Living with Llamas

I cannot believe it has been a whole month since our llamas arrived! In March we became an official SELR adoptive home. In April, our local SELR coordinator notified us of three available llamas in our area. We went for a meet and greet. And the next week they were here!

It has been a smooth transition for them (and us). It's always a bit of a gamble when you add new critters to the farm but these guys just made themselves right at home.

Miss S. is a camera hound

For the first three days, they hummed. Humming is a sign of "llama worry." But after day four the humming was just occasional and by the end of the week, they stopped humming completely. None ever developed the "llama worry wrinkles" under their eyes really stressed llamas get.

Ms. C says "Worry? Why? Got food?"

The neighbor's horses who share a fence line worried a lot though. The first day they spent the better part the morning and afternoon running in tandem toward the common fence line, then making a right wheel and racing off toward their barn. Once they had ample distance, they would stop, snort loudly, and stamp their hooves. They did this consistently for about two days.

WHAT IS THAT!!!!!

RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!

Because you see, to a horse this is what a llama looks like:

But after day two, the neighbor's horses stopped running away in fear and by the end of the week, they were grazing within just feet of the llamas.

Our horses share a fence line with the llamas too but never seemed to bat anything other than a curious eye at them. I know my girls well enough to know "as long as they are up there and we are down here, we're cool with it." By fall however, I would like for everyone to graze together.

Mr. O keeping a watchful eye

Because these llamas are awesome guardian animals. They are alert, curious, and always aware of their surroundings. They are now familiar with our farm dogs and cats, but if any unfamiliar animal shows up in their pasture- they're on it! Except if it is raining. Then you can forget about it. Because llamas HATE rain!

Who me? I'm not going out there! There's water falling from the sky!

The Llamas are coming! The Llamas are coming!

So it's official! We are officially approved as a SELR adoptive home!

Yes folks! Within the next month or so we will be bringing on 2 new four legged family members to our farm! It is a bit of a fulfillment of a dream to live with llamas and now it is really going to happen (double fingers crossed not to jinx it)!

Why llamas you ask? (Or as my husband asks- Why llamas? in a dejected monotone voice). I don't know. Because they are cool.

They are larger than goats and sheep so I don't have to stay up all night worrying (as much) about predatory attacks. And they are not as large as horses who usually don't know their own power.

Llamas are brilliant, quiet, stoic creatures who form life long bonds.

And NO, they do not spit (unless provoked or are harassed like this ridiculous kid and her obviously intellectually challenged father who in my opinion both need to be taken out and horsed whipped). Sorry, stupid people annoy me.

Besides who can resist big eyes like this?

Or a face like this?

I actually began thinking about Llamas about 5 few years ago and bought this book. Very informative and a great intro to llamas.

And now that we have the facilities, I began doing a little research online about availability. And that's how I found SELR.

I have been fooling around with horses long enough to know- I do not know anything about animals. So to go out and purchase a set of llamas (like they are pair side tables.... right?) seemed a little dumb. And that is why SELR appealed to me. SELR is a nonprofit made up of a group of enthusiasts, veterinarians, and professionals who have been working with camelids for years. The majority of the animals they acquire are surrendered by owners who are no longer able/willing to care for them. Only a few are abuse and neglect cases and the majority of those guys are kept in house through an EXTENSIVE network of individual volunteer farms.

Sounds pretty cool. So I started chatting with my husband about it and believe it or not, it was his idea to submit an application for adoption. Wow! (Although I understand this does not mean he is in any way excited about the prospect.) But I am :-)

The SELR rep who visited our farm is Deborah Logan. She is extremely knowledgeable about llamas and seems very attuned to our needs (we are first time llama parents, already have 2 rescue horses, and have a small child). She asked us a few questions about what we are looking for in a llama (age, sex, fiber quality, etc.) and I told her she knew more than me. Just bring us two llamas :-)

And so she will. As we speak, she is now searching her network. Finding us the perfect guys (or gals) to add to our four legged family!

SELR's network extends from Maryland to Florida and as far west as Texas. If your state does not fall in SELR's territory and you are interested in adopting, please contact SELR and they can direct you to sister organizations.

(All photos courtesy SELR facebook page)