If you’ve been keeping an eye on our fields here Kestle lately, you might have noticed a lot of heavily pregnant alpacas doing… well, not a lot. We are officially on Cria Watch, and to say these ladies are taking their time would be an understatement!
While we wait (and wait, and wait) for the patter of tiny, padded feet, we thought we’d share some fascinating facts about alpaca birth—or as it’s properly known, “unpacking.”
1. The “Due Date” is Merely a Polite Suggestion
If you think human pregnancies are unpredictable, alpaca gestations are a whole different ball game.
The average gestation period is around 343 days (roughly 11.5 months).
However, a normal pregnancy can range anywhere from 320 to 375 days!
Our girls can quite happily hold onto their babies for an extra month just because they feel like it. Spring births in the UK often trend on the longer side, meaning our current wait is entirely normal—even if it is testing our patience.
2. They Reject the Midnight Rush
Unlike horses or cows, which love to surprise farmers in the dead of night, alpacas are strictly daylight deliverers.
The vast majority of births happen between 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM.
The Evolutionary Reason: Alpacas originate from the high, freezing altitudes of the South American Andes. If a baby (a cria) was born at night, it would freeze. By birthing in the morning, the cria has the day’s sun to dry off and get moving before the temperature plummets.
3. Mum Refuses to Clean the Baby
In most mammal species, the mother immediately licks her newborn clean. Not alpacas.
Their tongues are physically too short and don’t protrude far enough to lick!
Because mum can’t help dry them off, it’s up to the sun, the breeze, and our trusty stash of clean towels to get the new arrival dry and fluffy.
Fun Fact: Crias are born with a special extra membrane (called the epidermal membrane) that starts drying up and peeling away immediately to help save their body heat.
4. Twins Are a 1-in-10,000 Miracle
While we look at our exceptionally round girls and wonder if there are two in there, it’s highly unlikely. Twins occur in only about 0.01% of alpaca pregnancies, and it is even rarer for both to survive safely. We are expecting single, healthy, beautiful crias across the board.
5. The “Up-Down” Dance
How do we know when the wait is finally over? The girls give us subtle (and not-so-subtle) behavioural clues:
The Poo Pile Visits: A heavily pregnant female will visit the muck pile constantly, sitting down and standing right back up (affectionately known as the “up-downs”) as she feels the pressure.
Humming and Isolation: She might wander away from her friends to find a quiet corner of the paddock and start softly humming to herself.
The Tail Check: The base of her tail will soften and loosen up right before the big moment.
Current Status: Still Waiting!
The Cornish sun is shining, the birthing kits are packed, the towels are laundered, and we are checking the paddocks every hour. Alpacas have an amazing ability to delay labor if they feel stressed or if the weather isn’t quite right, so they truly do it on their own watch.
Keep your eyes on our page—we promise the moment the first unpacking begins, you’ll be the first to know!
Kestle Alpacas 