Keep Those Llamas Happy!

By Bev Henry, Reprinted from The Camelid Quarterly, June 2009

When we think of herd health, let us not forget the mental well-being of the herd, as well as physical health. As with humans, stress has a tremendous adverse influence on llama health. A secure environment will go a long way to keeping stress to a minimum.

Llamas are extremely sensitive animals, needing the security of familiar surroundings, familiar herd mates, and a predictable routing if they are to thrive.

What do we need to do in order to achieve this?

Those few breeders with large herds on large acreage have more management options, allowing them to come close to approximating natural conditions. By "natural" I mean the herd groupings and feeding patterns one would likely find in the wild.

But the majority of llama owners in North America today are keeping llamas on small acreage. With these limitations, we need to pay close attention to herd dynamics. In a restricted area it is much easier for a dominant llama to bully a more timid animal, or to exclude one from the feed source. If dog packs or wild predators are cruising the neighborhood, llamas confined to a small area may feel very vulnerable.

How can we ease the stress?

The first and most important thing we can do is pay attention! Every time you go out to feed or clean up poop, take a deep breath, slow down, and spend a few quiet moments watching your critters. This quiet time with our llamas not only provides the opportunity to pick up on health or behavioral issues, it also has the added benefit of reducing our own stress level.

Make sure each animal has free access to feed and shelter. Be alert for any unusual behavior; watch for the animal that is isolating itself or being forced into isolation by its herd mates. Perhaps the addition of only one gate or one simple fence — fencing in a corner, for instance — will provide more security for a new llama or one who is being bullied.

Being sold and relocated is one of the most stressful events in a llama's life. He has lost his herd mates, his human companions, and his secure and familiar environs. Watch any new introductions to any grouping very carefully for several days. It takes only seconds for disaster to strike.

Females will usually accept a new female after an introductory period but they will often chase and isolate the newcomer for several days. You may need to feed a new introduction separately until she has been accepted.

Males tend to be more aggressive with newcomers. An adult intact male is a powerful and potentially dangerous animal. A full-power body slam from an aggressive male can break ribs and rupture internal organs.

On rare occasions, even geldings have been known to attack and kill newcomers, particularly in confined areas where llamas have no opportunity to establish their own zones. Be very cautious introducing a llama to your herd and do it by degrees if at all possible. House the new llama in an adjacent area to allow him or her to get to know the herd across the safety of a fence.

Be sure all fighting teeth are trimmed — start to check these around the age of two, if not earlier — and watch that the rough stuff doesn't get out of hand with males housed together.

Some intact males are so territorial they simply will not tolerate other males and need to be housed separately. If you have a stud like this, he will be happier with some sort of companion. Neutered male goats often work well. Everybody needs somebody!

Make sure fences separating males and females are safe and secure, and, if possible, provide a buffer zone between fences separating intact males and breeding females. Check that your fences are secure from roving packs of dogs if that is a problem in your area.

If you are breeding, try to plan for at least two crias to arrive in that season. Babies need company for normal social development. Should you be stuck with a single cria in any one year, do leave the baby with its mom as long as possible. A single female cria shouldn't need to be separated from its mom at all, and a male cria is probably safe with the female herd until at least ten months of age. By this time, his dam will likely have already weaned him.

Single male crias can get pretty bratty and disruptive about this time, and need the company of older males to teach them some manners. In other words, they need to be sent to boot camp. Moms and "aunties" tend to be far too lenient with younger males, watching their antics with rather bemused "isn't he just the sweetest thing!" looks, rather than snapping him to attention and demanding respect, as the boys would.

Throwing a ten-month-old weanling male in with the boys can be deadly though, so be very cautious here. It may be safer to isolate baby with an older gentle gelding for a time, one who is willing to be a "nanny" to the youngster until he has learned a few basic manners and his place in the scheme of things. A yearling male may bond with the weanling and make a good playmate. Some studs are exceedingly tolerant of newly weaned youngsters.

Remember that a weanling will not be able to successfully compete for food with older animals. Unless you have unlimited good hay/pasture available, the baby will need supplemental feeding for at least the first year to attain his full growth potential. Make sure you can isolate the youngster at feeding time.

Aging animals in your herd may suddenly need extra care. They may have lost their position in the herd and need supplemental feeding. They may be experiencing problems with worn teeth, so be alert for dropped wads of wet, partly chewed hay or lumps or swellings along the outside of the jaw. If you see a problem have your vet check to see if filing off sharp points (floating) of worn teeth may be necessary.

To ensure that your routine procedures, such as shots, shearing and nail trimming, are as stress-free as possible, try to get to a workshop put on by a Camelidynamics practitioner in your area. A simple change in your approach may make a world of difference.

Being alert and observant at all times will go a long way towards keeping your herd happy and healthy.

About the Author

Bev Henry has been involved with pack llamas since 1997 and is now breeding athletic pack stock along with husband Barry in Barriere, British Columbia, Canada. Bev and Barry are focusing on preserving the old style Ccara llamas. Bev comes from a background of a lifetime training and riding performance horses, is an amateur outdoor photographer, and an artist who interprets her images in pencil and watercolor.

Simple Causes Behind Weight Loss in Your Llama: What Can You Do to Help?

By Erika Krauss, Reprinted from the GALA Newsletter, December 2007

How can I tell if my llama is losing weight? The first and most important thing to know about your llama’s health is how much should this animal weigh? This should be a question you ask about your animals when you first buy them. If, as a small-scale llama owner you do not own a scale, you can always ask a vet to weigh your animal in the future.

It is often difficult to check a llama's weight by sight because of the amount of wool coverage on the body. However, a simple and quick way to see if your animal is overweight is to check the angle of its backbone directly in front of the hips. When you first receive your animal, assuming it is a healthy weight, drape your hand, thumb on one side, four fingers on the other of the backbone in front of the croup. The angle made by those two opposing sides should be at least a 45 to 55 degree angle. The owner needs to account for each animal's specific body type, but if the angle is smaller or larger than that, the animal could be under or overweight. If you are still unsure about the animal's weight look at the chest: does it look full and jiggle when it walks? You can also feel for fat deposits in the lower end behind the armpit. If there are no fat deposits, then the animal is probably more underweight than your original assessment from the backbone test.

Cause of Underweight Animals

1. Underfeeding

In most of the northeast, up to six llamas can graze on a pasture of two acres, while the ratio of horses is only one animal to two acres. Llamas are known as the "wonder animal" for consuming the least amount of resources when it comes to surface area of pasture. However, this can make a severe generalization. This ratio is for an average size llama with average bodily needs. Get help from your local extension service to check the pasture quality, and have your hay tested every year. A llama's physical development may not end until age 4 or 5, so extra food and/or nutrients are needed in these critical years of growth. They will be mostly adding muscle and "filling out" at ages past 4. A llama older than 14 years old is susceptible to old age (an average lifespan of a llama being 20 years old), and older animals typically need some dietary supplements. Like any animal, it is difficult for llamas to assimilate nutrients without the proper vitamins. An essential way to keep all of your animals well-fed is by having a Ilama-specific loose mineral mix out for consumption at all times in their feeding area(s). As always, water is vital to their systems and if there are not adequate amounts of water for your llamas their health and weight will fail as a result.

Another time when llamas need extra food is if they are pregnant or nursing. While a dam's body is going through stages of providing for a fetus or cria, it needs the appropriate changes to diet. This information can be obtained from a local veterinarian or an accredited book such as Story's Guide to Raising Llamas or The Complete Alpaca Book. Always be ready for changing weather and have sufficient amounts of feed and water depending on the temperature, ventilation, humidity, precipitation and altitude of your area.

2. Age

As mentioned above, animals below or above their "prime" age can suffer if not fed appropriate amounts of food. While a cria or young llama is nursing, it needs to have extra food that is high in protein that will help the cria to grow. It is imperative that the dam has enough water to produce the amount of milk needed to feed the cria. If an owner notices that his/her young llama is not growing at a healthy rate (one-half to a pound per day in the first few weeks), consult a vet or try giving the dam extra food. If the cria is eating solid food and is not energetic, it may also be a sign that more food is needed.

Our geriatric llamas can have a few more problems in their old age than the juveniles. An older llama can have a hard time digesting or absorbing nutrients from its food. Sometimes they need more processed food, or grains with higher amounts of energy and vitamins, which can include things like beet pulp, oats, and alfalfa pellets.

Another problem commonly found in older animals is failing tooth structure. If your adult llama appears to not be chewing properly check for tooth decay or askew tooth erosion. Tooth problems can lead to problems grazing, chewing and digesting. A llama has three parts to its stomach. One stores food and allows it to be regurgitated and chewed again, which aids in digestion. If the balance of the body is thrown off, then digestion may not be complete within the body. What can result is not enough food or slow absorption of nutrients. An older animal may also be low in the hierarchy of a herd and it may be doubly difficult to obtain food because of the competition and tooth and/or mouth pain. Any age animal can always develop a tooth or jaw abscess that would inhibit eating and digestion. An overbite or under-bite may also prove to be problematic in some cases.

If you have an older llama that has problems with digestion and chewing her food thoroughly, mix a grain of one part alfalfa cubes, one part whole oats, and one part beet pulp and add hot water and let it sit for 15 minutes. This will create a mash that will be easily chewed by your geriatric friend.

3. Parasites

Underfeeding and age are common variables in a llama's health. Just as important are parasites. The kinds of parasites I will refer to in this article are intestinal parasites that live in the digestive path of the llama and consume the food the llama takes in. Parasites can live in young, old, underfed and overfed animals. Any animal that is exposed to a parasite of the digestive tract is susceptible to infestation. Most often, these parasites live with the llama and lay eggs that exit the animal with their feces onto the pasture. The way the parasites spread is when other llamas eat in the same area where the last animal defecated and bring the eggs or the young parasite into their body.

The sure signs of a parasite in the digestive tract are a bloated animal that seems to be eating the same amount or more than usual, but is gradually losing weight. (Bloating can be noted by sight or by how the animal moves, not by checking in front of the croup). If there is ever a suspicion that there are parasites in llamas, the easiest and quickest thing to do is to send a fresh fecal sample to the vet for analysis.

Animals on pasture that are moved a lot, housed with other species, or on pasture near a wilderness area should be treated for parasites with an oral or injectable worming medicine. The advantage of an oral worming medicine is that it targets the parasites in the digestive tract. An injectable worming shot targets parasites living outside of the digestive tract, and can be just as important.

More information is being studied that suggests targeted deworming among small ruminant herds, or only worming animals that show positive test results, may be desirable. Parasites can become resistant to wormers over time. There has also been some research that suggests worming medicine can be harmful to an array of good soil organisms on the pasture when the medication comes out of the body in the fecal matter.

Llamas that are uncomfortable or sick are not fun to be around. A healthful llama is a happy llama! Please watch for any changes in your llama's behavior or body condition to effectively assess health of the individual and the herd.

Quick Recap

1. To see if your animal is underweight, use a quick method of feeling with your hand in front of the croup on the animal's backbone. Look for more than a 50-degree angle.
2. If you have an underweight animal, look at the age, condition of feeding ground (pasture/nutrient content), hay quality, and if parasites are suspected, get a fresh fecal sample to the vet for analysis!
3. Things to keep in mind are to monitor for parasites regularly, and to not hesitate to supplement regular grass or hay feed with grains ranging from processed llama pellets to whole oats and beet pulp.

Some excellent resources:

• Storey’s Complete Guide to Llamas
• The Complete Alpaca Book by Eric Hoffman
• Robert J. Van Saun
• www.luresext.edu/goats/library/field/WellsCO5.pdf

The last article is based on goat and sheep parasites. When reading about other small ruminant species in texts, you must remember that some parasites are shared while others are not. The best information found is specific to the camelid family. Knowing how similar species relate to your camelids helps to expand ideas to what other farmers are dealing with when it comes to nutrition and pasture health.

Barn Talk with Brent: Caring for the Geriatric Camelid

By Brent Walker, The Leading Edge, News and Trends from Woodsedge Wools Farm, LLC Spring 2007

I grew up eating, sleeping and breathing the family fiber-farm life. I attended my first llama show while young enough to be in pre-school. Mom will tell you I was six weeks old when I attended my first sheep show. I don't remember those early days, but what I do remember with great fondness are some of our first animals! With the longevity camelids are known for, some of those animals are still around! Take for instance, Seneca, one of our first alpaca herdsires who my Dad showed at one of the first AOBA Conference shows in the early 90s. Today, Seneca is alive and thriving at Woodsedge at 18 years of age, along with several geriatric llamas, most notably Chocolate Delight, grandmother to Rio Bravo's Biltmore, who is now 16 years old. These geriatric animals require special care over the years, so here are some techniques I use to keep our "seniors" healthy.

Alpacas, and llamas to a lesser degree, are herd animals, so the senior member of the herd will always try to stay with the herd. However, limited mobility from sore joints can cause them to be left behind. House your seniors with a group that is moving at the slowest speed, such as the maternity group, and it will be easier for them to remain a part of the herd.

I have had great luck with supplements from Dr. Rob Pollard, www.llamadoc-herbs.com. Chocolate Delight patiently waits at her designated feeding station each morning as her feed contains Rob's arthritis and tendon herbal supplements.

Older animals may not compete as well in a large group, so be sure they are getting their fair share of feed! It is easy to separate animals to an individual pen in the morning feeding routine--it just takes a few days to get them into the routine.

In my experience, older animals are more likely to have trouble with cold rather than heat. With their fiber production being dramatically reduced (both staple length & density), we often shear older animals every other year. Sometimes I will let fiber re-growth on the neck go for two years to help them keep warmer, as one of their "thermal windows" is the neck.

Consider hand shearing rather than electric shearing geriatric animals. More fiber is left on the hand-shorn animal, making him/her warmer in the winter. Benign tumors and sebaceous cysts can sometimes be seen on an older animal and hand shearing avoids cutting these.

Geriatric animals shorn in the current year may need to be coated for winter. We have used custom made coats, as well as pony coats_ Be sure your senior citizen is on warm bedding with access to hay while they are kushed, as they will kush to keep warm.

In all our breeding programs, my parents strived for bloodlines with excellent dentition, with few teeth needing regular trimming. However, when an animal becomes older, routine dental assessment is necessary to ensure the animal's continued well-being. Check a geriatric animal's teeth at least once every four months

Older animals will need their feet trimmed more often. Remember, pink nails as seen on some white alpacas always have to be trimmed more frequently than black nails. Joint issues, as experienced in all aging mammals, can be made worse by long toenails, so keep them trimmed. I hope this partial list of pointers helps your "seniors" enjoy the sunset days of their life. These older animals can still play an important role in your herd. Older females are great "babysitters" for animals confined to stall rest with a leg injury or other ailments, or put a "senior" male in with your weanling males to provide herd guidance. Next time you are at Woodsedge, be sure to ask to see Seneca and Chocolate Delight!