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OPEN RANCH 

December 11 & 12, 2009 - Come to the open ranch and participate in Llamas and Alpacas 101.  Learn the truth and put the myths to rest at this informative event.  FREE ADMISSION both days!  Spinning demonstration.  Packing Demonstration.  Learn about herd management, llama health, breeding and much, much more!  Coffee and goodies will be provided.  Bring your rain gear and ranch ready boots in case of rain.  The ranch is located on Golf Link Road in Turlock, just north of Bradbury Road.  Take the Bradbury Road exit from Hwy 99 and turn right on Golf Link Road.  The ranch is on the left.  Call 209-632-6891 for more information.  Hope to see you there!

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My commitment is to help people learn more about llamas. I love to talk about llamas.

I think llamas are very interesting and because there are relatively few in North America, they tend to be somewhat mysterious.

Llamas are know as the Trucks of the Andes.  They are bred primarily as beasts of burden.  Llamas are members of the Lama family of Camelids and are native to South America.  Other Lama family members are the domesticated Alpaca, bred for its fine fiber, the wild guanaco, and the rare vicuña.  All Lamas are cousins to the Camels.  Their only natural predator is the Mountain Lion (Cougar or Puma).

  The Llamas gestation period is 11-12 months and they rarely have twins. The baby Llamas, known as crias, weight 18-36 pounds at birth.  They are usually up and around within the first hour.  For the first three months they gain almost a pound a day.  Most mother Llamas wean their crias by six months of age.

 Llamas are browsers like goats.  Once weaned, they usually thrive on a low protein diet of grasses.  Occasionally their diets are supplemented with grains and minerals if their normal feed is very deficient in these essential nutrients.  Because their digestive systems are so efficient hot feeds such as alfalfa tend to make them fat.  On the trail, Llamas do nicely on native vegetation supplemented with 1 cup of grain a day.   Llamas are less expensive to feed than a medium size dog.

 Llamas are very social animals.  Because of that, most experts insist that new owners buy at least two.  A lone Llama may become depressed and die.  Llamas don’t usually require an elaborate shelter.  A lean-to providing minimal shelter from the wind and protection of the feed from rain is usually sufficient.  Many areas allow up to 10 Llamas per acre.

 Prices for Llamas vary due to location, breeding, confirmation, training and disposition among other traits.  On the West Coast, the price for a quality registered trained gelded 18 month old male starts around $450.  Most breeders have package deals and are willing to finance purchases.  Though Llama specific products are usually not sold at the local pet store, there are a number of mail order firms featuring quality Llama products.

 The practically odorless Llama pellets make an excellent soil amendment.  They are low in nitrogen and don’t require extensive composting.  In fact you can apply fresh pellets directly to many plants.  Harvesting of the Llama pellets is easy, because Llamas go in only a few spots.

 Llamas communicate primarily through body language (watch their ears).  They do have a wide range of vocalizations when a simple twitch of an ear isn’t enough.  They hum to their crias, growl at one another, orgle during mating and they also have a high pitched scream which is an alarm call.  Although they do spit at each other, they seldom spit at people unless teased.   They are very gentle and clean animals.  They are a joy to raise.