine, small but perfectly formed..... Canberra was awash with pink ones when I was there on the weekend.

And some purple chrysanthemums:

Lots of Crias!!

Rhys and mum Azzura, very close.  Azzura's cria last year died when he was 18 days old, it is lovely to see her happy again - hope we can do much better with this baby.... Medallion is not allowed anywhere near him!!

Bianca is growing up, and slowly improving in the lead and halter stakes!

Lucien is walking well, and pretty much the star pupil.  This is his, I did good, can I have a treat, can I? can I? huh? huh? look!!

Jade is battling the odds remarkably well, every day is a major achievement!  Her eyes are clearer now, but she cannot see very well yet, and when Trinket gets more than a metre ahead, she cannot seem to 'find' her at all, and walks in circles... so plainly some neurological 'issues' yet to sort.

She is feeding well, so that's a good start!!

Joeley and her first cria Jumanji, both doing well after Wednesday's difficult delivery.

 And now that Maggie's boy, Magellan, is no longer wet or in dappled shade, I can see that he's not actually black, he's medium brown... I think!  He looks like roan, without the white... so he can't be roan!!

Namoi and her son, who is more what I think of as medium brown....

Funnily little Scarlett is a real trick!

Autumn is definitely here, there are toadstools around the base of nearly every tree.

Shayne and Brad's visit, Cria Update and 'its all fun and games till somebody gets hurt'

Shayne and Brad called in for lunch on Sunday, had a very enjoyable time and a great barbie :)  They brought Minto with them, and she and Kiki had a marvellous time.... only trouble is a marvellous time is very very tiring... Kiki couldn't even make it to her bed!!

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Bianca's ear taping is off now, and her ears are nice and upright... she (still) seems pleased with the look :)

Lucien is also growing well and looking good - just ask him!

Yesterday Trinket went into labour, but several hours later nothing had been achieved.   Called the vets to come out and help, meantime Collette also went into labour.  Decided that while they were there Collette should get checked out too, turned out to be going OK, just slowly as its a first time for Collette.  Unusually she seemed determined to give birth lying down and this seemed to be slowing progress.

So vet Jayde, decided to give a helping hand.  Here trying to present Collette with her cria.

Very pleased to say we ended up with a healthy female cria :)  We've named her Chianti.

Today she looks bright and happy :)

 Things did not go so well for Trinket, despite being in labour for several hours her cervix was not even slightly dilated and Jade told me that a c-section was the only course of action and that it needed to be done back at the surgery!!  Between us we man-handled Trinket into my trailer, Jade rang ahead to let them know we were coming and off we went.

Trinket was wheeled into the OR on a guerney, you can tell she's not a well/happy llama because she's had no sedation or any other drugs and she's cushed on a trolley and not moving!!

Jayde had to work hard, and work quickly, when you put a slash in the side of belly as big and as tight as Trinket's some of the 'inside' stuff wants to become outside stuff!  All this was got back in, and the baby found and brought out.

Will working on getting the cria breathing and cleaned up, need a clamp on the cord which was pulsing blood at 'birth'.  Oxygen mask, hot water bottles and more towels added shortly after this photo.  Antibiotic shot given as she had 3 strikes on the premmie score board!

After the op, Trinket and the cria were transported to the stables and yards to recover, Trinket was still quite groggy.

And the cria - who we will name Jade Princess if she makes it - is weak and quite premmie.  Fingers crossed.

 The weather was all over the shop this season, the pear tree lots all its fruit - and there was a lot!! - to a series of very late and very harsh frosts.  The tree is now so confused its flowering again in March!!