I saw an ad for a llama and I am showing alpacas this year for 4H, so I'm wondering if I could get a llama instead of leasing alpacas and just keep it with our three horses. Or would it get lonely? Would it be able to stick up for itself with three horses?
It might work but you ant to make sure that there isnt any barb wire as their eyes are so big and barb wire dont work. Other than that they should do well.
yes, the llama should get along fine with horses. It will be the protector of the herd. My sil has a llama in with her horses, and when I go to visit, the llama protects the horses from me. Quite funny, but I need to learn not to look the llama in the eye.
I would do one more strand no higher than 12 inches. Llamas do not get out like goats do but, they are very limber. I had 3 strands of electric horse tape around one of my llama pastures. One of my llamas found out if he could get his ears under, then his wool would not allowed him to get shocked on his back when he managed to stand up. Llamas can actually crawl on their knees. You need a llama who is kind of a loner, they usually make good guards. Usually people have two llamas together because they are very social creatures however, as long as they have something in the pasture to relate to like horses, sheep, etc. they do ok.
You may want to introduce them kind of slowly to each other so, either the llamas or horses don't bolt.
Also, I was afraid to just use the plain wire electric fencing because if a horse or llama was to get it wrapped around their leg it could cause serious injury or amputation.
Growing up we had three llamas, and the male was by baby. He would come up on one side and drape his neck around yours and purr in your ear. He was such a sweetheart; I will definitely have llamas again. However, I don't know that I will keep them with horses, because my darling was killed when our horse was eating one day and kicked him in the head.
Just be forewarned that there is always a possibility that they won't get along.
But I guess I would always be paranoid about our Arabian beating him up anyways. At least I get to lease alpacas down the road.
Does anyone have any tips on training/showing alpacas? They were not even halter trained when I started at their house last fall. Now they are mostly halter trained, but they spook at everything and they don't like their bodies touched. Help please!
The alpacas can be trained in the same fashion as llamas. I prefer the clicker training method. They catch on pretty fast to that. There are videos on the subject at www.useful-items.com. It is one of the best places to buy any item you need for llamas or alpacas.
