Llama Love
It's not hard to understand why people fall in love with llamas.
Their eyes are big and gentle. They require little space. They are very healthy and they have no odor. They guard smaller animals. They hum to their young.
Llamas, alpacas, camels and several other animals are all of the Camelid family of mammals. Alpacas and llamas share some characteristics, but they are not the same.
“People do get them mixed up,” said Lori Mason, a llama owner in Sarver. “Llamas have curved ears.”
They are bigger, too. Rocky, one of the llamas owned by Janice and Bob Boice of Prospect, is nearly 5 feet, 10 inches tall.
“They are a lot like cats,” said Mason. “They are finicky. They are curious. They stop just out of arm's length. Some days you can pet them, and some days it's like they say 'Buzz off.'”
Lori and David Mason bought their llamas when they moved to Sarver with their three children.
“I was looking at them more for 4-H and pets,” said Mason.
The llamas now spend most of their time in the pasture in front of the Masons' house.
“We didn't go into it for the money,” said Janice Boice. “We enjoyed the people we met.”
“We really wanted them for pets,” said Bob Boice.
Each family started with three llamas. The Boices used to have six registered llamas. Now they have two. The Masons have eight.
Janice said, “Llamas are herd animals.”
Mason said, “You can't just have a single llama and expect them to do well — for health reasons.”
In the past, the Boices showed their llamas at local fairs. The llamas also participated in parades. Later on, they visited nursing homes.
“You can take llamas inside, up stairs and in an elevator,” said Janice.
However, llamas are not meek. They stand firm when challenged by other animals and, like camels, they spit a disgusting mist.“They stare down other animals,” said Janice. “That's their first defence.”“Then they'll spit,” said Bob. “Then they stomp their feet.”The Masons and the Boices both attested to the awful smell of llama spit.Llamas also scream. One of the Boices' llamas was so protective, she screamed nonstop when she saw a four-wheeler across the field, about a half-mile away.Llamas do not require barns; shelters are enough. They are not expensive to feed either.“They are fine with grass this time of year,” said Janice.And this time of the year, it's almost time for llamas to have their annual shearing.“You need to shear them,” said Mason. “Mainly for their health. It would be like a winter coat, and the llama could have heat exhaustion.”Llama fiber can vary in color from black to white with many shades in between. People allergic to wool may be able to tolerate the very soft llama fiber. While it is very warm, like wool, the shorn fiber lacks lanolin and its oily feel.Lori Mason and Janice Boice do not spin llama fiber, but they do make clothing from llama yarn. Mason also weaves the fiber into cloth.Numerous llama fiber rugs decorate the Mason home. She sends the raw fiber to a company in Texas to make the naturally colored, striped rugs.Wini Labrecque, of Cabot, vice president of the Butler County Spinoners and Weavers Guild, has experience working with and judging all types of exotic camelid fibers.
She has seen four different types of llama fiber. Llamas used as pack animals have spinnable fiber, but it is coarse. Some llamas have a secondary coat with the softer fibers underneath the outer coat.“It could be comparable to alpaca fiber or fine wool fiber,” said Labrecque. “That llama is amazing to spin.”Another type of llama has a single coat that is especially soft.“It's uniform,” said Labrecque. “It is wonderful to spin because it's so consistent.”Labrecque said breeders are trying to increase a fourth type of llama, called a suri llama, whose fiber is very fine.Llama yarn is hard to find in stores, but it is available online and through catalogs. According to Labrecque, crafters sometimes can buy American llama yarn from people who raise llamas.The undercoat of llama might be ideal to make a scarf, blanket throw or sweater, she said.However, the Masons and the Boices agree that raising just a few llamas is not a money maker.“It's not a venture to jump into lightly,” said Mason. “The market is down for alpacas and llamas.”And raising llamas is a commitment as they can live 15 to 20 years and beyond.Still, llamas just have a way about them,” said Janice. “They walk calmly. They're serene. You have to be calm to work with them.”
