We have two ranch properties in Idaho and several acres in the Boise foothills, so we were looking for an animal that would graze the land, protect itself, and provide other benefits but not be hard on the land or our steep Boise foothills. We also love the outdoors and had researched other pack animals and found llamas to be the best for what we were looking for.
The rule of thumb is a llama can carry 20% of their body weight. While we can carry more with the larger animals we keep the weight per animal at around 80lbs. Adult llamas are impressive pack animals, capable of carrying a significant portion of their body weight. Here’s what you need to know:
If we consider a fully grown llama that usually weighs anywhere between 280 to 450 pounds, this means at 20% that a llama can carry 55 to 90 pounds for 6 to 12 miles each day.
Compared to other popular pack animals like donkeys, llamas can carry a similar percentage of their body weight.
Well, what would you do if you were overloaded? You would probably remove your pack, but if you couldn't remove it because your buddy put a padlock on your buckle you would probably sit or lay down.
If you overload a llama, it will either lie down or stubbornly refuse to move. Llamas know their limits, which is essential for anyone planning to use them for packing.
Since a llama can only carry 55 to 90 pounds, it cannot support the weight of an adult human. However, carrying a child is a different story. Depending on the child’s weight and the llama’s training, a llama could carry a child if it has been trained to be ridden. You can use a small saddle that you would use for a horse to carry a child on a trained animal.
Llamas are camalids so they can go for long periods without drinking much water. Some say they can go up to three days. With that said we always make sure water is available but they don't have to stop to get a drink at every crossing. In the backcountry you are able to carry only a small amount of food and since llamas are foregers we just bring extra nutrient pellets for them to eat. We do not have to bring in hay which is better for the environment and allows for us to pack more of our gear and less of their food.
llamas eat less, drink less, weigh less and are easier on the steep terrain. They also don't spook as easy and tend to not push against or go through fences. They have the capability to jump the fences, but they tend to be happy where they are.
Yes, llamas spit, but typically not at humans. All our llamas are well trainied and like to spit at each other as a warning that they do not want to be bothered. If you are outside of our fence and they don't know you it is possible that they will spit at you if you bother them. If they put their ears back just back away slowly and they will probably do the same.
Yes. Llamas are well known as a guard animal. This is how we were introduced to them. We were looking to introduce sheep and goats to reduce the fire danger on our properies and ranch land and were looking for a guard animal. We fell in love with the llamas and wanted to used them in the outdoors for packing, so we started with the guard animals. The sheep and goats will likely come in later.
If you have been around llamas you will hear them "scream" at each other. You might think an animal is seriously injured, but that is not the case. Typically intact males make that terrible noise and spit at each other as part of establishing their dominance. They will wrestle with their necks, bump their chests, scream especially if there are females near. We have both so you can expect to see some excitement.
Intact males are like teen age humans, they can be a challenge. They go though what we called the "terrible twos", which can start early and lasts generally from two to 4 or even 6, depends how much time they spend on the trail together. All they instinctively want is to wrestle and chase to practice fighting and building muscle for breeding rights when they get older.
Like teenage boys you need to direct their energy into constructive pursuits like packing. Many people choose to geld, but in the vast majority of boys that means a much shortened packing career because of fallen pasterns, most hard core packers want to keep their animals on the trail as long as possible (like faithful dogs) and just deal with rowdy teenagers, while keeping them as safe as possible, and 95% make it
through without serious injury, the alternative has far greater odds against it.
Llamas are herd animals, but they also need space. It is best to separate into separate groups. 1) We separate all of the females from the males and keep the crias with their moms for 8-12 months. 2) We separate the large packing males into one group and if we have a male that is particularly difficlut or dominate they may be separated out in pens. 3) We keep the young males (1-3 year-olds) apart from the large males to keep them from wrestling from the bigger males. We want them to learn to pack and have less chance of injury.
Llamas are herd animals, and because we separate animals we always want 3-4 together so they do not get lonely. If you do the math (see above: Why do you separate the animals?) You really want to have 10-15 at a minimum to have a small packing and breading program. The good news is these are not like other animals and shouldn't be compared to horses, cows or most other livestock. The closest livestock to a llama is probably a large goat. They do well in hilly areas and comapre to a deer in terms of their size, weight, and impact on the terrain.
The average size of a llama can vary depending on factors such as age, sex, and breed. Here are some general guidelines: Adult males weigh between 150 and 450 lbs. and Adult females average 115 to 350 lbs. At birth, a baby llama (called a cria) can weigh between 20-30 lbs. Now if you look at our llamas you can see they are well above average size for llamas, but much smaller than other livestock. Our Llamas
Llamas are fascinating creatures with an average life span of 15 to 20 years.
Llamas are fascinating creatures. Llamas are naturally curious, intelligent, and cooperative. They can be handled by people of all ages and experiences. When upset or frightened, they can make a shrill alarm sound. Even though the males and even some females display dominant qualities in a herd of their fellow llamas they are very gentle and curious around humans. We have very small children around our large males often and have seen a 3 year-old lead a 400lb llama standing next to an adult.
Llamas have specific nutritional needs to maintain their health and well-being.
Forage: Llamas primary diet includes grass and shrubs. They are foragers so you will also see them eating bark and even pine needles when you are in the backcountry. In our Boise foothills they will be nibbling on sagebrush as well as eating the grasses. Llamas need 1% to 1.3% of their body weight in forage each day to maintain their weight and stay active.
Other Feed and Supplements: While grass and hay form the foundation of their diet, there may be times when supplementation is necessary. We feed the nursing females "treats" every day to ensure they are healthy. The males get the same treatment when they are packing during the fall and summer months. We also make sure there is always hay around for them to eat when they get tired of foraging.
The average gestation period for a llama is 340-365 days. Breeding generally occurs between late November and early February, with births most common in March and April. Twins are rare, occurring in only about 3% of births.
The first thing you should know about a baby llama is what they are called. Cria is what we call the baby llamas. After spending almost an entire year inside their mothers they are born and hop right up and begin to walk around, and within no time they are playing with the other crias. They love to run and jump and practice wrestling with each other. They also practice eating... while nursing they do not eat the grasses, but you will see them mock eating next to their mothers. They are also VERY curios and skiddish. In the beginning we like to spend a lot of time with them getting them used to being handled.