Llama crash course

[Horsefly]

Okay I really want a llama and I just saw an ad for some. I don't know the price they are asking but it is a possibility to get one if it is in the right range. If not I'll keep looking and learning and hopefully be able to keep one in the future. (noteis is not an impulse purchase) what I want a llama for is fiber, guarding, just a pet, and possible breeding if I get the right one.
So far what I know about them is they need a 48" woven wire fence and a shelter, check to both of those. They eat mostly grass and need hay and grain in the winter (what kind of grain?). From what I could gather you just need to vaccinate with CD-T like with the goats. You also need to worm regularly and injecting ivomec every 21 days for meningal worm. They need to be sheered in the spring/summer and need their feet trimmed several times a year. They seem to be alot like goats regarding their care. One question I have is what kind of minerals do I need to put out for it? Please let me know any more information I should know regarding owning a llama.

 

[ksalvagno]

Yes, pretty much the same as goats but the Ivomec has to be injected. If you get a guard llama then probably one would be fine as a lot of guard llamas are more of a loner. But if they aren't specifically a guard llama, then they would need at least one llama buddy. You really have to be careful about the guarding part. Many people will say they are a guard but they really don't know. Not all llamas are guard animals.

A grain for llamas is what you would want. I actually don't give my guard llama and alpacas a mineral. They have always snubbed their nose at it and it just hardened in the bowl. But if you wanted to try, Stillwater Minerals is a good one. There is also a brand called MasterPlan and apparently they work with Golden Blend. Dr Norm Evans in Kentucky used to sell his mineral blend but I don't know if he still sells minerals or not.

It sounds like you pretty well have it covered. If you get a female and decide to breed, the gestation is 11-12 months and can happen anywhere from 10.5 months to 12.5 months. You watch for a much longer period than goats. We usually let crias nurse on mom for 6 months unless mom is getting too thin and cria is huge. I wouldn't wean any earlier than 4 months but prefer the 6 months.

Good luck in your search. You may also want to see if SouthEast Llama Rescue is in your area. I know they took in several of the llamas from Montana.

 

[Horsefly]

Thanks for the reply. Is a grain for llamas required? Like do they only need it in the winter or if underconditioned or do they need it all the time? What if they got into the goats mineral, is that a problem? I would have seperate stalls for the llama and the goats to be locked in at night. So they need to be wormed every month, not just on an as needed basis like I do for the goats?
I actually had looked at the SELR awhile back when I got interested in llamas but the site seemed outdated and in order to adopt or foster you couldn't have any barb wire. At the time one side of our property was barb wire but we have been working in sections getting it all replaced. Thanks for drawing my attention back to it, if this doesn't work out I will definately contact them to see about adopting or fostering. It looks like they have a really nice llama for adoption in Mississippi right now hmm.

 

[ksalvagno]

Copper is bad for llamas so they would need to be kept out of the goat mineral. It really depends on the condition of the llama. I think a lot of people aren't feeding grain anymore unless they need it. You could put out a llama mineral for the llama to make sure they are getting proper minerals. Since my alpacas are pregnant and are production stock, I do feed a grain and that is probably why they don't eat a mineral for me.

As far as worming, I would worm as needed. But I would Ivomec monthly or every 21 days September through December or January. That is the hot time for Meningeal Worm and you do need to prevent that. As far as the rest of the year, while MW can happen at anytime, it is found that it isn't as prevalent during the spring and summer months. It takes 90 days to incubate so they get it in the fall and then signs start to show in the winter.

 

[Horsefly]

Well it doesn't look like these llamas are going to work out for me. And after reading the adoption agreement on SELR I don't think I'm going to adopt from them. Basically they retain all rights of the animals, can't breed which I can understand, can't sell give away ect. has to go back to them, have to let them know when the animal dies within 24 hrs, they reserve the right to come check on the llama whenever they want and if conditions arent right they can take them! After all that they except you pay an adoption fee to basicly house their animal. I know the rules are well intentioned but I feel alot of adoption facilities go to far into getting into your business after "buying" the animal from them.
So I guess it's back to the drawing board .

 

[dkosh]

That's too bad. Don't give up on getting one. Keep your ears open. Also talk to the people at your feed store. Sometimes they hear of people that need to sell or rehome their animals. I just lost a llama this past month so that is what I am doing. Good luck! Llamas are a wonderful addition to a farm.

 

[Jules Harrell]

Visit someone who has llamas, and see how they are kept. GET TWO llamas, not one. They require their own kind.

 

[AdoptAPitBull]

I got my gelding for only $100 on Craigslist. The woman was downsizing and got them from a woman who was too old to handle the fiber anymore. He's a wonderful guardian for my goat herd and gets nervous whenever he thinks anything is wrong with his goats. He'll whine with an "oooooooo" that is high pitched if I take the girls out to be milked or if anyone gets loose. He's also very gentle with the kids and lets them climb on him. He also respects the electric fence and has never tried to escape. If he gets out, I just grab his feed bucket and he follows me back.

I give him a little bit of Blue Seal llama grain each day. It looks like such a tiny amount! But he's definitely not fat or too thin. He's solid. I go through one 50lb ($12) bag of grain a month, and he eats the same hay as the girls. He's much cheaper to keep than the goats, that's for sure!

I Llove Llama!

 

[Sucker4critters]

I know this is an older post, but thanks so much for advice. I literally saved a 3 year old from a bullet a few days ago, long story. Never had one before and have been reading up on them like crazy! He's not very tame. His hooves have not been trimmed since who knows when. The back are terrible. I have read about feeds and copper, and will keep horse feed away. Gonna have to spend some time to tame this lil bugger and get him tamed and trimmed.

 

[ksalvagno]

That was nice of you to take the llama in. Glad you are finding info here to help you.