Official Cria Watch Day One

Alpaca gestation is 345 +/- 30 days. Therefore, official cria watch begins thirty days prior to the due date. Chloe is due May 10. Therefore, we are officially on cria watch. Our diligence in watching for the next ten days won't be particularly different from the past week or so of unofficial cria watch. We really aren't expecting -- and indeed we don't want -- the baby to arrive this early. We simply need to be prepared if it happens.

Georgia paws at the ground before rolling. Presumably the purpose is to loosen up the dirt for a better dust bath. Occasionally, Georgia will paw the ground prior to kushing (lying down).

Ipo Nani paws at the dirt -- and growls -- while she's eating her pellets.

Chloe has started pawing at the ground prior to kushing. It's not a behavior we've particularly noted from her in the past. Is she simply copying Georgia? Is this a nesting behavior? Has she always done this without our noticing? We don't know, but when we're on cria watch, we're paranoid. New behaviors get noticed and discussed. Behaviors we haven't paid attention to in the past are suddenly noticed and discussed.

Chloe is pawing at the ground. We have no idea what -- if anything -- it means.