Getting Guard Llamas. Advice please.

[Puddin Fluff]

We are looking into (and have pretty much decided to) purchase a couple of Llamas for petsfor us and guards for our chickens.

Anyone out there have advice/experience they would like to share? From my research, they are fairly easy to work with and don't require a lot of special care.

I was wondering about the halters they use. Are their special ones or can you use a colt halter?

Looking forward to visiting on this. Thanks.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Anyone out there with Llamas?

 

[farmchick897]

They do have special halters, probably have to order them on-line. I've never heard of llamas guarding chickens, but I put my llamas one year around my sweet corn (it was fenced so they couldn't eat it) and I had no trouble with raccoons eating it. The next year I didn't do that and those raccoons came and took a bite of 90% of it the day before harvest. So, I suppose you could do the same with chickens but be careful they don't eat the chicken food. Good luck.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Yeah! Someone with Llamas! We really are mostly getting them for pets but we do have Coyotes that run through our pasture on occasion. It is my understanding that they really don't "guard" stuff so much as they are very territorial. How many do you have? Are there other websites that are good for Llama talk? There doesn't seem to be too many folks on here that have them.

Hope to chat with you soon.

 

[farmchick897]

I have 2 llamas but I do foster for a rescue occasionally. Not all llamas will guard but yes they do tend to be watchful and territorial so even if they don't guard your chickens they don't like unfamiliar things in the pasture. They do get to know your dogs and animals and mine are good with anything I put them in with. They tend to be standoffish, don't really like attention but will come over for treats. And they are easy on the land and fences.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

We plan to work with them so the kids can show them for 4-H and we want to use them for hiking/camping.

I notice your picture looks more like a camel. Do you have one?

 

[farmchick897]

Yep, she is sweet! Llamas are pretty gentle when you have them caught but they tend to be hard to catch. Be sure to read up on the meningeal worm (it can be fatal for llamas/alpacas).

 

[Puddin Fluff]

The lady we are getting them from says she worms them once a year and is going to give me a list of medications etc. that might be helpful with them.

Do you have to have some kind of exotic animal license to have a Camel? I would guess they are much harder to find and much more expensive than Llamas. What other kinds of critters to you have?

 

[farmchick897]

No license needed, they are considered same as llamas and alpacas.
The rescue I foster for would tell you worming once per year will not get M-worm if you have it (deer carry it, so if deer are in your area or run through your pasture). But I personally don't give worming shots monthly, I do keep them up in a pasture by the house where deer do not like to come. I only let the cows graze on big fields where I see deer all the time. I have a wide variety of animals... Mini donkeys, milk goats, beef cows and my Jersey, emus, llamas, dogs, cats, peafowl, chickens (laying hens, silkies), mini pigs, horses, a chameleon, a sun conure... I think that's it.. Our main operation is the beef cows (mainly Black Angus). We have had 17 babies born so far this year.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Wow!!! That is quite a zoo! I would love to have peafowl as well but my husband has classic cars and that doesn't mix too well with birds that like to roost whereever they want! I could get an enclosure but I would rather see them free rangeing.

What is a sun conure? That was the only critter I didn't recognize.