Meiske was born on October 12th during the
Butterfly Lab.
My husband
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_81Nc_4nc1kQ/TQOUoSmnhbI/AAAAAAAALyo/hAWbZZtwwnk/s400/DSCF7536.JPG)
was home and took these photos with his cell phone.
You have to know my husband... He is from Hawaii and I call him my "Waikiki Boy". He is not a farmer. He likes big cities.
He was horrified when he looked out the window and saw Meiske half-in, half-out of her mother, Kate. Kate was casually eating and rolling around during the birthing process and my husband was panicking wondering what to do. I was coaching him on the phone with the aid of Jon Lucas a father who was helping me with the lab. Jon is a pediatric cardiologist and offered us some valuable advice.
After many hours, my husband got fed up and went out there and pulled Meiske out.
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_81Nc_4nc1kQ/TN6EyzW-DrI/AAAAAAAALTY/6GzAnz6OB2M/s400/IMG00008-20101012-1302.jpg)
Kate would have nothing to do with her baby (cria in alpaca language).
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_81Nc_4nc1kQ/TN6Ig7IX3tI/AAAAAAAALT4/4XMObgLWEJE/s400/IMG00025-20101012-1342.jpg)
In fact, she tried to stomp on her own baby and spit her with
green slimy spit.
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_81Nc_4nc1kQ/TN6EzGeP8II/AAAAAAAALTg/3CEiz1VIVwY/s400/IMG00014-20101012-1308.jpg)
When I got home from work I mixed up some colostrum and started bottle feeding. We brought her into the bathroom and gave her a bath.
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_81Nc_4nc1kQ/TN6IhRje2cI/AAAAAAAALUI/fFBuvOTtfqE/s400/PA130034.JPG)
Fortunately for us, Meiske had a hearty appetite and drank from the bottle right from the beginning. After a day of colostrum we switched to goat's milk and now she is getting cow's milk. She is going through over half a gallon of milk per day!!
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_81Nc_4nc1kQ/TQOOINmgVnI/AAAAAAAALyQ/58HwNLUWehc/s400/6.JPG)
Here is a picture of Meiske with her mother Kate, and Eve, another alpaca who is an
excellent mother.
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_81Nc_4nc1kQ/TN6EzhUfhAI/AAAAAAAALTo/25gcLwgz6vg/s400/IMG00019-20101012-1335.jpg)
Alpacas are very curious and everyone came by to see the newest member of the tribe.
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_81Nc_4nc1kQ/TQOOInETgFI/AAAAAAAALyg/9Rfh-AtrcOo/s400/7.jpg)
Hopefully, we can wean Meiske by February after four months of bottle feeding. She loves her bottle!
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_81Nc_4nc1kQ/TQOOIYPsqlI/AAAAAAAALyY/McCCOljegTI/s400/8.jpg)
In case you're wondering, Meiske means
little girl in Dutch. My husband and I are empty-nesters now so Meiske has taken a prominent role in helping us adjust with no children. :)
1 comment:
Ewwww Fresh-born Alpacas look really gross... (wish I wasn't eating when I saw this post)
--Joosh
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