[Jacob-list] llamas

[Kim Foster]

We acquired a 6 month old male llama several years ago to be a guard for our sheep.  He was gelded soon after ( at a lot less than $100 ).  The relationship has worked out great.  He is very attentive to the ewes.  He is the first one to welcome new lambs; the ewes don't seem to mind him being present at lambing.  He runs to the fence to investigate any strange dogs or humans.  He has sent our 50 lb. chow mix dog flying several feet when he thought she was too close to his 'girls'.  He even has one of our ewes half convinced that she is a llama.  She eats her hay right under his feeder, not with the other sheep and prefers to graze with the llama.
   Then we made a mistake.  We liked him so well that we got another couple of llamas and the guardian relationship stopped.  The llamas stayed together and no longer grazed with the ewes.  After a couple of years, we decided to sell the extra llamas and go back to the original plan.  Our guard llama is back to work, earning his keep. We live in a area that has an abundance of coyotes, but have not lost a lamb to them yet.  
                                                                            Laurie Foster
  
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