38+ Crias & Counting, Cria Kisses, & Legends of Windy Hill

Journal Entry 30, 8/18 thru 8/31, 2022.

July Stragglers & Cria Class of August 2022

By now nearly 40 crias have been born since the end of May this year, with a handful of alpacas still waiting to give birth. 

July Crias, From Left: Hettie girl Heavenly Allure (b.7/21); Destiny (not pictured) girl Dandelion (b.7/26); Truffle boy Traeger (b.7/27); Julianne girl Bloodmoon (b.7/29); Kristiania girl Kallista (b.7/31)

August Crias, From Left. Top: Olympic Flame girl (b.8/1); Zither girl (b.8/1); Bilhah boy Billows (b.8/2); Kisu boy Kyrie (b.8/12); Winnie girl Wisteria Bloom (b.8/6); Bottom: Malika girl Magdalen (b.8/7); Nala boy The Storm (b.8/16); Qasani, girl (b.8/16); Willow boy Wagyu (b.8/19), Mastsudana girl Tiny Dancer (b.8/28)

Cria Kisses

Cria: “Are you my mommy?” Female alpaca: “No, but I’ll kiss you anyway.” Click this video link for the live action kissin’ cria!

My first Cria kiss!

The Legend(s) of Windy Hill

Some of Windy Hill's highest ranking breeding females are legendary Torbio's offspring.  As she searched show winning alpacas on the Alpaca Owners of America (AOA) website, she (re)discovered that some of her alpacas from her original herd (some have since died) are still among the highest-ranking alpacas of all time.  Female Wayra (a white Suri female born December 2010), was not just still in the 1% EPDs but the number one in the country for four years running. Wayra's mom, Tia’s Pearls (born in 2005 & died in 2013), is still in the top 1% for EPDs. Torbio, who was one of the original Peruvian imports is still in the top 1% EPDs even though he died over 11 years ago. Wayra and Milan Fiona are Torbio daughters. Sweet Caroline is a Torbio granddaughter.

Torbio was born in 1991 (he was registered in 1994) is legendary. (See "Accoyo Torbio, the Legend Continues" for his short & very entertaining YouTube video.) Cindy got Torbio when he was 18 & says he was still magnificent. "He still had luster. We had almost 100 babies by him in the last two years of his life. We had more Torbio babies than anybody else in the country.  He died at 21 after having a stroke. He was just amazing. Oh, what a guy."

"What was his temperament?" I asked.  "He was a little feisty." Cindy replied.  She went on to explain, "If there was a female around you just really didn't want to get his way. But it was funny to watch him work. He would not even attempt to breed a girl if he didn't think she smelled right.  He knew when he'd walk in, or we'd walk the girl in [to the breeding pen] with him. His behavior was as if to say, 'I'm not gonna waste my energy on this one.' I'd bring another one in & he'd get right on. . .  I might I try the rejected female for three days in a row. Second day, nope. Third day yep, & he'd hop on right on, so he knew when they were receptive. He would . . . get them pregnant on the first breeding almost every time.”

Long live Torbio!