Is she in labour? When we were expecting our first cria - I couldn't sleep! I was so anxious to meet this new cria. I had devoted so much time into calculating the expected cria colours that could be derived from our initial females, that I was just honestly busting at the seams whilst waiting and waiting and waiting for our first cria to be born on farm.

"Paddock Watching" will certainly be a familiar term to ANYONE who breeds alpacas. Let's face it, it's a long wait. With an Alpacas gestation being anywhere up to 350+ days; it's a wait.

We have been breeding Alpacas since 2004. These are the things that our females do that 'predict' if they are in labour:-

* We feed our animals in the morning. If a female doesn't come running with the herd for breakfast, it's normally a pretty good sign that she's in labour. If she comes up running but then doesn't eat much and walks away, this too for us is a good sign that a HUGE event is about to occur. We use this method for most of our females as I would say 9/10 times it's a sure sign. Having said this, many females will eat breakfast, depending on how far along their labour is. I mention this as one female caught us out this way. We have also had two cria's born before 7am (which is before breakfast around here). One being the first cria that I had been waiting so long to meet, Oh and the second cria born here I *just* missed seeing born.

* If the female is cushing (sitting down) and constantly shifts from side to side. This is a good sign that she is in labour. She's just uncomfortable and can't seem to find a place where it feels nice to be sitting down. Often they will also lie flat out on their sides. They definitely shift and move around. Not like 'normal' when they are cushing in the paddock.

* In the initial stages of labour they often tend to separate themselves from the herd. Find a nice quiet place to hang out. Some will remain away from the herd for the duration of their labour. Others will rejoin the herd as their labour progresses. They don't really care for privacy I feel. I spend a lot of time (well as often as I can) out with our girls in the paddock. Just 'hanging' out with them. So that when they do go into labour, I'm nothing new or to fear and they just go about doing what they need to do without paying me much care.

* The other animals in the herd can 'smell' when a birth is close. You will find that females that are close to dropping will attract more attention to their rear ends. Males especially just LOVE the smell of a female that is about to give birth. If you have a stud male in a paddock with an expectant mum and she's close to her due date, I would strongly recommend getting him out of the paddock. Otherwise when she is in labour he will attempt to mate with her as I'm sure that she gives off the same hormones that she does when she is otherwise 'open' [not pregnant].

* Most females give birth before 12pm. We have had healthy happy cria's born later in the day, but this is NOT normal behaviour. If a girl goes into labour later in the day it is often a sign that 'something' is just not quite right. The reason we summise for the before midday deliveries is so that the cria has time enough to regain it's strength, dry off and start drinking from mum before it gets dark so that both mum and cria can move with the herd to their night spot. (Alpacas tend to have an area of the paddock which they will 'retire' to of an evening all together in).

If you have the option to watch your alpacas behavior, you will recognise when her behaviour is different from her usual behaviour. It really is a good idea, if possible to get to know your females. Each is different. We have had some girls that continue to graze on grass with a cria half out. Others that just walk and walk and walk. Others that go and sit with the rest of the herd for comfort. They are all different but a change in their own 'personal' behavior is a good is sign that you are about to become a Paca Parent!

A couple of other things that they may do is a stretch, where they will raise their neck up straight and stretch their legs up straight as well, so they are standing upright and tall.. They will also visit the poo pile often. Sometimes 'relieving' themselves but often nothing comes out. As the pressure builds up from the cria moving into the birth canal, as with most women, it puts pressure on the bladder and they may feell like they need to go to the toilet. They may also walk around with their tail raised, especially when the cria is right 'under tail', shortly before birth. Their vagina will swell slightly and you can normally see an increase in size in the teats. Maidens may not have the teat size increase until after they give birth and their milk comes in.

To see an Alpaca cria being born, please see our Alpaca Birthing link.

I hope that this information may help to decrease the anxiety felt by many new Alpaca breeders when a cria birth is pending.