1.
Do they spit? Yes, they spit. It is
usually between themselves over a dispute about food or territory. If they spit at humans it is probably
because they have been mistreated or they are protecting there babies. Of course, the human may just be
in the line of fire between llamas. This has happened to me. It just isn’t that
bad, it washes off.
2.
What are their personalities
like? For the most part
llamas are gentle, quiet, very curious and intelligent.
3.
What do they eat? During the spring, summer and fall they graze
the pastures. They also receive a “special recipe” of grains, corn and minerals daily.
In the winter they get hay. One bale of hay can feed an adult llama for about a week.
4.
What do you do with a llama?
A. Well, first and foremost, you LOVE them. This
is very easy to do once you meet a few and get to know them.
B. Fiber – the fiber from a llama is used for spinning into yarn or for felting.
This is all used for a variety of craft projects. Because it is hollow, llama fiber is very warm
when it is used for that special clothing project. Our llamas are sheared once a year and we use it primarily
for yarn.
C.
Packing – llamas have traditionally
been used for packing in South America. Here they are used for backpackers and you can find quite a few
outfitters that use llamas for carrying supplies for hikers or campers.
D. Showing – you can find several shows throughout the states that give llama
owners the opportunity to “show off” their llamas. Halter classes judge the llama on their
conformation while obstacle or performance classes can display the training and teamwork between the llama and handler.
E.
Pets – some llama owners simply
have llamas as a pet. When they do you will usually see that they have two as llamas are herd animals and
do require companionship.
F.
Guard animals – llamas take
naturally to guarding other livestock and require no training to do so. They are frequently used for guarding
sheep.
G.
Livestock – llamas are easy
to keep and are not hard on fencing. They do not require much shelter, just a three sided building
to protect them from a pouring rain or heavy snow and strong winds.
H. Therapy – llamas have been used in different settings and
a therapy animal. They just seem to be able to help people relax.
5.
Are they noisy? For the most part llamas are very quiet. They do have a few
distinct noises however. When a llama is unsure about something they will make a humming noise.
A mama llama will also hum to her cria. Another noise made by the male llama is called an orgle.
This is a very strange noise the male will make while breeding . Llamas also have an alarm
call that they use to alert the herd when they sense danger.
6.
How big do they get? Llama can stand up to five or six feet tall
at the head and can weigh between 300 and 450 pounds. A newborn is usually between 25 and 35 pounds at
birth.
