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Thinking of breeding llamas? Here's a few things I've learned that might help you along the way!
If you are looking to get into breeding llamas, there are a few things to keep your eye out for.
Dams:
For
me, the number one thing when picking out a dam is her personality. If your dam is tempermental your babies stand a great
chance of being the same way. All llamas are going to missbehave & be animals but some are willing & friendly while
others are grumpy & crabby. When you go to buy your dam(s) be extremely descriminating. Look for a young dam (you may
have to wait for her to mature to breed her, but it's worth it) spend a lot of time with her. Earn her trust & make her
depend on you. Also look for a dam that is willing to work with you, who wants to please you. This is much easier to
do if you have one dam, but you can do this with various dams, too, if you alternate. If you have only one dam, you may gain
her trust so much that you become her herd, she looks forward to seeing you & you are her companion. The second most important
thing is her conformation. Have someone you trust, who has no stock in selling you a llama look her over if it is your first
time. Have someone you know will tell you her faults & her good points, both. I speak from experience, sometimes mistakes
can be made & it is better to have a third party look the llama over, if at all possible. Also ask about her linage, as
to her milk producing genes & about any birthing dificulties that may have happened in her linage or directly with her.
There is nothing worse than having a dam that cannot deliver her baby. These are large animals, a bit exspensive & they
are easy to get attached to, it is not fun when you must try to pull a baby out to save the dam & you can only hope &
pray the baby will be alive when it comes out. This is very crutial, as is the milk producing lines. Also look at her registry
before you purchase her.
Studs:
Studs are not quite as hard to pick out, in my opinion,
although you must be descriminating here, too. When picking out a stud, look for a strong handsome specimen. He should apear
nobel & magestic & be very manly looking. Most studs don't grow into this look until they hit about 4, so a baby faced
little weanling may not even show an incline of this until he is older-he will stay cute for quite a while. Again, ask a third
party to look the stud over, someone you trust. His conformation is very important, because this will usually be passed down
more than his attitude. His dispossition is important, too. I have 3 studs & they all have an attitude, because they are
studs. Studs are rambunciouse & unpredictable, they need a firm hand & are not really "Pleasure" animals. A dossil
stud is the most desired. It is a good idea to get your stud when he is young & train him to pick his feet up & respect
you from a very early age, most likely you will make him your "Herdsire" & have him for quite a while, maybe his
whole life. You need a lasting, trusting relationship with him. When you pick him out ask about his milk producing linage,
also. If you like you may also ask about any birthing problems in his linage. Ask what gender his sire produced most, and
if he is proven, what gender he has produced most. You may ask about his show record, if you like, but sometimes this isn't
available. Some of the best looking studs have never been to a show or won a ribbon. Trust in what you know about llamas &
the third party, usually the seller, too. Last, but not least, when contimplating a herdsire, think about your ideal llama.
Your herdsire will set the genetic blueprint for your herd. If you want a suri, don't settle for a fluffy 6 month old furr
ball. Llamas are very cute & you can be easily swayed out of your ideal, keep it in mind & really think about the
kind of llama you want to breed & sell & also, show.
The third Party:
This
is a good idea, to have someone look the llama over. It's not always needed and if you would like to do this, do it in a manner
that doesn't look like your mistrusting the breeder. The fact is, your not. You just want a second opinion. When buying direct
from the farm it is easier to pick out a good specimen. I suggest the third party at a show where you might just wonder by
the pen and look. It's not always needed & if you feel your not sure you should do it but if you feel comfortable, go
ahead and trust your own instincts.
Handling your sutd:
When handlling your stud you
must remember what you are dealing with. It is much like handling a stallion. Llamas are very dossil creatures & are not
as spirited as horses, but studs have a mind of their own. I can never stress enough, how unpredictable studs are! Studs need
to be respected & you need to give them their space. When approaching a stud don't walk strieght up to him with your shoulders
back & your chest pushed out, walking in a brisk walk. This will most likely upset your llama & make him on edge.
He may even think you are challenging him to a fight. When you approach your stud, walk up to him with confidence, let him
know you aren't afraid of him, but take a kind, approachable posture, make him feel secure, don't threaten him. Never slouch
or make yourself summissive around your stud. Llamas are very adept at reading body language & will pick up on a sumissive
posture quiker then you will. Don't be fearful around him, he is just an animal & if you know him you know what he will
do. Be normal & relaxed, there is nothing that relaxes a llama better than if you are relaxed. Be on gaurd but don't be
overreactive. Always approach your stud from the side, especially when he is tied up. This gives him his space without letting
him be in control. Also, talk softly to him, let him know who is approaching him & what. Studs requir a great deal of
patience & will constantly try you. Also, remember that the most dossil, easy going, stud will pull his tantrums. Just
because he flips out & rears once, doesn't mean he is a bad llama & must be put down. This is an extremely fine line,
but if he starts to throw his weight around (which he will do very much between the ages of 1 1/2 to 2 years old) lay the
law down, be more on gaurd, if he continues to get worse, it's probably time to talk to your vet about having him gelded.
When ever you are leading a stud, always have a firm grip on your rope. Communicate to him, through your lead rope, that you
are in control, that you are alert. He is continuely picking up on all your emotions & your feelings about situations,
through his lead rope & watching your body language as well as your tone of voice. Remember to talk to him. Your stud
is not a crimminal waiting to pounce on you, he just needs a firm hand & you do need to pet him & tell him he's a
good boy when he performs a desirable behavior.
Handling your Dam:
Dams are much easier to handle than studs.There are
always esceptions to the rule but on average a female llama is not going to behave like a stud. Female llamas are like most
females. They have mood swings & you must be sensitive to them. Most of the time a maiden dam will be the same all the
time, but all llamas have mood swings & females will have them drasticly after getting pregnant. Don't be to hard on your
girl if she starts behaving badly after you have had her bred. She most likely, took & is just having hormonal swings
in her body-she isn't used to them(if this is her first time) & she may stay this way her whole pregnancy. Other dams
don't even change from the time before they get pregnant to the time they deliver. My dam, Vernaccia, usually becomes grumpy
after getting pregnant, it doesn't happen right off the bat, usually about 3 months afterward. Some dams change more drastically
than others. Vernaccia maintains a steady state of grumpyness through her whole pregnancy, right up until about a month to
go. She starts getting very grumpy & uncomfortable. I don't usually get on her to hard when she missbehaves when she's
pregnant. Sometimes they just can't help it. I just try to keep Nachos as comfortable as possible until the baby comes,
like washing her off with cool water in the summer, she apprieciates this & actually looks forward to it. This is another
way to gain your dam's trust, do things she likes to let her know your "On her side" , so to speak. I got Nachos when she
was only 1 year old, she didn't breed until she was 3 years old! Durring the 2 years between the time she got pregnant &
when I got her, I formed a relationship with her so strong that I became her herd. I would take her out nearly everyday, play
with her & hug & pet her & just spend quality time with her. She came to trust me so much she will let me do anything,
even pick her feet up without a halter. She stands so I can feel her udder in the field & comes when I call her out of
the feild (this can be accomplished by calling her & then feeding her when she comes). Because of this, Nachos trusts
me completely with her babies. When Gabby was not even an hour old I tried to help her nurse & without a halter or being
restrained in anyway Nachos stood motionless while I did everything I could to help the newborn nurse(including extracting
milk from her udder). This is of the utmost importance, building a relationship like this with your dam. It can be a great
asset in training your young ones & medical help for her & the babies. If your dam doesn't trust you, you will, most
likely, have problems approaching the baby without being chased & spat on or even stomped. When handling your dam remember
to always talk to her. Try to find things she likes & keep in mind her personality. Again, doen't walk up to her with
an aggressive posture but rather a self confident attitude. Pet her alot & make sure & always reassure her. You may
be more loving to your dam than you are with your stud. Dams need their space, also, but they are not as apt to get deffensive
if you accidently approach them wrong. Remember to always be sensitive to your dam when handling her & respect her mood
swings. Also, if she is alone in her pasture, don't leave her out their for months without handling her, she needs regular
attention & she is a herd animal, if you build a good relationship with her, the time spent will pay off in the long run!
Breeding:
Llamas are not like other animals when it comes to breeding. Llamas take the matter very seriously &
it is more stressful for them than most mammals. Llama females do not come into estress, they have no ovulatory cycle. Llamas,
like rabbits, are breeding induced ovulators. Once bred a female will ovulate if she has a mature egg in her ovary. Sometimes
it can take a few breedings over several days to get her to ovulate. The nice thing about llamas is, they can be bred at any
time of the year, although I have noticed the females are more social to the males in the early to late spring.
If this is your first time breeding these creatures, there's a few things you'll need to know. Llamas lay
down in a kush position when they breed. They are the only livestock (camelids, all do) that breed laying down. When the female
is released into the stud's lair (this is best, especially with first time males), he will sniff her to determine if she is
open. Then once he realizes it's an open female, he will, perhaps try to mount her. He will begin "orgalling". If you don't
know what this is, it can kind of be an unerving sounds. This noise can range anywhere from low to medium pitch, it kind of
sounds like yodaling. This stimulates the female to lay down for him. He will mount her, she may walk around for a minute,
looking for an appropriate area to lay down. Don't worry, this is natural & the female won't get hurt from the big
stud on top of her....(of course, I don't suggest breeding a really really small female to a really really big stud. Make
sure they are reasonabley matched.) . Once she finds the right spot, she will kush. Breeding then proceeds. It can take up
to 45 minutes with some males & some just don't know when to get off. It's a good idea to "hand breed" because breeding
llamas can induce injury to themselves, occasionally. Sometimes when the female has had enough, she wants to get up, but instead
just rolls over. At this point the weight of the stud can begin to crush her & she will not be able to breath. This is
when you step in & pull the male off. I don't suggest pasture breeding with very enormouse studs...they can accidently
crush your female. It's best to watch & have a halter on both Dam & Stud. Don't be afraid to step in when things get
bad for your female. Studs go into kind of a daze & when you pull them off, be ready to take control & have a really
good grip on your roap. I can't say for sure your stud won't hurt you, but mine have always just been really noisy & never
threatened me. He will be considerably upset & orgalling loudly, don't let this rattle you-it's just noise. He'll calm
down in a few minutes. Remove the female & let him go in his pen.
Preg check your girl within 12-24 days after first breeding. If he mounts her & she spits & refuses
to lay down, she's pregnant. If she lays down, well, she's not! Don't let the stud hound her, if a dam breeds soon after getting
pregnant she can abort & then she's not pregnant at all! Always preg check with the same male, if she lays for the male,
let them breed. Keep trying until she spits him off, especially with first time females....do this within reason. After quite
a few breedings & she keeps laying down, it's either time to talk to your vet or wait til' she matures more.
The end result:
The end result of breeding llamas is another llama. A baby. A baby llama is referred to as a Cria.
Crias are fun little packages of joy & I haven't met anyone yet that doesn't like a baby llama. Male crias can scare some
people because of what is known as Berserk Male Syndrome. This is where a young male gets the idea he is not a llama but a
human, or you are a llama. This usually happens from excesive cuddling, no rules, bottle feeding and generally to close of
human contact. It can be avoided and rather easily.
Many people urge new owners to be "all bussiness" with their young studs. This, to a certain extent, is
true but a young llama needs reassurance and affection. You must find the fine line between treating him like a dog (which
is easy to do) and treating him as a young male that will be 400 lbs one day & have an attitude. I personally don't agree
with being "all bussiness" my boys always get their fair share of hugs and kisses. I make sure and set up ridgid and very
strict rules for conduct. (1): You may not enter my space unless asked, (2): You may not threaten, dominate or challenge me
in any way, (3) I am in complete control %100 of the time, I'm the boss, the alfa of your herd, (4) You must have utmost respect
for me and submit your own will to me. This may seem like a tyranical dictatorship but it's not. These rules are simply there
to keep me & the llama safe. If you start to inforce these rules from the minute they are born, they'll obey them all
their life. Most males will challenge these rules at some point and you must reinforce. If these rules are broken there are
consiquences.
I don't believe in useing any means of pain to disaplen a llama. It doesn't work. It's better to think about
how llamas interact with each other. How does the mother dissaplen her baby? How does the matriarch keep her place? Llamas
are very mentaly inclined and, sadly you must play a few head games with them. One good way of dissapleing a young llama is
to get "on high" make yourself taller, raise your voice & stomp your foot. They usually get the point. Some
llamas are more bull headed than others & requir more creative mental strategies.
Some male crias will run after you when you enter their pen. They are "feeling their oats" in a since and
it may scare you at first. When he comes bareling up, turn to him and stand, he'll stop, look at him. He'll probably stand
there and look at you for a minute. If he doesn't run off, step forward, chest out and looking a bit threatening. Usually
with the first step toward him, he will turn tail and make for mom's udder. A few times of this usually brakes them of their
habbit.
Some boy crias will walk into your space, this is dangerous and should be nipped in the bud, right away.
Put your hand out and block his entery. If he presists, do something to him he doesn't like, such as going "Boo!" or walking
at him or scaring him off. They'll usually get the idea and run off. NEVER and I mean NEVER let him walk into your space uninvited.
This problem can also be solved by more frequent handling. Sometimes they're just curious. If they know what you are from
regular handling, they feel no need to "check you out".
As far as affection goes. When he is being a good boy don't be afraid to hug him and pet him. He needs to
have something to trust you over. Reward him with your praise when he performs a desirable behavior.
Girl Crias:
Baby girls are much easier. You must still enforce the above mentioned rules but they are not as apt to
become dangerous as they grow, althought there are exceptions to the rule.
Your little girl may be huged, kissed and cuddled pretty much as much as you like, as long as she is behaving
properly. If she begins to become to braisen, hold back on the cuddles and loves, be more firm with the enforcement of the
above rules.
I hope you are now a little more enlightened on the breeding and care of your animals!:)
Newborns:
Llama babies are pretty much "plug & play"!LOL
Normal babies are born, lay around for a minute & then start to squirm on the ground. Llama mothers don't lick their babies,
so the baby must, in a sense, dry it's self. The rolling around helps the thick membrane, that covers the baby, to come off,
thus beginning the drying process. The baby will almost immediately start squirming & rolling, some grunt & or hum.
Don't be to eager to help, make sure the nose is clear & then back off! Mom & baby need time to bond & at this
moment, the Mom is getting used to the smell of the baby. (In cold weather, some help drying might be needed)
Now, after
the baby has been out for a little while (anywhere from 10 minutes to a 1/2 hour), he will try to stand. Again, don't be to
eager to help, I know it seems like the baby is struggling & may never stand, but all the struggling & squirming strengthens
the tiny muscles. Let your baby try for quite a while before helping him stand. If he tires out & just quits trying, it's
time to (if Mom will let you) help him to his feet. Sometimes all it takes is him finding his feet once. As soon as you can
get near the baby-as in the next few minutes after it's born iodine the naval, or umbilical cord. Just use your regular iodine
you find at your local Ag store.
After the cria stands, observe it to make sure it nurses. Once it has nursed, "the show
is on the road"!LOL Many people will tell you, that you need a lot of "special equipment" to raise & have crias. The fact
is, you don't....llamas have been having babies for ever in the wild & they know what to do. Don't get me wrong, it would
be a good idea to have some basic emergency things on hand, such as: shoulder length plastic gloves, iodine, towels, and some
sort of lubricating jelly. You can look into this more for a more advanced cria box.
Many llamas raisers weigh their crias
on a regular basis. While this is not a bad idea, I don't think it's necessary. If the baby looks bigger this week than it
did last week, chances are-it's growing!LOL You can over complicate the cria raising process & thus putting more stress
on yourself than is needed. Mom will take care of most things with the baby, llamas know how to have babies, it's not rocket
science.
Check your baby over daily, either visibly or (if you can) with your hands for any developing problems such as,
cuts or wounds that need attention. Crias are playful little rascals & should be examined to be sure they aren't causing
harm to themselves. If anything such as this, occurs, give appropriate medical attention & find out what it was that caused
the problem, so that you can prevent a repeat accident. It is perfectly normal for a newborn baby to hold it's neck in an
"S" position for a few days. The muscles needed to hold the head up have not fully strengthened, in time, the cria will begin
to hold it's neck straight when kushed or standing. If this goes on for to long (use common sense) it's time to consult your
Vet. Also watch for constipation. You will know, your baby will pretty much be constantly trying to defecate. If you see this,
administer a baby Enema from your local drug store. Make sure the tip is properly lubricated & try to only do it once,
if necessary, do this twice. If you irritate the cria's rear it can show the same symptoms as constipation! So, don't over
do the enemas!LOL
Conformation:
Baby llamas are wobbly and disproportionate. They have huge knees & little tiny
legs with pin sized feet! Their ears are to big for their little heads & their neck looks like a spaghetti noodle. You
may have bred the Grand National Grand Champion Female to the Grand National Grand Champion Stud & get a knocked kneed,
weak ankles, weak necked, floppy eared, cria but don't worry! This is not permanent! The baby's ligaments have not yet strengthened
& the joints are still used to being cramped in the womb, remember 11 1/2 months is a long time for an 20(min) pound cria
to spend in a cramped womb! Don't be to harsh in conformational criticism for about 2 to 4 weeks. As long as the baby can
walk, run & play, chances are, it will straighten up as it's little ligaments strengthen.
Training your Cria:
Many breeders use one method of training for all their young llamas. While this is an acceptable
compromise for large breeders, it doesn't give separate attention to each llama & give that llama's personality a chance
to bloom. There are a lot of breeders, however, who stay small enough to train their crias & their herd for easy handling.
These are the farms I would suggest purchasing dams & studs from, these llamas are socialized & generally, not carbon
copies.
Many new owners are afraid of their crias because of what they have heard about berserk male syndrome. This is
a reasonable fear because a berserk llama can be very dangerous & usually ends up having to be put down. This is a sad
situation that no llama lover wants to see; however, it can be avoided, in the coming paragraphs, I'll show you how.
A
lot of breeders leave their crias out in the pasture, never touching them until weaning time. I have even heard of putting
them in a padded stall when it comes time to halter break, letting them freak out where they won't get hurt. While this isn't
wrong, it is a bad experience for the llama & the owner & is really unnecessary. Many of these breeders only breed
for show animals but when all the crowds go away & the blue ribbons have all been awarded, you are left with an animal
that can out-show any llama on the block but can't be a companion. I will now tell you how to avoid this traumatizing situation.
I halter break my crias at 3 days old, yes I said 3 DAYS-not 3 months. Many peoples' eyes bug out when I say this but
in my book, this is the easiest way to halter break a llama. If they think they were born with a halter on, they won't reject
it. At 3 days old, they aren't dangerous to themselves or you. Imagine halter breaking a 6 month (or even yearling) male,
verses
a 3 day old male? Which time would be the best for both of you? At 3 days old, Mom is there to set the example
of wearing a halter, to reassure that nothing life threatening is happening & to just generally be a comfort. Why 3 days
instead of right after birth? Because waiting 3 days lets weak muscles get strong & lets Mom & baby bond, it also
allows the baby time to figure out what species it is.LOL I don't suggest doing this on babies who come out with weak necks
or preemies. For weak necked babies, wait three days after they start holding their head up to put an infant halter on them.
For preemies, I would wait until their due date & then add 3 more days.
Many people don't like this close of human
contact with male crias. I can definitely see their concerns but, if you set ridged rules for your little baby & as cute
as he is, not let him break them, he should be just fine. Halter breaking a baby is not going to take more than 5 minutes
of human contact every day. Halter on, Halter off. Let the baby wear the halter until he begins to act normal with it on.
I like about 2 hours for the first session. After he's comfortable, take it off. Start practicing making him/her stand still
for haltering & un-haltering. Don't worry, the baby will toss it's head, rub on Mom & just act really uncomfortable
for a little while. If the baby begins to act really erratic, devise some other way to do this-such as, putting him in a safe
area with nothing for him to hurt himself on with Mom & letting him throw his fit. Usually a baby isn't alert enough to
even realize there's something REALLY wrong.
When your baby is a weak old (7 days), start lead training. This is where
you must in-force your rules. Be especially cautious with males you expect to keep intact. If your little man is getting to
friendly, back off of the training & give him a little while to spend with Mom, while still putting his halter on ever
day. For bottle babies, I don't suggest ANY added human contact. A bottle baby is friendly enough, he will be way easier to
halter break than a normal baby.
Don't be to hard on your baby at first. You'll need to be very careful, pulling on his
tiny little head. In fact, try to not pull on it at all. Just gently tug, SOFTLY. Leading with Mom gets the point across really
easily. Baby wants to follow Mom & doesn't realize it is yielding to it's halter & the lead. Before long, the baby
will get the point that good behavior equals no pressure on the head.
Be consistent in your training. Babies are easy
to send the wrong message to & get confused easier than adults. Llama babies need consistency! I can't stress that enough.
Once your baby begins leading smoothly, standing when you pet it & not acting to distressed while on the lead, you
can start the bodily desensitizing. Usually this takes place at about 2-3 weeks old. Train them young, what ever it is you
want them to do & they will remember it their whole life. (When I say train them young, I don't mean such things as packing,
carting & strenuous things. I mean manners & basic minding, this is the ground level of what ever training you plan
to do in the future). This also includes bad behaviors. Just because it's cute & fluffy doesn't mean the baby should
be able to get away with things. I know, it's only 20 pounds now, but one day that little head rub is not gonna be so cute
when the cute little baby is 500 pounds & stronger than most adults! Remember, enforcement of rules is paramount, if you
don't in-force rules you will raise an unruly animal that is impossible for anyone to handle. While bad habits can be "untrained"
it is much harder than just nipping them in the bud when they start. Again, don't discipline your baby with pain. Babies
are easy to "dominate" they understand this & you will gain their respect with strict enforcement of rules & consequences
when they are broken. Domination is done easily by "getting on high" or making yourself look bigger & more formidable
than you really are. If you see signs of fear in your baby, try to gain more trust. Fear is a lack of trust. I don't want
any of my llamas to be afraid of me, not even my studs. I want my llamas to respect me & know I am the leader & boss.
You don't do this by being mean, you do it by gaining trust, showing dominance & respecting them.
Another thing about
training you cria: I cannot express & stress enough the importance of spending quality worth while time with your dam,
before you EVER breed her. The reason to do this while she is open, is she is hormonally balanced & not in a bad mood
because she's pregnant. This is why I suggest starting out with young dams, so that you are eager to breed them. Remember,
time spent with your dam is time spent with her babies...each & every baby. Breeding bad tempered, mean dams can result
in the same behavior(s) in her babies. While no dam is perfect, she can be made a lot less mean if you have a relationship
with her. Again, fear is a lack of trust! The reason your dam wants to kill the dog when he comes near her baby is because
she doesn't "trust" the dog. If your dam is comfortable with you BEFORE she has her baby she is more likely to be comfortable
with you handling/messing with her baby. I cannot tell you how important it is to build a trusting relationship with your
dam. It is absolutely paramount. If your dam is mean & nasty when she has a baby, you won't be able to get to the baby
to train it.
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