The safety of our animals is the number one priority when we send our animals to a new home. Llamas are hardy, but they do need basic care. As a foster care provider or adopter, it is your responsibility to provide that basic care. Our facilities requirements are designed to make ownership easier for you and to ensure the animals' well-being. The following list of must-haves is pretty basic, but firm. We will inspect your property before placing llamas with you.
A word on dogs Dogs and llamas can get along very well, but dogs that are used to running a household often don't like having herd animals introduced to their territory. We've had a couple of bad incidents in which rescues have been attacked by aggressive dogs. We are very reluctant to place animals in households that have breeds known for aggression, including German shepherds, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Great Danes or other large dogs that can hurt or kill a llama. If you have dogs, we require the llamas and dogs have completely separate, fenced areas until you're absolutely sure that the dogs won't harm the llamas. Sorry, but we will not place llamas in homes with Pit Bulls or Pit Bull crosses. We've had too many bad experiences with these dogs to accept the risk.
Minimim Facility Requirements
A fenced pasture that allows about a quarter-acre per animal. Fences should be a minimum of five feet high. Horse fencing or sheep panels are both fine choices, as long as theyÕre firmly attached to solidly-planted uprights. Barbed-wire and woven-wire field fencing are not appropriate for llamas, as they can easily injure themselves on these types of fencing. Fields should be free of hazards, including thorns and burrs, toxic plants, loose wire, garbage, chemicals, and other things that might injure the animals. Gates should be firmly and safely secured to keep curious llamas inside their pasture and to exclude predators.
A knowledgeable, experienced llama mentor who is willing to help you learn the ropes of llama ownership. If you're not used to dealing with livestock, your first toenail trimming, haltering or care of a sick llama will be a memorable adventure. Having an experienced mentor who's willing to pitch in will be invaluable.
A three- or four-sided shelter that provides adequate protection from prevailing winds. Animals need a minimum of 10 square feet in your barn. If you have a barn or stable, it must be clean and in good structural condition. Temporary hoop shelters are acceptable, though we strongly encourage construction of a permanent stable or shelter.
A local vet who knows how to treat llamas. Your vet should always be a phone call away and, preferably, have an emergency number. If you don't have a horse or stock trailer for transporting your animals, the vet should be willing to make house calls. We will need your vet's name, phone number, and location.
Access to a trailer, if you don't have your own. Even the most basic stock trailer is expensive, but trust us: the time will come when you will need to move your animals. If you have a kind neighbor or friend who would loan you a trailer, you might not have to buy one. Just make sure that the trailer is readily available for the day when you have an emergency that requires immediate transportation. You should periodically practice loading and unloading your animals, too.
A restraint chute for general care, health treatments and medical emergencies. It's a good idea to put this in a sheltered area in case you need to trim toenails, give dewormer, or treat an injury in bad weather. Instructions for building a restraining chute in several styles are available. We like this one. You'll also need restraining straps with chains, carabiners, and a halter so that you can properly and safely restrain your animal for treatments.
A basic first aid kit. Check with your local llama vet link, but a basic first aid kit should include Betadine liquid, saline solution for wound cleansing, veterinary wrap, fly repelling ointment, sterile bandages, scissors, antibacterial ointment, a thermometer, electrolyte solution, medical gloves, and a good llama care book. We particularly like Clair Hoffman's book, Caring for Llamas and Alpacas: A Herd Management Guide, which you can order from Rocky Mountain Llama & Alpaca Association. Most of what you'll need is available through Rocky Mountain Llamas, Useful Llama and Alpaca Items, or similar llama/alpaca equipment catalogs and stores.
An off-the-ground hay manger or hayrack for feeding. We discourage feeding off the ground, since that's a vector for spreading parasites among your animals. You can feed from a large wooden box, a manger, a hanging hay bag... there are a lot of possibilities. One of our adopters has two mangers made from old skis!
A sheltered storage area for hay and feed. Damp hay means mold, and that means sick llamas. You'll need a secure area where hay can be stored off the ground, away from pests. Llamas aren't prone to colic as horses are, but you need to secure your feed behind a gate, door, or fence of some kind, so that your llamas can't break in and eat themselves into a stupor.
Appropriate feed and water containers. Large, flat-bottomed metal or plastic pans are a good choice for feeding llama pellets, carrots, and other treats. Buckets with handles are not acceptable as llamas have a knack for getting the handles around their necks and can choke. Also, llamas can choke on pelleted food when they gulp it down too fast. Spreading the food around a wide-bottom pan slows their eating. (Additionally, you can add small rocks to the feed pan to force the llama to eat slowly around the obstructions.)
A catch pen where the animals can be herded and haltered. Catch pens made with cattle panels are nice because you can take them apart and rearrange as necessary.
Pasture cleaning tools. These should include a transfer scoop for picking up poop, a wheelbarrow, and a stiff-bristled, flat bottom broom or rake for removing those last few llama beans from the pasture. Most landfills do not take animal manure, so you will need to pick out an area for manure storage outside your main pasture, situated so your animals cannot walk through the poop. Some areas have hauling services that remove the manure and take it to a private dumping area. Before you lament the presence of poop on your property, remember that llama beans make great fertilizer! (No burn, no smell, and can top-dress house plants as safely as plants in your garden.)
