A Match Made In Heaven Rocky Mountain Llama and Alpaca Association

There are concerns that excessive hybridization for commercial purposes could have negative effects on the vicuña. Their ancestors lived in humid mountainous regions, but these domesticated animals can be found in any kind of habitat in human care. Llama and alpaca – hairy llamas are bigger and tougher than woolly alpacas.

Alpacas are another popular small-acreage livestock option. With a lifespan of 15 – 20 years, these fellow camelids are about half the size of llamas, weighing between 120 – 200 lbs. Read below for 4 animals that will thrive on your small-acreage farm or homestead. Then, as if on cue, the sky darkened and thunder began to grumble. Just before a cloud settled over our camp and limited visibility to about 50 feet, Marian managed to get enough service on her phone to check the forecast. She reported grimly that the rain wasn’t supposed to let up for the next 36 hours, and would likely turn to snow.

Llamas may seem like a strange and exotic addition to your small farm or homestead; however, they have friendly dispositions and are surprisingly versatile animals perfect for a homesteading lifestyle. Alpacas are Check this for Sustainable animal agriculture a domesticated species, so there are no wild alpacas. Sustainable farming produces quality food products using methods that help preserve the environment, while protecting public health, and animal welfare.

Hobie, the llama I adopted for the duration of the trip, floated along so silently that I turned around frequently to make sure he was still there. He always was, smiling peacefully over my shoulder at the the trail ahead. Domesticated for more than 4,000 years in South America, llamas are relative newcomers to the United States. A decade ago, there were few llamas in this country.

In addition, it is recommended to always keep males (7 months of age and older) and females in separate pastures as well as not share a fenceline. Your males will much calmer if they cannot touch noses with female alpacas. A. Prices range from around $500 for a fiber male (not for breeding) to many thousands of dollars for top quality breeding males and females. Females can be worth anything from a thousand dollars to 2 figures depending on their age, quality and breeding history. The girls are valuable because of their ability to produce crias which can be sold when at an appropriate age providing return on the initial investment. Top quality males with have a high value as breeding animals also and can provide their owners income via stud service fees.

In summer, your llamas need a shaded and breezy area to keep them cool during scorching days. However, in windy, rainy, and icy regions, a shelter for your llamas is advantageous and sometimes even essential. Try to address this issue by keeping your llamas in smaller areas at night and allowing access to ample space for several hours during the daytime. When full-time access to larger grazing spaces is limited, they will generally spend more time running around and less time eating, thereby combatting obesity.

Dozens of the Crazies’ peaks top 10,000 feet, half of them unnamed. Tim had a friend who worked at a theatre in Blackpool, The Grand. That theatre was going to close because they only had one act, a mermaid. No one was much interested in mythical creatures these days, and the mermaid was really a dolphin in disguise.