Learning about llamas
By Andrea Preston
Andrea Preston, Stonewater customer and Peru enthusiast tells us more about her fascination with llamas.
How did I become involved with llamas? Long story. I love anything to do with Peru, including traditional Andean music. I discovered a Peruvian band called Alborada and one evening, when I had friends round, we watched one of the band’s videos. There was an alpaca involved (we thought it was a llama) and as often happens with animals in videos, it was pretty comical. Suddenly I found myself googling ‘llama’ … and that was it. Hooked!
Llamas and alpacas – what’s the difference? Llamas are nearly twice as big. Average weight for an alpaca is 250lbs; a large male llama can weigh up to 450lbs. Average lifespan for llamas is 20 years in the wild but much longer when they are farmed. Alpacas, tamed from the wild vicuna (a protected species since 1973), are usually kept for their fibre which is of very high quality. Fibre from a llama, tamed from the guanaco, is coarser and more suitable for outdoor clothing such as hats, scarves and heavy pullovers. Llamas are often kept as guard animals to protect cattle or sheep. One or two will bond with the herd and make superb security guards but if there are any more than two they will bond with each other and the herd will be left to look after itself - not ideal!
A female can be bred at two years though most farmers will wait longer. Pregnancy lasts around 350 days. The baby, called a ‘cria’ which is Spanish for ‘baby’, is born fully mature, should be on its feet within 30 minutes and running around in six hours. This is Nature’s way of ensuring the animal can escape predators if in the wild.
This little girl is called Silver Primera and was four months old when the picture was taken.
This little girl is called Silver Primera and was four months old when the picture was taken.
Llamas eat grass, hay and foliage. A dandelion is a delicacy, the llama equivalent of caviar. They need to eat between 1% and 1.3% of their body weight each day and given that grass is light in weight that means a heck of a lot of it. No problem getting them to eat their five-a-day. Most UK llama farmers will also feed supplement, in the form of pellets, to their animals and provide mineral blocks which they can chew at. Llamas have no top teeth, just bottom teeth and a dental pad, and short tongues so licking is not very successful.
I have made four visits to Briery Hill Farm, Kilcot, near Newent. Expertly managed by Lisa and Steve Fox and helped by family and friends, the farm has 33 adult llamas, three juveniles and three crias on the way, the first due in August. Of their 20 males, 19 are available for the ‘llama experience’ which involves meeting and greeting the chaps, choosing one, giving him a quick brush, getting him haltered up and taking him for a walk, or an amble as he will stop every few yards to eat whatever takes his fancy. The walk is usually over a field, which is cut each year for hay for the llamas, and into Kilcot Wood where human and beastie will pose for a photo shoot on a mound of earth known as Llama Mountain.
Andrea on Llama Mountain with Marvel, May 2023.
Llamas have a reputation for spitting and yes, the males do spit at each other usually over food or territory. The females will spit at the males when they are pregnant. If any of Lisa's females spits at one of the boys she summons a vet to carry out a scan of the lady in question.
I am looking forward to my fifth visit to Briery Hill Farm. So far I have walked Merlin, Marvel, Baloo and Rossi; who should I choose next time? The farm is located along a lane opposite the Kilcot Inn. It has an excellent website which gives all the necessary contact details. I thoroughly recommend the llama experience, which can be expanded to include coffee and food for an extra charge. For me, though, just to spend time with these gentle, intelligent and fascinating animals is enough to keep me happy for ... well until my next visit to the farm.
Merlin and Rossi. Rossi is one of Briery Hill's older llamas - still fit and healthy but no spring chicken!
Baloo loves getting up close and personal. In October 2023 he was basking in the glow of becoming a first-time Dad to a son called Boogaloo.