How To Start A Llama Farm

How To Start A Llama Farm

Why Would Someone Raise Llamas?

Pack Animals

Th e history of the llama as a pack animal began about 5,000 years ago with the natives of South America, who found llama packing to be the ideal way of transporting goods through rugged terrain.

Also Read: Can you make money raising llamas?

A robust llama can pack 25 to 30 percent of its body weight, or 70 to 95 pounds. Llamas are sure-footed in the most diffi cult terrain and have a low impact on trails compared to traditional pack animals. Th ey usually obtain adequate food and water from browsing while walking, though harsher environments will require the packer to bring additional food and water.

Pack llamas are used by a variety of professions, including hunters, fi shermen, government land management, rescue work, trail maintenance crews, and scientists transporting delicate equipment into the fi eld (RMLA, no date). Before packing, take care to understand how the saddle should be used, as well as the balance and weight appropriate for your animal. Llamas under the age of two should not be loaded, and no llama should be fully loaded until it is well-trained and fully matured (usually at four years of age).

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Livestock Guardians

Llamas can also be used as guardians for livestock, including cattle, sheep, and poultry. As a herd animal, the llama is particularly attentive to menaces

(Walker, 2003). Llamas are natural guardians due to their inherent wariness of the dog family. An Iowa State University study found that, on average,

producers were losing 26 sheep, or 11 percent of their flock to predation, compared to eight sheep, or 1 percent, after obtaining guard llamas. Most guard

llamas are gelded males, and can be kept with anywhere from four to over 2,000 sheep. Many of the llamas in the study adjusted to the livestock within a few hours, and 80 percent were adjusted within a week.

Can You Make Money Raising Llamas?

Llamas and alpacas can provide two direct sources of income: fi ber and live sales. Live-sale uses for llamas can include breeding stock, fiber-producing

stock, pack animals, cart-pulling animals, golf caddies, companion pets, animals for pet therapy programs for nursing homes and schools, and guardians for alpacas, sheep, or goats. Live-sale uses for alpacas are mainly breeding stock or fi berproducing stock, though they also make good therapy animals.

Also Read: What type of food to feed my llamas

Llamas are usually shorn annually and have a double- hair coat consisting of a fi ne wool fi ber intermingled with stiff guard hairs. Th e guard hairs can be left in when making rugs and ropes. But before spinners and weavers can use the 4- to 7-inch-long llama fi ber for knitting and weaving other products, the guard hairs have to be removed.

Alpacas are raised to be fi ber-producing animals. They are usually shorn annually and produce between 50 and 90 ounces of fi rst-quality fiber and 50 to 100 ounces of second- and thirdquality fiber, though some animals may exceed these levels (Berman, 2011). Because alpacas have been bred as fi ber animals, they should naturally not have many guard hairs mixed in their fiber.

World market price for alpaca fi ber ranges from $2 to $10 per pound. Only the highest grades of fiber, fi ner than 20 microns in diameter, will command higher prices. Each stage of processing, including cleaning, carding, spinning, knitting, and finishing, adds value. A fi nished garment may sell for $10 per ounce, and hand-knit garments have sold for as much as $1,000.

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The alpaca community is working to build both commercial and cottage industries for alpaca fiber as the national herd grows. Commercial fiber processors prefer white fi ber, but there is a niche market for colored fi ber within the cottage industry.

Fiber artists enjoy working with naturally colored fiber because it does not require the added step of dying. Producers should be aware, however, that developing the potential of this niche fiber market requires time and effort.

Some positive aspects of alpaca fi ber are its softness, uniform fi neness, resilience, and thermal capacity. Alpaca fi ber provides warmth despite its light weight. Spinners, weavers, and knitters use the fi ber for fi ne textiles. Th e sheared fi ber from one alpaca is usually enough to make four to six sweaters (Altizio and Westendorf, 1998). Th ere is an application for every grade of alpaca fi ber, but the clothing grades, 14 through 25 microns, are in the highest demand. Since neither alpacas nor llamas produce lanolin, the fi ber does not need to be scoured before it can be spun.

A growing trend in the llama and alpaca industry is the fi ber CSA (community supported agriculture). A CSA allows consumers to purchase shares directly from a farmer, who can then approach the growing season with confi dence based on this infl ux of cash. Th ough the number of fi ber CSAs is not large, the CSA fi ber market is gaining popularity due to increased demand on the part of craftspeople.

In return for purchasing a share in a fi ber CSA, consumers receive raw fi ber, processed batts, roving, or yarn. Shares are generally sold before spring or fall shearing, and range in price from $100 to $180. Some producers are very specifi c regarding what the shareholder can expect to receive, whereas others indicate that the share will vary depending upon the size of the clip.

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