This page contains a sequence of pictures from a normal alpaca birth.

The Miracle of Birth

There can be lot of getting up and down, and rolling off to one side or the other. Plus straining as if over the poop pile.
 (No we didn't shear this alpaca while she was giving birth. Same alpaca, but on two different years. She gets up and down much more with her first cria, so we used those, above, to show how it can look.)

The nose is beginning to push through. Mom looks really concerned doesn't she?

A little lie down and roll to reposition

There it comes. Legs pop out beyond the head

What are you doing back there with all that sputtering?

Up and alert, and mom is back to grazing

Head presented nose down. Often baby is breathing and sputtering at this time. All perfectly normal.

Shoulders are beginning to make it through pelvis. Note baby is at a 45 degree angle to get shoulders through the widest point of the pelvis.

Shoulders are through and baby is hanging down. This helps drain any fluid out of the mouth and lungs. Human help at this point is unnecessary and actually detrimental to cria 

Hips are through and cria falls to ground.

You can clearly see the membrane that completely covers the cria.

As the cria wiggles the membrane tears away easily.

AH! first good stretch in months!

10 minutes old and already trying to sit up

Here are the booties that cover the toenails and protect the womb from being punctured

15 minutes and she is already sternal

Up and nursing. Tail curved over back

3 hours old and already following mom everywhere

This birth took about 45 minutes from active labor to cria on the ground. We are so very happy to have these pictures as we lost the mom Raya in 2005. Her daughter above, Mahogany Rose, is still here and a wonderful reminder of how special her mom was.