Some of these shearers are willing to travel. No price detail is shown so interested llama owners would need to call for details.

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Llamas after shearing

The Summer of 2011 North Texas had one of longest and driest streaks on record.  Like the rest of Texas, we remain in a serious drought that is projected to run until summer 2012.

At my place NE of Dallas, we did not have as many consecutive days over 100 but, 99 vs. 100 is pretty much a moot point.  The real issue for the herds, llama, goats, cattle etc is that the night time temperatures rarely dropped below 80.

Like humans, animals need cooler nights to recover so they can deal with the day time heat.  Shade is essential as is plenty of water which ideally is in shaded areas.  Most animals do not drink water from tanks in full sunlight as the water temperature can get quite warm.

Even with shade and water, llamas must be sheared. Put on your heaviest coat, preferably wool.  Now go sit under a shade tree. Take a cool glass of water with you.  That is what it will feel like for a llama that has not been sheared.

Some will last several weeks before dropping.  Once down for heat, few recover fully.

Llamas are wonderful guard animals and will give many years of excellent service but they must be sheared annually before the heat sets in.  However if you have one now that has not yet been sheared and has not dropped. Shear ASAP.

Links to folks that shear can be found on the South Central Llama Association website  http://www.scla.us/shearing.html

Do not know how or need help please check with your local llama association. In Texas links to folks that shear can be found on the South Central Llama Association website  http://www.scla.us/shearing.html.

I have been known to take good scissors to mine late in the summer, to pull off new growth.  I have carpal tunnel so for me the electric shears are painful to use but, I can do and do use mine if needed.  I do hire a professional to do my entire herd every Spring.

The debate over how much to shear is the question we focus on here.  It depends on your planned use of the llama.  If you are showing and have fans for your animals in the shade or in a barn.  The barrel cut may be what you prefer.   Most of  my customers use llamas for guard animals.   I recommend a fully shorn llama in Texas.  This cut gives maximum air flow around the body.

Not all breedings take and it takes a while for a dam to ‘show’.

The gestation period for llamas is eleven and one-half months, 350 days.

One cria due this fall has arrived safe and sound.  I still await the arrival of the other.

Below are the photos of  Indian Summer, a male, born October 22, 2009  out of Hot Rod and Summer Breeze.

The following photos are offerred in support of this proposal.

Please also note that llamas are famous for their bravery in guarding herds left in their charge.  Two of the photos below will show how truly able they are at guarding a person holding a bucket of  feed.  Enjoy!

That said, llamas have virtually no defense against a pack of predators. Most notable, as a threat to llamas, and many other valuable livestock, packs of stray dogs.

A good fence certainly helps. A vigilant local SPCA group is an other critical resource. And, in my mind, a truly great guard dog is also essential.

I am not talking about a loyal family dog but, a true working guard dog. Most often used is the Great Pyranees.  These are fine animals but, I personally prefer the Tibetan Mastiff.

I have had a Tibetan Mastiff with my herd for 12 years now. Like the Great Pyranees, these are gentle giants, noted for large size, loud bark and ability to bond with their herd.

Since we only breed llamas at the ranch, all dogs and cats at the ranch are spayed or neutered. My first mastiff was a female, Nymh. What a great animal. She lived 10 years and was a quiet, gentle friend to me and my family. At the same time she was vigilant and dedicated to protecting the llamas.

Nymh slept most of the day in a shady area where she could see the herd.  At night Nymh roamed the pastures where the llamas slept or took position on high ground where she had a better field of vision.

When Nymh began to age, I bought Bhoo, as a newly weaned puppy, to learn the ropes from Nymh.

It does take time for ‘puppy’ to wear off and guard dog instincts to kick into high gear.  This process takes roughly 2 years.  So, by the time Bhoo was ready to take over as guard master, Nymh was very old for a large dog. She then semi-retired and just worked at protecting me.

While I do highly recommend  guard dogs, these animals bark a lot at night. Sort of a warning to the coyotes and bobcats to stay away.

They also intimidate by their size and aggressive stance. So, if you are in an area with neighbors near by or you really find barking at night annoying, this is not the breed for you.  But, if your farm is more isolated or you have a lot of pastures, these  animals will really be a help to you.

I have learned that there are about 2 weeks every summer when I spend the build of my time brushing out the winter coat. I get enough off to knit another medium sized dog.   Some folks shear the hair off of their Pyranees in the summer for this same reason and I did do that once to Nymh. So you can go either way. It is important though, in a hot climate, to help get that winter coat off so the animal will not stress in the extreme Texas summer heat.

• 6-8 oz powdered fruit drink mix ( berry, grape, cherry, etc.)
• 1/2 cup flavored equine electrolyte powder
• Fully dissolve in the barrel with water.

The purpose of the sweetened fruit drink is to give the mix a scent that will encourage the llamas to drink more.

The barrel or trough should be a light color, silver, blue or gray so llamas can see the color of the mix.   The electrolytes need to be in a shady area where llamas kush in the heat of the day

There should also be a barrel of cool plain water next to the electrolyte mix.

This mixture will ‘sour’  in about 24 hours so un-used mixture needs to be poured out, the barrel rinsed and a new mixture set out for each day when there is a NOAA heat advisory issued.

The spring babies are now 6 months old and huge compared to the fall arrival.  Crias grow remarkably fast:

Spring babies as newborns:

Without a doubt, the Texas heat has been the worst enemy to raising healthy llamas. Our first stud, Strait-Black, nicknamed Rama, had a mild heat stroke in August of 1995. The temperature was 105° Fahrenheit at the time and he was in the sun grazing. We saw him go down,  got to him immediately and began shading him and soaking him with cool water. We also called the vet. It took 4 of us to get him back on his feet and into the barn in front of a fan. We gave him tons of electrolytes, first through a syringe into his mouth every hour and then finally he began drinking voluntarily out of a bucket. He appeared to make a complete recovery.

As a result of this incident, we became a firm believers in body shearing of heavy-wooled llamas. We also began purchasing large (48 inch) fans for the llamas. Over the next two years we had electrical connections installed in shaded areas near the barns and large trees. The llamas are sheared in a barrel cut (trunk area) late in the spring. This allows for better cooling through the summer. Llamas perspire from glands on the trunk of their bodies near where the legs are connected to their torso. We also provide electrolytes for them daily anytime the temperature is expected to be 90° Fahrenheit or higher. Water soluble electrolytes can be purchased at any feed store. We provide a 5 gallon bucket of electrolytes for every fan or heavily shaded spot on the ranch. This works out to be about 1 barrel for the large herd and 2-3 buckets daily for the smaller pastures. We also insure the water barrels are located in shaded areas as llamas will not drink fresh water that is too warm.

We have a dump truck of sand, approx. ten yards, hauled in every other year to a well shaded location. We then hose down this sand once or twice daily and the llamas kush in these shaded areas during the worst heat of the day. Sort of like a day at the beach.

Minerals are available for the llamas free choice at all times. Every area has

some type of mineral deficiency in the soil that impacts grazing animals. The minerals we leave out for my llamas are in powder form and provide the nutrients they are not able to get from grazing and grain. I purchase mine from Winners Edge in Tyler Texas and from Stillwater Minerals.  Both companies make fine products that can be ordered online. There are other excellent firms from which minerals can be purchased, the key is to ensure the llamas are getting them. The minerals are salty and will also encourage the animals to drink more water. We ensure these minerals available year-round, not just in the heat of the summer.

Note:   Some mineral companies are now making llama mineral formulas that contain electrolytes,  I did try these in the summer of 2010 and found they do work well.

We have tried three different brands of llama minerals over the years and all worked well but, they each were significantly different in price depending on the volume purchased. Llama minerals are by far the most expensive single ongoing expense as the average llama needs roughly 1 ounce of minerals per day. For that reason it is important to offer these in a location sheltered from rain and wind. Some people sprinkle the minerals over the animal’s grain. Others like me, offer the minerals free choice in a protected feeder.

Some llamas also like a good soaking during the worst heat.  Some go to the stock pond and stand chest deep in the water.   Others really like the water hose.  We offer a thorough soaking to any llama that wants one at least once a day, more often in the worst heat of the summer. Llamas are hosed down from the bottom up. This means we start with the legs and spray the water up under their chest and belly and tail areas. Do not spray water on their backs or head as this just packs down their wool and makes them hotter.  Of course there are always some  llamas that  HATE to be sprayed with water. Do not chase them down and spray them. That just adds to their stress.

We do have some llamas that prefer a nice cool foot soaking instead of being sprayed. These ladies like a barrel of water in the shade that they can step into with their front feet.

Hot weather morning routine:
o    Mix electrolytes and pour into barrels in shaded areas.
o    Verify all fans are running.
o    Fill water barrels and soak sand pits.
o    Hose llamas wanting to be soaked. Water from the feet up to the stomach and where the legs meet the torso.

In the Evening:
o    Hose down llamas.
o    If the temperature is going to be over 100°F, in the evening, set out a sprinkler in a shaded area set low so the llama can stand over it to get wet.  I usual set a time for about 30 minutes to let them play.
o   Check electrolyte buckets to be sure the animals have been drinking. (We mix Gatorade powder or Kool-Aid in small quantities with the electrolytes to encourage the llamas to drink more.)
The summers of 1997 through 2000 were some of the hottest in history for North Texas. Using all of the methods described above, We had no llamas in heat stress during those years. Unfortunately, the ‘mild’ stroke Rama had in 1995 damaged his liver and ultimately resulted in his death in February of 1997.

The year 2004 was the mildest summer I personally can recall. The llamas loved the cooler temperatures and the wonderful rains we got throughout the summer.

Summer 2010 has ended and was one of the hottest on record for the Dallas area.  June and August were brutal but, we had an unusually wet July.  We made it through the heat fine only to lose a much loved female to a snake bite at the end of August.   This was a reminder to us that there are always things beyond our control.

As we now get our first taste of cool fall evenings, the herd is noticeably more relaxed and playful. Fall is our favorite time of year. We look forward to new births and llamas frolicking in the pasture.

A note on fans:
The size of the fan is not nearly as important as the velocity of air flow.  We get great service out of  the  small $39.00 wire fans available at most big box stores. Plus these can be strapped to the fence or barn beams using cable ties.