It is very hot here and I know my llamas are burning up. I cannot find anyone to shear them. They have shade and shelter and lots of trees and a pond but the humidity is really high right now (feels like 101). Does anyone have any ideas? How hard is it to shear a llama?
llamas need shearing
- Thread starter LilaCombs
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mully
Loving the herd life
You could shear the llama yourself but depends on the llama. If is is skidderish it would take several people. How well does the llama tolerate being handled? You could clip with scissors and remore a little at a time. Anyone that shears sheep could do it for you.
houndit
Ridin' The Range
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Ours is a little skittish. I tied her up last year and snipped with scissors until she looked cooler. She looked sort of chewed but it worked. She actually did pretty well.
Lil-patch-of-heaven
Ridin' The Range
I'm in the same situation. Two skittish llamas who need shearing and I hate to force the issue since I'm trying to work with them.
I have the older one trained now to come when I call and she will stand and turn for me while I spray her with cool water. I know you said you had a pond but I have read that running cool water over particular areas of the body (stomach, backs of legs -- especially backs of thighs) cools them very well. Her behavior would seem to confirm that since she will turn her back and open her legs a bit to give me good access to spray her back thighs.
As an added benefit, I think it's making her more accepting of being touched on her body. In fact this morning she wanted in the yard while I did the milking, and she kept trying to steal the goat's grain. I THOUGHT she was afraid of me but I actually had to shove her to get her away. (the grain has copper I added to it so it isn't safe for llamas).
I've been working with her for some weeks, calling her name to come and give her treats. I often hold her feed for her to eat (she won't eat from a bucket on the ground now in fact). I've tried to have dh snip a bit while I feed her, since I've gotten her used to having her neck touched while I feed her. She just circles around and won't let him. So I tried snipping while he feeds. I've gotten a bit done but ...
Hope something here helps. I worry about mine. A few days ago the female was lying flat out in the sun. She didn't get up when I walked up to her so I quickly hauled out hoses and prepared to douse her, fearing a heat stroke. I guess she's just not afraid of me much anymore. When I finally got the water out to her, she hopped up and looked at me like "what's all the fuss?"
I will be SO glad when I can get her haltered and sheared!!!
I have the older one trained now to come when I call and she will stand and turn for me while I spray her with cool water. I know you said you had a pond but I have read that running cool water over particular areas of the body (stomach, backs of legs -- especially backs of thighs) cools them very well. Her behavior would seem to confirm that since she will turn her back and open her legs a bit to give me good access to spray her back thighs.
As an added benefit, I think it's making her more accepting of being touched on her body. In fact this morning she wanted in the yard while I did the milking, and she kept trying to steal the goat's grain. I THOUGHT she was afraid of me but I actually had to shove her to get her away. (the grain has copper I added to it so it isn't safe for llamas).
I've been working with her for some weeks, calling her name to come and give her treats. I often hold her feed for her to eat (she won't eat from a bucket on the ground now in fact). I've tried to have dh snip a bit while I feed her, since I've gotten her used to having her neck touched while I feed her. She just circles around and won't let him. So I tried snipping while he feeds. I've gotten a bit done but ...
Hope something here helps. I worry about mine. A few days ago the female was lying flat out in the sun. She didn't get up when I walked up to her so I quickly hauled out hoses and prepared to douse her, fearing a heat stroke. I guess she's just not afraid of me much anymore. When I finally got the water out to her, she hopped up and looked at me like "what's all the fuss?"
I will be SO glad when I can get her haltered and sheared!!!
mully
Loving the herd life
Llamas are not trusting creatures and that is why they make good guard animals. Takes good patience and kindness to win them over so go slow but be firm. Sometimes you just have to be the boss and that is what they are expecting, you must be the alpha. They will win your trust but it takes time and you need to win out over what you want to do. One of the best things you can build to clip llamas and any other larger animal is a clipping station. It consists of 3 posts put in the ground like you would a fence post. You place them in a "V" about 4 ft apart and attach 4 rails to the inside at the 4 ft level and at the 2ft level. At the "head" post attach a ring cleat. Now to clip the animal lead into the "V" tie off at he head post cleat and now you are free to clip from the outside Do not clip inside the rails as you could get hurt. This system is safe for you and the animal does not think you are holding it but it can not go anywhere. A little work and expense but it will last years if care is used to build it, do not use nails in construction ...use bolts and keep the nut end out away from the animal so they do not get hurt.
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Lil-patch-of-heaven
Ridin' The Range
Thanks from me too, Mully. I'm going to try that as well. I think I'm close to being able to halter the female
funny thing about what you said about llamas as guards. That's why I got them at first. If I'd stopped with the female alone, I think she could have made a good guard animal. But I thought she needed another llama and I wanted a young one to work with (plus he wasn't going to cost me any extra and I really liked him). Now I think she cares a whole lot less about other animals so perhaps isn't going to make a good guard. But now I really like them so much for themselves so would rather a guard for the llamas too lol.
Thanks again.
funny thing about what you said about llamas as guards. That's why I got them at first. If I'd stopped with the female alone, I think she could have made a good guard animal. But I thought she needed another llama and I wanted a young one to work with (plus he wasn't going to cost me any extra and I really liked him). Now I think she cares a whole lot less about other animals so perhaps isn't going to make a good guard. But now I really like them so much for themselves so would rather a guard for the llamas too lol.
Thanks again.
Chirpy
Loving the herd life
Llamas really do need to be shorn in summer months in hot climates. If you can't shear the whole llama then a good barrel cut will do the job to help keep them cool. A barrel cut is when you shear around the llamas tummy... you start right behind the front legs and stop right in front of the back legs. It looks like a 'barrel' has been cut away from them. They still have all their fleece on the front of their body and all the fleece on the back-end of their body.
Not all llamas make good guard animals. There are people who breed for guard llamas and they put their llamas through multiple 'tests' to find the right animals for the job. In all my years of working with llamas I've only seen a handful that made really good guard animals. Of my own 13 llamas only two of them have been guards. They were excellent at their job and pummeled and ran off more than one coyote and dog. Most llamas will react as a prey animal when confronted by a predator. They may give an alert call but won't actually 'take on' the predator.
Not all llamas make good guard animals. There are people who breed for guard llamas and they put their llamas through multiple 'tests' to find the right animals for the job. In all my years of working with llamas I've only seen a handful that made really good guard animals. Of my own 13 llamas only two of them have been guards. They were excellent at their job and pummeled and ran off more than one coyote and dog. Most llamas will react as a prey animal when confronted by a predator. They may give an alert call but won't actually 'take on' the predator.
