# Llama question



## Olivia67 (Mar 6, 2008)

O.k. there is a female llama for sale nearby and I have been told that she used to be in a petting zoo. When I went to see her, she allowed us to catch her (she was in a stall) without harming us but would not let me lead her anywhere. She is very pretty, mostly white, grey back and she has blue eyes but her bottom teeth protude out and she probably is on the older side. There is a black and brown wether with her who is younger. I need a LG for my sheep, do you think I could just take her and not the wether and would she bond with my sheep and how hard is going to be to train her to walk on a lead-I was told that there was a 15 year old girl who brought them into the auction ring and she had no problem with them. So are they just so stressed out that they are acting so flighty? Or do you think if I bring just the female here she will just jump the darn 4 foot fence and take off? I thought that since she looked older, maybe she would settle in pretty quick-what do think and do you need more information in order to give me some advice?


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

Free llamas all over the place around here. I wouldn't give money for one.

I had one. It was terrified of dogs and tried to kill the lambs. Good luck if you depend upon that llama to protect your sheep.

By the way, if it doesn't work out, the meat is nasty. Dogs will eat it, none of the people around here would.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

The only person I know of who had a llama with sheep lost a ewe when the llama broke it's back


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## Olivia67 (Mar 6, 2008)

I've heard of that with the males Bearfootfarm, they try to breed the ewes if they are left intact and have no other female llamas to breed with. There really is a lot to learn about llamas but they are tenacious fighters if they bond with your flock, there are many large sheep operations in Iowas who depend on llamas to defend their flocks and they do a good job, but, big but here, one has to find the right one. The female I'm looking at is older, not sure how old but she has some age on her, maybe 8? They live a long time though, I think 15 is average but I'm not sure. She is pretty and not too big, we don't have a ton of room and I thought by taking a smallish female without her gelding partner, she would have no choice but to bond with my sheep and in doing so, would protect them until I could get out there with the gun or let our 6 dogs loose to get rid of whatever is out there. I've looked up how to train her to walk on a lead, but I think she already knows how, she just won't walk for me because she can smell "whimp" on me from 50 feet away. We did just bring home a LGD puppy and he can squeeze under the fence between the two pastures and he is chasing away the racoons and foxes in both the sheep and goat pastures but when the grass comes up, the sheep and goats won't be side by side any longer and so I plan to have another plan of attack or defense for my little flock by then. I think I may give her a try, I have a good feeling about this from what I've been reading on line, I think my new LGD puppy may wind up with a face full of llama spit once or twice until he learns to stay away but I will go slowly with the introductions. Also with her backround as a petting zoo animal, she may appreceate the solitude and quiet of our little farm and settle in quickly. If she is still available and she comes here, I'll keep an update on hers and my progress. If it doesn't work out, well, it's only one llama and I'll still be able to harvest her hair and she can live with the mini horses. They are both mares and don't take nonsense from anyone.


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## laughingllama75 (Jul 15, 2011)

INTACT male llamas sometime will try to breed ewes...it is imortant to have a gelding protecting your flock. Females make aweomse guards too! 
I imagine that particualr llama didnt want to go with you, as she didnt know who you were, and she didnt want to leave her goat.
If you buy a llama, and once you get it home I woul slowly acclimate it to your other livestock in a pen that ajoins the llamas. that way, they get used to each other, and it wont take long. Llamas are use here for goats, sheep, calves and mini horses. Sucessfully, I might add! 

and just to add: I have a neithbor who thought llamas were "ugly" and got a donkey as a guard. Well, it ended up raping her Ram, and he had to be euthanized. Eww. but, if you look at ANY guard animal, any of them can be the exception the the rule and be a "killer/rapist or just not up to guarding" type of animal. You just need to do some research with the particular animal you are interested in.


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

Expecting any animal that has been used in a petting zoo to become an instant livestock guardian is unrealistic.
Animals that are intended as guards need to be raised up with the flock they are to protect.
We purchased a small group of neglected llamas several years ago, and have had mixed results with them depending on their ages and temperaments.
Llamas in general are quite aloof. I'm not surprised that you were unable to lead the female with such limited interaction with her. 
Intact males llamas will attempt to breed ewes that are in heat, often crushing them to death in the process.

I just sold a yearling llama who went immediately from being weaned from his momma to living fulltime with my dairy goats. He never was aggressive with the goats and always stayed close to them and protected them as his family.
I sold him with a trio of goats to a friend who needed goats for land clearing and needed the goats to stay safe from predators.

If you want to have guard llamas, contact people who breed and raise them for that purpose. Just like you would approach purchasing livestock guardian dogs.


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

farmergirl said:


> If you want to have guard llamas, contact people who breed and raise them for that purpose. Just like you would approach purchasing livestock guardian dogs.


Agreed. Better to avoid any heartache towards the lifestock, caused by trial and error(and then having to do something with the llama that didn't work out).


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

It is always better to get a young gelding or female for a gaurd animal, they will grow into your herd of sheep and think they are one (Sheep). They make great gaurd animals if done right, and NEVER use a none gelded male, they can be pretty mean and for the other reasons stated above. Like anything you have to know all about the animals you are going to use, find people that use them and ask a butt load of questions. > Thanks Marc


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