Llamas ...???

[hunter63]

Spent the afternoon at a benefit for a friends son that survived meningitis, but ran up some real large Dr. and hospital bills.

So as is the custom on a small close knit community.......friends and family threw this event to help out.
People donate all sorts of stuff....from food to guns and everything inbetween...
Bucket raffle silent auction, gun and beef/pork raffles....and a live auction.

Kinda like our Duck Unlimited events....except the proceeds go to the family.

One item donated for the live auction was a pair of Llanas. a momma and son....both neutered.

Anyone raise them????

Granted, this is a farm area...most everyone there was involved in or owned a farm.

These were advertized as guard animals for herds or most anything you have.....milk cows, beef sheep, goats....

DW says ...NO ....you are NOT bidding on the Llamas....LOL

They went for $100 buck for the pair....

Kinda of surprised me......but from what ii understand...these were sold as a kinda a pyramide business...so you end up animals that have no home or much value...

Still need fences shelter and food/water....

I just found this kinda sad.

Found a site that lists cost and market values......
http://www.llamanation.com/farmsandbreeders/03_viewfarm.asp?name=2000037

[Rick]

Glad the young man is okay.

They go for a lot more than I'm worth. Wonder how "sniper" got his name.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHJfVwp1xew

[hunter63]

LOLOLOLOLOL....
Glad they went home with some one else.

[Old GI]

At Windward West Ranch, we have two llamas. Their primary missions are guarding our 20-30 alpacas and breeding (sold a male cria out of our female). Do not get into this business if your can't have someone home every day (although one day is OK). You can also get fiber from them; shearing once per year or two. However, the big commercial use around the Rockies is packing out for long hikes as they can be trained to handle sizeable loads. The price for the two sounds pretty good if they don't have papers. If they have pedigree papers and are registered, it is a super price.

All I can say is - if you get into camelids (llamas, alpacas, etc.) be prepared for lots of work (pens, feeding, water, shearing, vet visits and bills, etc.)

Oh, yes, they do spit; but ours only do it to each other, usually at feeding time. The only time a human gets it is getting in between them.

[hunter63]

Do have acreage but only part time.,...
Pastures are cropped....but had been grazed in the past... fences would have to be all redone, as well as shelter provided.

Not ready to make that kind of commitment... Just had dogs at the vet...yeah, lots of money.

There are several people around here that also raise them...so hopefully they found a good home.

[Seniorman]

Here in Idaho a lot of people keep llamas for use as pack animals during elk, deer, bear season, etc. A man who lives about ¼ mile from me has five of them and uses them every hunting season. I'm acquainted with other people here who use them and it is not unusual to see them packing up in the mountains during both hunting season and hiking season. I know they can get into and out of places a mule or horse can not.

I don't know anything about "wool" production, just packing.

S.M.

[WolfVanZandt]

Also, if you want a guard for any kind of stock, llamas are fantastic, and all the llamas I've ever known have had great personalities - they only spit on people who irritate them. Those didn't spit at people they liked.

[hunter63]

Also, if you want a guard for any kind of stock, llamas are fantastic, and all the llamas I've ever known have had great personalities - they only spit on people who irritate them. Those didn't spit at people they liked.

KInda like some people I know.....

Camp ground we mused to go to with our group, and one that just wandered around on the grounds....
Was not unusual to see it walking around with kids....even into the game room and gift shop.

I don't know how long the live....says 20 years in the wild....but we camped the every year 12 years, she was there all that time.

[LowKey]

People raise them around here for their wool. Well, not in the neighborhood I live in (no livestock) but elsewhere around town.

What I want to know is, Can you eat them?

[hunter63]

I had always thought they were a pyramid scheme....
Was doing some poking around and found a Google Group discussion on Llamas...
Kinda comfirms what I had heard....
Then I saw the date...... April 25, 1994

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/misc.rural/ZkUshs1X-fc

Quote>
Llamas are good for making new llamas. A few years ago, llmams were touted
as the wonder beast of the next century. Usable from snout to tail.
Some people made a ton of money selling llama breeding stock to
other folk wanting to cash in on a Good Thing. A pyramid scheme just
like Amway. The whole thing devolved into a whole bunch of people
selling llamas to each other. The market for llama products never
materialized.

Much the same thing is going on right now with ostriches. The wonder
beast of the next century. Usable from beak to butt. Right. I've yet
to see any ostrich product offered anywhere other that the ostrich
hide wallets and feathers which have always been available.

What we have is another bunch of people selling ostriches to each
other. At obscene prices. Telling each other that the big ostrich
product boom is just around the corner.

Catfish farms, chincillas, gerbils, llamas, ostriches. Maybe I should
start up with yaks.

Terry
Quote.

I guess I didn't know Google was around in 1994....LOL

PS
The farmer up the road...had some bead health problems, got out of the dairy business.
Started with "meat goats'...was kinda of the same deal.....never really sold any...and about the third year all the "kids" born died and he dropped out disgusted with the whole thing....

Now is raising beef...and talking about pigs......
Such is the life of a farmer...looking to cash in on the next big thing...

[crashdive123]

People raise them around here for their wool. Well, not in the neighborhood I live in (no livestock) but elsewhere around town.

What I want to know is, Can you eat them?

Yes you can.

[Old GI]

You can eat them, but I have heard they aren't very tasty or digestible. However, in an emergency ..... We raise ours for non-consumption purposes (although, who knows after a sale?).

[hunter63]

I think the pack animal and guard animal would be the biggest purpose of having them....unless you have room for a pet.

Has been interesting learning about them.......
......BUT... DW says...."No Llamas'

[WolfVanZandt]

Now, yak it tasty. Occasionally you can get yak and other exotic meats around here. I would imagine that llama, white edible, would be sorta to the mutton side of things (meaning....blah), but I wouldn't be opposed to trying it.

[Rick]

Jambollama anyone?