Llamas and alpacas

Camelid Behavior and Roles

Behavior

Camelids communicate important social information through their posture and ear and tail movements. Llamas and alpacas are generally even-tempered and placid. Spitting is the most common behavioral response to annoyances. Foot stamping, kicking, and spitting can all be signs of aggression.

Roles

Llamas and alpacas are considered multi-purpose animals. Small landowners in California may have camelids for many purposes including: guarding other livestock, packing gear on trails, fiber production, animal therapy, or 4-H projects.

Guard animals: Llamas that are older than 18 months have been shown to be effective livestock guard animals against coyotes and dogs. Males should be gelded after 2 years if they are going to be used as guard animals. Females (with or without crias) have also been successfully used as guard animals.

Pack animals: Llamas can carry 70 - 120 pounds. Llamas under 2 years old should not be used as pack animals. Llamas should not be fully loaded until they are well-trained and fully matured (usually around 4 years old).

Fiber production: Alpacas have been bred for fiber, so they have less stiff guard hairs in their fleece than llamas and they are preferred for fiber production. There are 22 natural basic colors of alpacas ranging from black to white including many different browns, grays, tans, and creams.

Health and Care

General

Camelids need annual vaccinations, routine worming, toenail trimming, and shearing. They always need free access to clean, potable water.  Llamas are very stoic, rarely showing pain unless an illness has progressed. Their movements, posture, and behavior should be closely observed so that you can know what is normal and notice any small shifts.

Vaccines

It is important to work closely with your veterinarian to determine an effective vaccine program for your individual herd and area. There are no specific camelid approved vaccines, but typically those approved for sheep or goats are effective.

Heat stress

Signs of heat stress are lethargy, uncoordinated/stiff movements, nasal flaring, opened mouth breathing, increase breathing rate, drooling, and loss of appetite. If your camelid is showing signs of heat stress, cool them by hosing them down and moving them to a cool area and then call your veterinarian.

Parasites

Camelids are vulnerable to many common internal and external parasites that impact sheep and goats and similar principles for management apply. See the Health and Care section on our sheep and meat goats pages for more information on parasites.

Teeth

Males grow "fighting teeth" at about 2.5 years old. If two males are being kept together, these teeth should be removed by a veterinarian, for their safety.

Housing and Fencing

Housing

Camelids require natural shelters (trees, shrubs, rocks, or terrain) or constructed shelters to escape the elements; in mild climates, such as California, a three-sided shed is sufficient. They will need shade in the spring and summer and protection from wind in the winter. Shelters should have adequate ventilation.

Camelids are herd animals and should not be housed alone. If aggressive or territorial males need to be separated, they should remain in sight of other animals.

Fencing

Interior fences that contain camelids should be at least 4 feet tall, though 5 or 6 feet is preferable. Woven wire, no-climb wire, wooden rail, or high tensile fencing are all recommended instead of barbed wire.

Having a good, permanent perimeter fence around your property is crucial, in case your camelids or other livestock get out of your interior fences. For more information on perimeter fences, you can look at state regulations and county ordinances for perimeter fencing regulations and guidelines.

Figure 2: A llama pokes its head over a wire fence. Photo/courtesy Elkus Ranch.

Nutrition

General

Adult llamas and alpacas are modified ruminants, which means they regurgitate food and chew cud, but have a somewhat different stomach anatomy than conventional ruminants. Camelid nutritional requirements are similar to sheep. It is very important that your camelids have fresh, clean drinking water at all times. Feed intake is about 2% of animal weight in dry matter and daily water intake is about 1 gallon per hundred pounds of animal weight. For example, a 400 lb llama would consumes 8 lbs of dry matter per day and 4 gallons of water.

Depending on the quality of pasture, between 3 - 5 llamas and 5 - 10 alpacas can be grazed per acre of irrigated pasture. Unirrigated pasture will not be able to support this many animals. Alfalfa hay is high in protein and is not recommended in large quantities.

Figure 3: Camelids grazing. Photo/courtesy Theresa Becchetti.

Copper

Copper deficiency and toxicity are a concern for camelids, like all ruminants. Daily requirements for camelids are estimated to be about 0.15 mg per kg of body weight. For example, a 400 pound llama (~ 180 kg) would require about 27 mg Cu/day which it can get from forage, pellets and mineral supplements. You can read more about copper in camelids here.

Salt

Camelids do not consume salt blocks well, so loose granular salt forms are better. It is recommended that salt not be placed near water to better encourage distribution of animal impact within a pasture.

Table 1. Recommended crude protein and lysine levels in camelid feed. Table adapted from Rutgers Cooperative Research and Extension Fact Sheet: Llamas and Alpacas, 1998.

Reproductive Cycle

General

Both llamas and alpacas are induced ovulators, so they do not have a heat cycle. Ovulation in camelids occurs approximately 24 – 36 hours post-breeding, enabling them to be bred at any time during the year. However, it is recommended that they are bred in cooler months and not during the hot summer months, when heat stress is a concern. It is also recommended that females be at least 12 months old before they are bred.

Llamas

Female llamas reach reproductive maturity at 15 - 18 months, while males reach maturity at about 2.5 years. Llama's gestation is about 350 days. Llamas give birth to a single cria (20 - 36 pounds) that nurses for about 4 - 6 months until weaning.

Alpacas

Female alpacas reach reproductive maturity at 14 - 16 months, while males reach maturity at about 2 - 3 years. Alpaca's gestation is about 335 days. Alpacas typically give birth to a single cria (15 - 19 pounds) that nurses for about 4 - 6 months until weaning.