Page 3

Checking out the animal.

• Similar to the above bullet, get a vet, or someone you trust who is knowledgable about llamas to check the animal out.
• Get a parasite test at a minimum. You never know what you could be bringing home to infect your other animals with.
• Inspect the animal’s medical records. When was it last dewormed. What is the deworming schedule. How has its weight fluctuated over the past few months? When were vaccinations given?
• Can you handle the animal? Don’t buy one that you can’t halter. Watch the owner halter his animal. Beware if the animal is haltered before you get to the farm. Ask the owner to show you the foot pads of the llama. If the owner can’t pick up the llama’s legs, how will you?

Check out the environment where the animal is living. If the drinking water is filthy, the barn is filthy, the hay is moldy, something is wrong and you’re less likely to get a healthy animal. Look at the other animals. Do they look healthy to you? Do they have adequate shelter? If it’s the summer, are fans going in the barn?

Transporting your llama. The easiest way to transport a llama is in a livestock trailer (horse or stock). Llamas won’t kick out the sides of one like a horse can, so you can go with a lower quality trailer. But they do need more air circulation than a horse does and so stock trailers are better suited for transporting llamas. However, many will easily load in the back of your van. For the first-time llama buyer, see if the seller won’t deliver your animal for you. Get a transport agreement if someone other than you transports your llama. Eventually, you will need a trailer, if only to get your animal to the hospital in an emergency that your vet can’t handle. You can spend $20,000 on a fancy trailer, or you can buy a cheap one second-hand. Mine cost $3,500 new. Make sure your truck can haul! Not every vehicle is designed for pulling and hauling (2 separate things). You’ll need to know the weight of the trailer, loaded with animals, and check your truck’s ratings. Some people prefer gooseneck trailers (are easier to turn and maneuver). I have a tag-along because I bought it before I had my pickup. My next big purchase, however, is for a gooseneck trailer.

Veterinarians. You will need one. Many horse doctors won’t treat llamas. They get more money from horse owners and for some vets, llamas aren’t worth their time. You’ll have to find a vet that will treat large animals, and is willing to learn about llamas. Any llama association can help you find a suitable vet if you have any trouble finding one yourself. Realize that large animal vets do most of their work on your farm. This involves a farm visit fee, usually around $35. Until you feel comfortable with giving vaccinations yourself, you’ll probably need your vet to come out and vaccinate your animals for you.

Handling. You will need to be able to halter, retrain, shear, administer oral meds, give shots, cut toenails, load, and simply walk your llama. If you have NO experience doing any of these things, I can reassure you that every one of these tasks can be accomplished without too much effort. It may seem overwhelming at first, but in a few years, you’ll wonder what all the fuss was about.

Return to Index
(1 | 2 | 3)