Sunsets, Cria Updates, Jemma's Overly Long Pregnancy and Visits with Scarlett Rose

On the 17th June I decided we had waited long enough, and I asked my down the road neighbour Gayle to help me load Jemma into the trailer for a trip to the vet.  Once there the vets administered drugs to induce Jemma's labour, and we waited.... it took fully 24 hours for the drugs to have any effect and by then, with the cervix fully dilated, vets Jayde and Penny, could get an idea of the size and nature of the problem.  It was HUGE!!  the cria's head was between its front legs, and the neck twisted, so the forehead was touching the ribcage... nightmare!!  They tried very hard to manipulate the cria into the right position, but were unable... so off to theatre for Jemma.  I really had hoped I wouldn't be the one giving the vets their next experience of camelid caesarians!!  Unhappily the cria was still born, he was a very large, 10.94kg, blue black male and his delivery was intensely physical.  While caesarian born llama cria, Jade, was 'plucked' from her mother's innards, Jemma's cria was wrestled out.  It did not help that he had entered the birth canal, and his front legs were already partially out.  I've learnt a few lessons.... bolting horse, stable door style... and I won't be letting any  of my alpacas go over 365 days from here on in.  The other part of this rule is that if the presentation is more complicated than bent legs, proceed immediately to caesarian, no wasting time, NOW, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

Here is vet Jayde Watling, starting the procedure... after that I got Jemma's head to look after, hold the oxygen mask in place, and that's about it!!  I am enormously grateful to my friend Ruth King - Jemma's breeder - for coming in to the vet's to hold my hand and Jemma's paw while all this went down.

Jemma took quite a while to come round after the op and I knew she was still not 'with it' because she had her head resting in my lap, and we were getting on famously!!  LOL!!

When she was able, we walked Jemma back to the stables and the vets let me leave her there overnight as she was still a bit unsteady on her feet when I had to get home to feed the ducks and chooks.  We left the body of the dead cria with her so she could figure out what had happened.  The next day when I arrived to take Jemma home she had plainly come to terms with the cria's non-starter status, and although quite sore and a bit sad, seemed pleased to be back in familiar surroundings when I unloaded her from the trailer back into the home paddock.

Since then she has been recovering well, and is pretty much back to the Jemma we know and well, I wouldn't say so much love as are used to!!  She is giving Vynka the rounds of the kitchen and is at the feed shed door anytime I'm in there!!

Very pleased to have a change of pace on the weekend and go to visit Freya, Dan and Scarlett Rose.  My mother and sister say they can see Freya in Scarlett's features... but I think, she is the spit from her father's mouth and Freya didn't get a look in!!  Judge for yourself... 

Its been a long time since I had YumCha so Freya, Scarlett Rose and I headed to Dickson to enjoy same...

After lunch it was play time on the mat!!

Winter sunsets are always the best:

And crias - what's not to like??  Cumberbatch, a sweetie and a softie:

Farqhar, still as cute as a button:

His mother, Fresian, underestimate her at your own peril!!  She is small framed, but a bloody giant in her head!!  LOL!!

Jade and Trinket, continue to do well, and have put Jade's dodgy start in the world, and the big ask on Trinket on that day, well behind them:

Joeley - motherhood has been the making of her, but that's not her cria behind her, that's Cushla's daughter Scarlett.

This is Joeley's cria, Jumanji - lovely little girl:

Paris' son, Pierre, very nice fleece :)

Another pic of Scarlett, who like Cushla's other cria have inherited her lovely disposition, she looks brownish, but that's cria tips, she is solid black at the skin:

 Wia seems happy to be back with us, she is getting more and more tame and I am confident I will soon have her eating out of my hand :)

A Visit with Scarlett Rose

It was 3 weeks since I last had a cuddle with Scarlett Rose so it was wonderful to see her yesterday, she has grown so much!  She was all smiles and chatter :)

Also enjoyed another yummy 'Sunday' lunch cooked by Dan - ta muchly :)

Christmas Day Ducklings and Boxing Day Feast

Alan and his dog Jerry came to visit for Christmas, unfortunately Jerry (French Bulldog) was not keen on sharing space with Kiki and/or the cats!!

Dan and Freya came for lunch on Boxing Day, so we had a Christmas Feast, Take 2!!!  Scallops cooked on the bbq, 2 types of prawns (tiger and crystal), Moreton Bay Bugs, potato salad and all washed down with some nice cold Veuve :)  Delicious!!

Shake-me-up-Judy's ducklings hatched on Christmas Day.  I  took her and the ducklings that were out to a new safe mumma pen and put the other eggs in the incubator.  Next day I handed her the 4 that hatched overnight which she readily accepted into the brood.  These are Ancona (Bantam) x Call ducklings for the pied program :)