Usually llamas are born into a relationship-filled herd. They start with being welcomed by all the other llamas at birth when bonds are formed. Ideally, the cria have other crias to play with and learn about interactions and appropriate behaviors in their family dynamics. Having other adult llamas beyond the mother is very helpful in their development. Whether the bonds are maintained or broken is usually dependent upon their human caretakers.
Understanding there are competing wants and needs, it is my wish that we consider the needs of the llama and try to accommodate their social bonds that are part of their health system. Although we can’t maintain all the bonds we would like to, and some bonds are naturally cut in the course of their lives, we can take their relationships into consideration when they are sent to new homes. Llamas are happy in a herd, and I find I am questioning what is the number that makes a herd?
Understanding there are competing wants and needs, it is my wish that we consider the needs of the llama and try to accommodate their social bonds that are part of their health system. Although we can’t maintain all the bonds we would like to, and some bonds are naturally cut in the course of their lives, we can take their relationships into consideration when they are sent to new homes. Llamas are happy in a herd, and I find I am questioning what is the number that makes a herd?
Note: guard llamas are often requested as a single llama. They can bond with other species. Yes, this is true, but they can guard very well in pairs – one llama scouting and protecting the perimeter and the other llama staying with their charges. I believe this is a better solution. They speak the same language, work better together, and have a better chance at protection and surviving an attempted attack. I remind those requesting a guard llama that llamas are only a part of a multi-layered defense.
I find that as I get to know the llamas that come through Southwest Llama Rescue (SWLR), I see the benefit of keeping llama families intact. This is often a challenge if the llama family is large. In fact, the most requested adoption is for one or two llamas. Very rarely more than two, and when we get requests for two guards, it is likely because it is known our policy is that they are adopted in pairs.
Occasionally the request is for one llama; as the companion to an existing llama who lost their llama friend - and the kind owner understands that they need company. When the size of property is limiting, or the resources for raising and feeding llamas is scarce, a two-llama herd is certainly a benefit to the llamas needing a home and very much appreciated. But if there is the ability to consider more than one bond, then my preference for llama adoptions is really a minimum of three, with four being better.
I recently had the great luck to be contacted by a family interested in two llamas for adoption. After conducting the site visit and meeting with them, I was very happy they were interested in having llamas as they were perfect candidates with ideal facilities and pasture; as well as the desire to learn about llamas, proper care, and handling. But, I had a conundrum.
Having a family of four that needed a home, I assessed two candidate llamas in that family were possible for them; I knew I would have to break some strong bonds (in my assessment). This is an agony that I wrestle with nearly every time there is a request for adoption. Wanting two llamas to start out with should be easier, common sense tells us. And, if I had a pair of appropriate llamas that needed to be separated from the herd, that would have been a great answer. The truth is, I could break up a family of four that came in about 4 months ago and deliver two to the wonderful new adopters and send the remaining two to another home, when one comes up. I conceded that a separation was necessary in order to place these llamas and tried to console my guilt with the fact that, hey, they are after all surrendered and there is no guarantee that we can keep them together.
So, the family wanted to come over and see the llamas and watch their interaction. For background, the human family planned to use them for guards for their soon-to-be goat herd. I was not certain the llamas would be good guards, but thought we should try it out as part of their security system. We had two females who were a little skittish, but one started to allow me to feed her up close. The other two llamas in their group were a mother and a nursing cria. The exact relationship or lineage is not known; this is true for 95% or more of the surrenders that we take in. Perhaps they are all related or perhaps not.
In any case, they were close to each other from the same herd, had been through some rough times (all around 5-8 years old except for the cria); two were known to likely have had crias that had perished. The mother was the leader of the group who missed the herd of origin and all the bonds she had. I know this because she paced the fence line looking beyond to the horizon for a month after they arrived. They had come from a large herd of about 26 llamas in Jefferson, Colorado and they were the only females. They were wise to predators having roamed on hundreds of acres all their lives and they were survivors. What they needed was good care and handling to build trust in humans.
I let my wish be known that I would prefer the family stay together and that in my opinion, they would be more effective and safer being together. In fact, I find that they move together so well that it is very easy to manage the herd of four as they follow each other and learn from each other very well. When working on trust with the most comfortable one in the bunch, the others are watching and learning.
Occasionally the request is for one llama; as the companion to an existing llama who lost their llama friend - and the kind owner understands that they need company. When the size of property is limiting, or the resources for raising and feeding llamas is scarce, a two-llama herd is certainly a benefit to the llamas needing a home and very much appreciated. But if there is the ability to consider more than one bond, then my preference for llama adoptions is really a minimum of three, with four being better.
I recently had the great luck to be contacted by a family interested in two llamas for adoption. After conducting the site visit and meeting with them, I was very happy they were interested in having llamas as they were perfect candidates with ideal facilities and pasture; as well as the desire to learn about llamas, proper care, and handling. But, I had a conundrum.
Having a family of four that needed a home, I assessed two candidate llamas in that family were possible for them; I knew I would have to break some strong bonds (in my assessment). This is an agony that I wrestle with nearly every time there is a request for adoption. Wanting two llamas to start out with should be easier, common sense tells us. And, if I had a pair of appropriate llamas that needed to be separated from the herd, that would have been a great answer. The truth is, I could break up a family of four that came in about 4 months ago and deliver two to the wonderful new adopters and send the remaining two to another home, when one comes up. I conceded that a separation was necessary in order to place these llamas and tried to console my guilt with the fact that, hey, they are after all surrendered and there is no guarantee that we can keep them together.
So, the family wanted to come over and see the llamas and watch their interaction. For background, the human family planned to use them for guards for their soon-to-be goat herd. I was not certain the llamas would be good guards, but thought we should try it out as part of their security system. We had two females who were a little skittish, but one started to allow me to feed her up close. The other two llamas in their group were a mother and a nursing cria. The exact relationship or lineage is not known; this is true for 95% or more of the surrenders that we take in. Perhaps they are all related or perhaps not.
In any case, they were close to each other from the same herd, had been through some rough times (all around 5-8 years old except for the cria); two were known to likely have had crias that had perished. The mother was the leader of the group who missed the herd of origin and all the bonds she had. I know this because she paced the fence line looking beyond to the horizon for a month after they arrived. They had come from a large herd of about 26 llamas in Jefferson, Colorado and they were the only females. They were wise to predators having roamed on hundreds of acres all their lives and they were survivors. What they needed was good care and handling to build trust in humans.
I let my wish be known that I would prefer the family stay together and that in my opinion, they would be more effective and safer being together. In fact, I find that they move together so well that it is very easy to manage the herd of four as they follow each other and learn from each other very well. When working on trust with the most comfortable one in the bunch, the others are watching and learning.
And, in the Camlidynamics fashion (read The Camelid Companion by Marty McGee Bennett, a wonderful resource), “packing” the catch pen with multiple llamas while handling and training, is an excellent technique. They feel safer in a bunch and I can spread out my enthusiasm across all four. A half hour spent on 4 llamas will be enough for them, while a half hour on one llama or two llamas may be way too much for recent rescues and cause too much stress.
During the visit by the adopting family, I introduced them to all the llamas and explained the relationships they had and how the llama groups interact. It was clear to them the four had a strong bond. And, to my joy and relief, they agreed to adopt the herd of four. I will check in on them and mentor with great appreciation for the generosity of these new llama caretakers.
About Lynda & SWLR: Lynda has been rescuing and training llamas since 2009. She is presently a Director of Southwest Llama Rescue in Albuquerque, NM. During 2020, over 10,000 hours were donated by volunteers to accomplish rescue and care, feeding, medical care, and transportation (over 10,000 miles) of over 100 llamas/alpacas. Over 50 llamas/alpacas were placed in permanent homes, or re-homed, or into permanent foster care. Over 40 llamas/alpacas are in temporary foster care. Area of rescue included most states in the western US.
During the visit by the adopting family, I introduced them to all the llamas and explained the relationships they had and how the llama groups interact. It was clear to them the four had a strong bond. And, to my joy and relief, they agreed to adopt the herd of four. I will check in on them and mentor with great appreciation for the generosity of these new llama caretakers.
About Lynda & SWLR: Lynda has been rescuing and training llamas since 2009. She is presently a Director of Southwest Llama Rescue in Albuquerque, NM. During 2020, over 10,000 hours were donated by volunteers to accomplish rescue and care, feeding, medical care, and transportation (over 10,000 miles) of over 100 llamas/alpacas. Over 50 llamas/alpacas were placed in permanent homes, or re-homed, or into permanent foster care. Over 40 llamas/alpacas are in temporary foster care. Area of rescue included most states in the western US.
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