Camelids: post your photos!

[spectrumranch]

Miniature Llamas are required to be 38 inches or less at the withers. There is also a foundation class for FEMALES from 38.1 to 40 inches. You can read more on the AMLA, AMERICAN MINIATURE LLAMA ASSN. website: http://www.miniaturellamas.com/index.html

I don't have much for photos that show mini llamas with full size llamas, to compare size. You also have to take into acct that our herd of llamas was overall medium sized animals.

Tinkerbell, mini female with medium sized regular females. Tinkerbell was out of my all time favorite llama- Della Kato.

Panda, mini male with Magnetism.

Cotorro- mini herdsire

Hotline- mini herdsire

Maximizer- mini herdsire

Spectrum's I Do Impress- mini female

Spectrum's Zoey with Joan

 

[ravencreek]

Aww they are awesome. Thanks for the info and pics. I googled and found some mini llama breeders in GA and KY. I'm thinking of adding one to my family. Now just gotta re-enforce my fencing.

 

[reveriereptile]

I got remembering that a while back I was looking through the animal finders guide and it had an article either about a nursing home or rehab center that brings in exotic animals for the residents to see. What shocked me was a picture of an older lady probably in her 60s or 70s in a wheel chair holding a leash that was hooked to an adult bactrian camel. I wish I could find the article online about it.

 

[spectrumranch]

Camelids that are trained can be very easy to handle. We used to take llamas to schools parades and nursing homes as they were very relaxed in a crowd; and we typically used our breeding males.

 

[spectrumranch]

Arrezzio before:

after shearing (full body cut)

1 year later: before

1 year later; after shearing (breeders cut- from front shoulders to back around the butt)

 

[SarahBeth9394]

I was gonna ask about the different shearing on them and what they get sheared differently for when it comes to llama's. And on camels do you have a before and after; also do you shear differently for different reasons?

 

[spectrumranch]

Quote:
We don't shear our camels (but they can be)- we let them shed out on their own. But when they are sheading alot I usually go and pull it off.

Llamas are usually sheared in 3 styles, but there is no set standard, you can shear them as you like. Most alpaca breeders shear full body but I like the breeders cut so I shear my alpacas with the breeders cut. When the wool gets long and starts matting then I shear full body; I usually only shear down to a few inches above the knee and leave a tuff on the neck.

Barrel cut: generally used on young or show animals.

Breeder's cut: generally used on adults that you want to leave some wool on the grow out, but keeps them cool and wool is out of the way for breeding.

Full Body: generally used on animals that become matted or for wool production.

Fabuloso before his full body cut:

Scrape wool after shearing all day.

 

[SarahBeth9394]

Thanks for the info. Llamas are really interesting looking no matter how they are sheared. I can't get over their ears. They are just too cute.

 

[yoker]

Spectrum: someone I know is allways saying that llamas spit and this and that. And she also said that llama spit is black. is this true I would like to know and I would also like to know if they spit often? I love llamas and I would like to show this person that llamas are nice so all help would be welcome.

 

[spectrumranch]

Quote:
Llamas & Alpacas can spit, but it is green NOT black. None of our's will spit at us when we amongst them. We used to have an open house at our farm; we would have up to 3000 people there on a weekend and they could go into any of our llama pastures amongst the llamas & alpacas, NO ONE got spit on. About the only times I get spit at is- when we worm them with injectable wormer or during shearing. We do have a few protective mothers that would spit if you messed around with her newborn cria (baby), but most of our females let us handle the babies without any problems.

I have seen llamas that will spit at people, these are usually llamas that were teased or abused OR llamas in a petting zoo where you feed them. THey are smart and learn that if they spit at a person they drop the feed and then the llama gets it. Or they spit to keep the others away.

Llamas will spit at each other to reinforce rank in the herd. If a more dominant llama wants to eat where another is eating, it will put it's ears back and try to get the other llama to move, if that llama tries to hold it's spot, they may get into a little spitting fight over the spot.

Also females will spit at the males if he shows interest in her when they are pregnant or not receptive to breeding.

Spitting in llamas/alpacas is like horses biting and kicking at each other to establish rank or goats headbutting and ramming each other.

TO me----Saying that all llamas spit at people is like saying all dogs bite people. Some dogs do, but most don't.