Some of My Best Friends Are Llamas

[troutsqueezer]

This is Mike and Ike, my neighbors. We've known each other for twelve years and have become good buddies. Whenever they see me out by my compost bin, they come running over just like a couple of puppy dogs. This time of year I feed them tomatoes that have become overripe from the garden. This morning, Mike ate about twenty of them. He would eat a whole barrel full if I let him.

 

[dragoneggs]

Nice... we are at the tail end of our tomato harvest. Trying to ripe the last of them on the vine. The fruit flies are enjoying them in our kitchen. The wife is hiding tomatoes in the oven, micro, etc. quite a battle. I am enjoying my electric badminton racket!

 

[hunterridgefarm]

They are really neat animals. We attended a Lama show at a large agriculture fair in western NC. There had to be 150 +/- lamas at the show. I was able to talk to several owners and interact with the Lamas.

They are extremely curious animals and we have talked about getting two at some point.

Do you raise them or use them to protect other animals?

Funny, the third picture resembles the cows on the Chick-fil-a commercial

 

[jinman]

They say llamas spitting at humans is a sign of an abused or highly stressed animal. In Oklahoma near the Arbuckle Mountains, they have the Arbuckle Wilderness Wildlife Park. Unfortunately, that park is in disarray and on its last leg. They are getting rid of lots of their exotic animals. It's almost criminal for them to charge admission, but they do. The last time we were there, we witnessed disgruntled employees arguing amongst themselves and showing little interest in good care for the animals.

We were taking the drive-thru tour and came to one area where there is a large pond with animals lounging and cooling themselves in the shade. We had driven past a huge herd of unruly miniature donkeys and were approached by group of llamas. Everyone was enjoying feeding the llamas when one stuck its snout into the car and plastered the side of my FIL's face with a huge loogie. The green slimy stuff splattered over him, me sitting beside him, and the seat. My wife, MIL, and grandson in the back seat almost collapsed with laughter. It was pretty funny. I'm sure it was not that animal's fault for being so anti-social, but that didn't help us wipe the slime off of us. There is no telling how much abuse those animals in that failing park had experienced from their keepers and the people driving through. We will not return there, but it certainly isn't the fault of the llamas. We'll just check llama loogie off our bucket list. :laughing:

 

[buickanddeere]

The more I understand people, the more I like my dog.

 

[troutsqueezer]

Do you raise them or use them to protect other animals?

They belong to my neighbor but yup, they use them to protect their goats and sheep from the coyotes. They started with around 15 sheep, now all they have left is two rams so I would say the Llama idea sounded good but isn't that effective. I pay more attention to them than the neighbor does but they are friendly to me and never spit. They do laugh at times, when they are anxious about something.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

They also need to be with another Lama. I know some of the people who raise them will only sale in pairs.

 

[atgreene]

We have two llamas currently. They're like any animal, some are good at guarding, others are not. Ours are ok, but haven't been great. The other morning I stepped outside and saw both llamas watching something down in the field below them. Sure enough, a coyote or fox was in the brush. Sent some lead his way, but wasn't sure which it was. Last week something snuck past them into the barn and got 8 chickens. I'm thinking they didn't know they were supposed to guard the chickens.

As far as animals go, I find them to require more maintenance than most, but well worth it. Great animals.