Llamas are strong and hearty animals and like any other livestock, they do have some requirements that are specific to their needs.  I’ll address some of them, but please let me encourage you to do your homework before bringing home your adorable llamas.  Also, find the veterinarian who will work with you and your llamas. 
 
They are such a joy to own but they do require care, not just a pasture to live out their life.  Because of their needs, it is so important that people work and train their llamas.  It makes life easier for the owner and creates less stress for the llamas, as well.  

Some care considerations and requirements should include housing, shearing, trimming toenails, deworming, inoculating each year and removing/cutting fighting teeth of young males as they erupt. 

Housing:  Depending on where you live will somewhat dictate what your llamas’ needs are.  Since we are in east Texas, we have an open barn that provides protection from a possible but rare, icy rain.  It also provides shade that is necessary during our hot, humid summer months with fans and misters for relief in the hot weather.  Llamas must be protected from heat stress.  It is a killer!  We also have a shaded sprinkler in each pasture while some people use kiddie pools or stock troughs that llamas can put their feet and legs in for relief.  Of course, a well shaded pond is a welcomed site for llamas to wade in.  Below is a picture of llamas who were cooling off in front of a misting fan at High Acres Llamas.

We had extremely cold temperatures during December, 2009 and January, 2010.  Since our barn is open, we decided to wrap it with tarps to provide a wind break.  The llamas chose to sleep out in the open during the nights of only 14 degrees.  Of course, they had on their warm coats, but at least they had the option of a more protected barn. 

Shearing:  This is a must each spring for llamas.  You might be able to rotate between a full body shear and the barrel (back and belly area) shear, but that will depend on each llama and your climate.  If you have a heavy fibered llama, you might need to provide a full body shear each year to avoid heat stress.  This is an example of when halter training and having a llama that is familiar with being touched is valuable.  A catch pen may be all that is necessary or a chute might serve you well.  Some llamas do better when restrained somewhat but llamas are not “thrown” and shorn on the ground like sheep.  Some people use hand clippers or electric clippers or both.  There are professionals who are willing to travel for a “shear day” in different parts of Texas.  Owners from all around that area bring their llamas to be sheared on that day.  A list of shearers may be found on the website for South Central Llama Association.  Refer to our Links page for their website.

Toenail trimming:  Some llamas require that their nails be trimmed numerous times during the year, while others seldom ever require it.  Whether they need it depends on the terrain of your pastures and the genetics of the llama and the amount of moisture in your ground.  Often the rocky terrain or a rough concrete slab will help to keep the toenails trimmed.  Again, the llama that is properly desensitized will allow you to lift their feet easily for trimming.  A llama who has not been desensitized will react as if a despised predator is grabbing their leg and may fiercely kick to keep it away. 

Deworming and Vaccinations:  Requirements for deworming and inoculations are also dependent on your locations.  In certain parts of the country with high densities of white tail deer and a prevalence of meningeal worm, Dectomax injections every six to eight weeks is recommended.  Most people also use more than one type of wormer because not all parasites will be killed by any one wormer.  A good idea is to run fecal checks with your vet or to do them yourself, to find out exactly what parasite you might be dealing with.  With good pasture rotation practices and not overpopulating your pastures, sometimes worming can be kept to a minimum.  A resistant worm can be harbored in the body of a llama until their immune system  is compromised and then explode in population and take a llama down quickly.  Again, fecal checks will determine how often and what to use.  We also give an injection of CD&T annually to our adults and more frequently in the first year of a cria's life.   This is something that you definitely want to talk to your vet about.

Mineral/Vitamin Supplement/Feed - The proper llama formulated mineral/vitamin supplement for your area and feeding program should be available to your llamas free choice.  We use Stillwater Minerals and order it direct from their website.  In addition to good browsing/grazing, clean hay should be available.  Depending on the condition of the llama, supplemental feed can be provided, especially in the winter months or for late gestational or nursing mothers and growing crias.  The supplemental feed that we use is Mazuri Llama.  All llamas go to their catch pens each day so that I can put my hands on them and know that everybody feels and looks good and healthy.  Even if a llama is on a restricted diet, a small handful of feed will go a long way while checking them out.  My llamas love to eat, so when one drops off from wanting food, it's a sure sign that something is not quite right.

Poisonous Plants - Most people don't think about their livestock being sensitive to whatever is growing in the pasture but some plants may make them sick.  Some plants can even kill them!  Even the sweet little weed with the yellow flowers, Buttercup, can make them sick and cause blisters on their lips and has even been blamed for deaths when enough was ingested.  Shortly after bringing my first llamas home, JoJo came staggering in for food one night and seemed a bit disoriented.  She also had developed diarrhea.  Thank goodness she survived that episode but after reading Mount Lehman's website page on Poisonous Plants, I was able to identify the culprit (nightshade) and I mowed it down.  I've included their website to the Links page.  It is a great accumulation of plants with pictures to help identify them.  Please check it out!

Pasture Clean-Up - We recently purchased a pasture vacuum to help keep our pastures clean and to help rid our pastures of the parasites that are prevalent to East Texas.  The vacuum collects the llama beans at a rate of 80 mph.  As it collects the beans, it pulverizes them, which allows the manure to compost quicker and it loses its odor within a week or so.  During the collection process, pine needles, hay particles, dead grass and possibly a pine cone or two are also collected.  These items of nature compost with the manure over time.