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Thinking of
buying or selling a “guard” llama?
Take a minute and read Judi’s thoughts on placing a guard llama
in a new home.
Judi
Smith
I'm Judi Smith and my husband, Darrel, and I have Lladner
Llamas in Ladner, BC, Canada. Do llamas make good guardians?
Sometimes, the situations differ greatly and consideration of the
predator is a big part of the answer.
LLAMAS CANNOT PROTECT
THEMSELVES, LET ALONE OTHER ANIMALS, FROM PACKS OF DOGS, COYOTES OR
WOLVES. PROVIDING PROTECTION FROM COUGAR AND BEAR PREDATION IS
DEFINITELY OUT OF THE QUESTION. THESE SITUATIONS ARE AN UNREASONABLE
EXPECTATION OF A LLAMA'S GUARDING ABILITIES AND CAN RESULT IN THE DEATH
OF THE LLAMA AND LIVESTOCK IT'S PROTECTING.
Can a llama guard my sheep/livestock against dogs?
If your fences are secure and your attacks are from a 'single'
dog, it's possible a guardian
llama can help keep your flock safe. The success of a guardian llama
depends on the realistic
expectation of his/her abilities. It
is strongly recommended that a Gelded male, not
an intact male, be used. Non-neutered
males have seriously injured and in some cases killed sheep and or lambs
while trying to breed them. Non-breeding
females are used as well with success.
A guardian is a guardian
not a breeding animal.
Llamas are not difficult to care for, but they
do need to be treated differently from other livestock.
Their diet is similar to cattle and sheep, but they
require different minerals that must
be available to them alone. Minerals
and mineral mixes designed for other livestock are not suitable and do not
meet a llamas needs.
Llamas, like other long
wool animals definitely need shearing.
Shearing should be done when the weather is warm and settled.
Approximately 1 to 2 inches of fiber should be left on to protect from sun and
insects. Llamas have died
from heat stroke and they often show little indication of a problem
until they are down and in trouble, especially if you don't know the
signs. In some cases the
short wooled animal can suffer from extreme heat too.
How old should the llama be? For a llama to be a successful guardian it must be secure in
his/her own rights and maturity
is a big factor. A
mature animal is mentally and physically more likely to developed a
stronger territorial sense and will bond to the subject group with a
more serious attitude. Gelding
of males should not be considered until they are at least 12 to 18
months old. If a female is
considered, she should be at least 2 years old to be mentally mature
enough to take the job seriously and not a active breeding female.
What do I need to know when I buy or sell a llama
as a Guardian? The obvious
answer to this is..... "Has the llama been near sheep or the
subjects to be guarded?" If
not, then ensure that the llama can cope with and bond to the subjects.
This is the first step in determining if it is a good candidate
for a guardian.... Does this animal display a sense of territorial
claim? Does it back away from strange and different things coming
onto the property? If the
answer to these last two questions is YES, then it could be the wrong
animal for the job.... Not all
llamas are guardian material. Some
are fearful of sheep and other livestock and will run from them.
Others will go to the extreme of jumping fences to get away from
them or the predator. Not
the sign of a good candidate for guardian llama of the year!
It takes a special personality in a llama to move away from it's
own kind and not only accept, but bond to, another species and be
willing to protect and defend them.
As a breeder
your credibility is on the line.
If you plan on selling a llama for guardian work, make sure the
animal is capable of taking on the job.
It does not do the llama industry any good if a farmer purchases
a llama that ignores, flees at the first sign of a perceived threat,
injures or kills the subjects. Llamas
can be effective guardians if the placement is done with a careful and
realistic approach to the type of predation and a reasonable expectation
of the llama's ability to be an effective guardian in that particular
situation.
Offering llamas for use as guardians is just as
legitimate a specialization as offering a trained llama for ....
obstacle classes, packing or show.
All of the above require some inclination and ability of the
llama to the task at hand. A
well-suited candidate for any is a credit to the breeder affirming their
willingness to provide a credible service.
Care must be taken to insure that the llama is not being burdened
with unreasonable expectations by educating the buyer BEFORE
the purchase, not after the llama is dead or has failed to live up to
the buyer's expectations.
For more information on Guard Llamas download the
ILA brochure on our downloads page…
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Raising
Mystical Llamas in Magical Napa
