[Jacob-list] Guard Llama

[Mary McCracken]

It is VERY important not to put stud llamas in with sheep.  Some have killed many ewes trying to get the to kush, lie down, for breeding.  I would be suspicious of a stud who has already abused sheep even after castration.  I bought a young stud llama after he was sexually active, had him castrated before getting out of my trailer and he has been great with sheep but continues to try to get the female llama to let him breed her.  She allowed it for the first year but now manages to ignore his advances.

But a good llama is a treasure around sheep.  they learn to recognize home dogs and ignore them but will follow a strange dog even when it is walking with its master.  Training herding dogs in a field with llamas has not worked here.  The sheep run to the llamas and the dog knows better than to get within reach.  End of session.

My llamas have been seen facing off a pair of coyotes as they scoped out the sheep through the fence one early morning.  I also enjoy them.  One llama is the most effective because they then stay with the sheep.  My llamas are a self contained group but are territorial....and their territory is also the sheep territory.  And the sheep seem to know they afford them protection.

mary mccracken
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Jim Spahr <spahrfarm at dragonbbs.com>
    To: Jacob List Members <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
    Date: Wednesday, May 03, 2000 8:08 AM
    Subject: [Jacob-list] Guard Llama
    
    
    We purchased a llama about 4 years ago when he was 6 months old.  We have coyote problems around here, and heard they might help.  When he was older, we began to be suspicious when we would see a dead lamb or two in the pasture with no apparent cause of death.  Then one day I saw him separate a newborn lamb from its mother and knock it on the ground.  My husband intervened and we separated "Flash" from the flock.  We had the vet come out and castrate him last year.  The group of ewes he is out to pasture with have not had their lambs yet,
    so we will watch very closely to see if his behavior problem has been corrected.
     
                                                                                       Mary Spahr
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