Cria Watch Day 20: Soon
We're on day 20 of cria watch, or day 335 of pregnancy and we feel like we're starting to get into the any time now part of cria watch, except Chloe isn't ready to have the baby yet.
She's teasing us. We keep seeing hints that she's close and getting ready, but she's not ready.
Chloe's udder is a little bit enlarged. An enlarged udder usually means something soon. Unfortunately, "soon" can be a really vague term in this context.
When we look under Chloe's tail, we see she's a little distended -- but not nearly enough for a cria. Enlargement is another one of those hints that means "soon". True dilation is usually an indicator of first stage labor, but what we're seeing isn't true dilation.
Finally, Chloe is being slightly less standoffish. Alpacas go through various behavioral phases during pregnancy. As delivery approaches, they get very nervous about any potential threat, very skittish, and they basically enter a "don't-touch-me-I'm-pregnant-and-uncomfortable" mode. Then, shortly before delivery, they add a maternal aspect to their personality -- and because they don't have a cria to be maternal toward, they exhibit some aspects of maternality toward anything. The protective/skittish and uncomfortable/pregnant aspects of behavior don't really disappear -- the maternal aspect is added on top of everything. The behavior changes vary with the individuals. We know Georgia's delivery is within ten days when she starts aggressively playing kissyface with us. Chloe gets a little less standoffish -- which tells us her cria will arrive "soon".
Interesting word, "soon".
She's teasing us. We keep seeing hints that she's close and getting ready, but she's not ready.
Chloe's udder is a little bit enlarged. An enlarged udder usually means something soon. Unfortunately, "soon" can be a really vague term in this context.
When we look under Chloe's tail, we see she's a little distended -- but not nearly enough for a cria. Enlargement is another one of those hints that means "soon". True dilation is usually an indicator of first stage labor, but what we're seeing isn't true dilation.
Finally, Chloe is being slightly less standoffish. Alpacas go through various behavioral phases during pregnancy. As delivery approaches, they get very nervous about any potential threat, very skittish, and they basically enter a "don't-touch-me-I'm-pregnant-and-uncomfortable" mode. Then, shortly before delivery, they add a maternal aspect to their personality -- and because they don't have a cria to be maternal toward, they exhibit some aspects of maternality toward anything. The protective/skittish and uncomfortable/pregnant aspects of behavior don't really disappear -- the maternal aspect is added on top of everything. The behavior changes vary with the individuals. We know Georgia's delivery is within ten days when she starts aggressively playing kissyface with us. Chloe gets a little less standoffish -- which tells us her cria will arrive "soon".
Interesting word, "soon".
posted by Upper Alpacas | 5:00 PM
1 Comments:
Yes, that word "soon" has much less meaning than it did nine days ago. Saturday Sancha stretched out in the pasture and I swear the cria was trying to stand up in her belly. I thought, oh it must be really soon cause this little rascal is ready to get up and run. But, she's s.t.i.l.l. pregnant on day 349. She's still in that don't touch me mode.
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