We are a society that hates to wait. So … waiting for alpacas to be born is like watching grass grow. The gestation of an alpaca is 11 1/2 months. 350 days to be exact!! Some alpacas can go 365-370 days. Tick…tock… Waiting!!

Here’s some fun facts:
A baby alpaca is called a CRIA. (Cree-ya)
Most ruminants (animals with multiple stomachs) deliver their babies in the early morning.
The average cria weighs 15-16 pounds at birth but a healthy birth weight can range from 12-22 lbs.
Alpacas birth one cria (although there are a few reports of twins)
The cria is typically up walking and nursing in an hour or two.
Crias have difficulty regulating body temperature when first born so they are monitored in warm weather (we keep them out of the hot sun) and they wear coats in cold weather.

So the next time you’re waiting in line at the grocery store or bank, just be glad you’re not waiting for a cria to be born!