Llamas

[slipperandpjsmum]

Does anyone own a Llama? How do you find being a Llama owner?

Noooo! You're not serious!

Llamas aren't pets. They spit. Spitting does not make for something nice to walk or cuddle.

More seriously, they require company as they are sociable creatures, expert, specialist veterinary care, wool shearing and access to the correct diet.

Not for the faint hearted.

Besides, the spitting...

Ugly buggers with weird teeth.

is it just me being silly or does this feel like the start of a monty python sketch?

Oh thats not true! These are myths. We have come back from a weekend Llama trekking, it was amazing. They said many times they are mis-unerstood and I can see they are right. They are warm affectionate animals who love people. We learnt loads about their care, likes dislikes etc and just wondered if anyone out there kept them?

i've always rather fancied a few alpacas. very pretty but i don't have a couple of spare acres.

A friend of mine used to have alpacas. But they can jump bloody high and get jumping over the dry stone walls.

I've taken alpacas for walks before, it is nice tootling along with them.

Oh and I have been spat at by a llama. Got a face full of half digested grass and llama snot.

dh would love an alpaca or a llama, but since we live in an urban terrace house with a small garden it won't be anytime soon.

If they spat at you VivaLeBeaver it could have been because they had some grass stuck, or an insect in their nose or sometimes there can be a fall out between Llams or maybe it could tell how you felt about Llams!!

Not sure why it spat but DD was in hysterics.

When we used to take bread and apples to feed the friend's aplacas we had to feed them in a certain order, ie; alpha alpaca first. We were warned if we didn't then we would be spat at. Never did get spat at by them but we obeyed the rules carefully.

I know that Alpacas are different, much more touchy and more difficult to keep. Although there is a pecking order with Alpacas to. When we were out on our treks they had to walk in a particular order as the lead Llama was responsible for looking after the others. As I think you may be able to tell learnt loads about them and had fun at the same time. We were with them for 2 days and never saw one spit but of course these Llamas are specially trained for trekking.

Both Llamas and Alpacas will spit if they are threatened, being their vet gets you spat at. Llama spit is nastier than alpaca, spit Llama spit burns alpaca spit just unpleasant. They are farm animals and as such need plenty of room. They do require quite a lot work yearly shearing regular nail trimming, worming etc. They get all the diseases that cows, sheep and horses get.
Although I love working with them both I wouldn't have any.

Erm, I'm allergic to them so I wouldn't.

They are a lot of work though.

AllerigicToSomeWeirdThingsTiggaxx

I have nothing to add but simply couldn't walk past a thread entitled 'Llamas' without posting

As The Two Ronnie's so succinctly put it,

"Your nuts m'lady"

I got spat at by a llama at my local animal sanctuary. i'd given him some treats (permitted ones, obviously) and went to move on to offer some to a nearby donkey.

Larry the Llama was a bit put out by this and tried to snatch the bag of treats from my hand. I was just telling im to sod off, no chance matey when he spat.

Larry the Llama went down in my estimation after that. :o

Maybe I should have entitles this thread Spitting Llamas!! But if anyone out there is a Llama owner (and I know you are out there somewhere) would love to hear what its like.

Hi there!

Bit late on this thread, but yes, I'm a llama and alpaca owner :)

I think Lizcat's reply summed it up perfectly.

We have a little hobby farm on 8 acres and I would really only advise keeping them if you have lots of space, and loads of time to handle them on a daily basis. Once they become more distant and aloof, the regular chores of deworming, shearing and claw-trimming (my personal least-favourite!) become much more difficult.

When they are tame, they are wonderful pets, but people around here are constantly trying to give away their skittish ones that have been left to their own devices for too long, or not handled enough as youngsters. They are big strong animals, and it's really no fun at all having to trim the rapidly growing claws of a struggling llama, believe me!!!