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So, are you fond of doing something not-so-ordinary? Then llamas farming is the right option. It’s a profitable business because if you are raising llamas for profit the tax authorities allow you to write off the feeding cost and veterinary bills.
In this article, we would be discussing llamas farming in detail, how can you start llamas farming, how can you raise llamas, how can you generate more profit from llamas farming, why should you raise or keep llamas, and what else do you know before starting a llamas farming.
Since you are just about to adopt llamas farming as a professional you must know this most beloved domestic animal deeply. So, let’s get to know them first.
Llamas is a widely domesticated animal of the Camelidae family. Their ultra social nature and ability to live in herds captured several aspiring farm owners’ interests.
This forgiving animal is often kept for wool, meat, or as an exceptionally well-behaving pack animal. Besides the basic purposes, llamas are also kept as raised as therapeutic animals and they are also demanded in hospitals and nursing homes to reduce depression, anxiety, fatigue, and pain. (Source) Llamas are excellent guards, they are often kept to guard Alpacas, sheep, and goats, etc.
Llamas has been serving us medically as well, the antibodies llamas possess are used to treat several diseases.
The scientists are also hopeful that llamas would contribute to fighting against this deadly Coronavirus outbreak as well.
If raising an animal is so profitable and good for the environment, then what’s the harm? No one with all five senses would choose any other animal farming over this one.
The one thing you need to be aware of is that llamas need to be raised carefully. The overly pampered ones are difficult to handle, they get engaged in dramatic fights, hissing, spitting, kicking, and wrestling. The best part of keeping llamas is that despite the dramatic fights, kicking, and spitting, they live and take care of each other as a family.
How can you start llamas farming?
Plan
No matter how cunning you are, how well you have managed your other businesses, you can not build anything from scratch without any proper planning.
Planning helps you in getting clear about your goals and your duties.
A well-drafted business plan would make the whole llamas farming process easier and manageable.
Choose between going big or starting small
At this point, you have to decide whether you want to go big or start small. You can only move ahead when you are clear about how much space you need to have? How much capital do you require? The experts suggest starting small and slowly expanding your farm.
It would require less space, capital, once you are on strong footing you can invest further to earn more.
Arrange capital
Now that you have got it all planned up and have not taken an actual step forward, it’s the need of the hour to arrange the necessary capital to move ahead.
Bring your savings and take help from your family, friends, or acquaintances if the capital you have arranged is not enough. Get an estimate from the existing llama’s farm owner and try arranging the suggested amount.
Get some space and build a llama farm
As per the experts and advanced farmers, three or four llamas need one acre of land and one llama demands 40 square feet of indoor space to live a balanced life.(Source)
It’s suggested to start farming with 50 or 100 llamas, do not go above the said figures as it would only be messy at this stage. So, either own or get a few acres of land on rent and build a farm that suits their needs.
Besides bothering about how much space you need, you must also take into notice whether the space you are about to dedicate to llamas farming is zoned for livestock or not? Take guidance from zoning authorities regarding this matter, they would be the best guide.
Get a license(If it’s required by law)
There is a slight possibility that you would be required to get licensed to start operating as a llamas farmer. Check your local laws, if the state requires you to get licensed first, get licensed. If it doesn’t, you can kick start the operations.
Get the llama farm crowded
Now that the farm has come to shape, it’s time to get it crowded. Get young ones or fully grown male and female llamas to start functioning as a llamas farmer. You have to decide here whether you want to breed llamas on your farm or find buying, raising, and selling young ones more feasible.
Hire help
Even if you choose to bring 5 to 10 llamas to your farm, you can not solely take care of them even if you are fully available. So, consider hiring help. It’s better to hire professional help as you do not want your llamas to get spoiled.
Kick start the operations
Congratulations! You have done wonderfully well. Now work hard and get paid off.
How to take Care of llamas?
Raising llamas on a farm is slightly different from the other farm animals, they are low maintenance but they get spoiled quite easily and spoiled llamas are super hard to keep depending on the types of llamas. Here are some tips that are going to help you in raising llamas rightly;
Provide the right environment
Because of their heavy coats, llamas do not do well in heat, make sure the farm you build has enough vents. You can also add an air conditioner to make it more favorable for this cute little creature.
Get them vaccinated
Let alone llamas, almost all members of the Camelidae family need to get vaccinated against bacterial and viral diseases; Clostridium, Anthrax, Leptospirosis, Rabies, West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Equine Rhinopneumonitis, Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus, and Rotaviruses. So, if you want to raise healthy llamas, generate more profit, minimize overall vet bills, get them vaccinated as the vet suggests.
Give them easy access to pasture or hay
You can choose to plant pasture or purchase hay in abundance to meet the nutritional requirements. Planting pasture would be more economical than purchasing hay in such a huge amount. In short, the necessities; pasture/hay, and water should be available in abundance.
Shearing
As mentioned-above shearing is just as mandatory for llamas as hoof trimming for horses. The llama’s coat can be allowed to grow up to 3 inches in winter whereas, in summers, the undercoat must be reduced to 1 inch.
Shearing should be performed once a year in spring or summer to make the summer tolerable.
Training
No matter how you are planning to generate money from llamas farming, you have to train them anyway. So, you have to hire a professional trainer to save yourself from getting kicked or spat.
How can you generate more profit from llamas farming?
As you are about to start llamas farming for a living and your aim is to maximize profit, you need to know that you can make money from llamas farming in various ways. You can credit your account with a handsome amount of money by
- Selling fully mature llamas: You can choose to sell fully mature llamas or prefer to process it further, it’s up to you. Selling meat and fully mature llamas are both profitable. If you can raise healthy llamas, you can expect $6000 to $7000 net profit from each pair.
- Selling meat: 5LB llamas ground meat is being sold for $59.99 in the United States. It’s impossible to tell how much meat a healthy fully mature llamas can produce as it varies for each animal. It must be noted here that if selling llamas meat under your brand name is more profitable, it requires additional cost as well. However, it is suggested, to leave the matter “whether should you sell llamas or meat” to your management accountant, allow them to compare and suggest the most profitable option.
- Selling wool: The wool that llamas produce is great in demand as it’s soft and lanolin-free. 1oz llamas fleece is being sold in the market for about $3 to $4. As your farm would be producing a lot of wool, so why should you not earn profit from it? (Source)
- Selling milk: Most of the llamas farmers are making money from selling llamas milk. The milk produced by llamas is the best alternative to cow’s milk. People with lactose intolerance drink llamas milk because of the low lactose percentage.
- Selling llamas manure: Yes, the llama’s farmer can make enough money to meet the daily expenses from selling llamas manure. The llama’s manure can be used to give lawn and gardens a healthy boost as it’s rich in potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Selling and using llamas manure to improve the quality of the soil is uncommon but it’s just as rewarding as pigs’ or any other livestock manure.
- Offering them for riding: I bet the idea of earning money from offering your carefully raised and well-trained llamas for riding might have never hit your mind. It’s the smartest yet forgiving way of maximizing profit from llamas farming. Pick up the most well-behaved llamas and start offering them for riding. Once the reputation is built, you can increase the rate per hour.
- Offering them for breeding: Just as we offer horses, camels, and other livestock for breeding, llamas can serve the same way as well. A huge amount of money can be produced in the llamas breeding season. So, if you are aiming to maximize profit, do not underestimate the amount you can make by offering llamas for breeding.
- Offering as a therapy animal: Llamas can help you earn a handsome amount of money by acting as a therapy animal. Because of their gentle and forgiving nature, nursing homes and hospitals often hire llamas as a therapy animals. You can choose three or four well-trained, well-behaving llamas to offer as a therapy animal and make money this way as well.
What else do you need to know before finalizing the llama Farm plan?
It requires patience
The overly pampered llamas would test your patience. There would be a lot of kicking, spitting, and wrestling going on so you have to be patient enough to handle the mess. However, If you can handle them well from the beginning, they may not harm you and their fellas.
Llamas can not be confined to a place
You need to know that, unlike a few other livestock options, you can not confine llamas to a place at all. They need some space to roam around, only an unbearable weather condition can lock them in a place. So, if you can not dedicate enough space for the farm, it is suggested to drop this idea.
Llamas are extremely moody, they can not be forced
Horses, donkeys, and even camels can be made to do anything with force but llamas are extremely moody. If they are not willing to do something, nothing on earth can make them do it. So, you should be aware that you can not make them dance at your fingertips.
They would be no odor
Fortunately, there would be no bad odor like pigs. People like keeping llamas as a pet for a variety of reasons including being odorless, kind, gentle, and affectionate. It would surprise you that even their poop doesn’t stink. Their “poop” is not referred to as “poop” it is called llamas beans for being odorless.
For llamas farm, No animal guard is needed
Llamas know how to handle predators (coyotes, humans, and pumas) quite well. So, for your llama’s farm, you would not be needing any guard at all. The llamas can take care of themselves.
The aggressive llamas can bite, spit, and chase tirelessly
Llamas can get very aggressive especially in the breeding season and when they are separated from their mothers. In the breeding season, they start considering humans as their rivals. So, in both cases, the llamas can bite, spit, and chase tirelessly. You have to be careful around them even if it’s not breeding season.
There would be a lot of humming
There would not be any odor but there would be a lot of humming. Llamas communicate with each other by humming. Moreover, this gentle creature hums when it’s uncomfortable, overheated, curious, worried, or distraught. Get prepared to listen to countless animals humming all day.
Now that you have made your mind, you need to know, besides crediting your bank account with a handsome amount of money each year, why else they should be raised and kept.
Why should llamas raised and kept?
Your first and foremost goal would be to earn profit but you should know that besides earning profit and supporting your family you are contributing to the environment as well. Llamas should be raised and kept because;
- They are low-maintenance and quite easier to raise
- They trim grass, do not take off the grass from the roots
- Their milk is the best substitute for cow’s milk
- They produce fairly lean, high in protein, and low in cholesterol meat
- The wool obtained from llamas is used for spinning, insulation, blanket, and cushion filling
- Llamas manure can be used to fertilize lawns and gardens
- Llamas excrement can be burned for fuel
- They are great pack animals
- They need little care because of their cleanliness, mild manners, and friendly disposition
- They are gentle
- They do not have an odor, their poop doesn’t stink
The important information is served, it’s time to answer the most Googled question.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are llamas good pets?
Yes, llamas make the best pet because of their gentle nature, cleanliness, mild manners, and friendly disposition. They are low-maintenance, requiring fewer care than other livestock options.
Are llamas easier to keep?
Yes, much easier than pigs as they do not require any special care. They can be considered easier to raise animal because they are low maintenance, does not any guard, and does not root off pasture.
Are llamas dangerous?
Well, the appropriate answer to this question is that llamas are not that dangerous that they can not be handled. They kick, spit, chase and hiss only in the breeding season or when they are being separated from their mothers. Males are a little more dangerous than females.
Why do llamas spit?
Llamas are known for their spitting behavior, they spit on humans because they see them as their rival and on their fellow llamas to discipline them.
What’s the use of llamas?
Llamas are good for the environment for a variety of reasons; they produce super nutritional milk, meat. Moreover, they are a great source of wool that is used for spinning, insulation, blanket, and cushion filling.
Can llamas live alone?
No, they are not that great at living alone. As they are herd animals they can sicken to death.
What do llamas eat?
Llamas are strictly vegetarian, they can live on pasture, hay, fruits, and vegetables. Alfalfa hay is their favorite food.
Are llamas farming profitable?
Yes, llamas farming is super profitable. The llama’s farmers can earn profit from selling meat, wool, milk, and offering them for breeding and riding. Make sure you are aware of the cost of llamas raising.
Do llamas stink?
No, not at all. They do not have any odor even their poop doesn’t stink. The only annoying habits llamas have are that they hum, spit, hiss, kick, and chase.
Can llamas poop be used as manure?
Yes, llamas poop can be used as manure. It makes great manure because it doesn’t stink and it’s rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. In fact, it has been used to fertilize lawns and gardens already.
What is the purpose of having a llamas?
You can keep llamas for a variety of reasons including meat, milk, and wool. They are great to pack animals and an exceptional pet indeed.
Can llamas tolerate heat?
No, they are not that great at tolerating heat. In spring or summer, their coat is often sheared to make summer more tolerable. They need additional vents and good air conditioning to stay sane in summers.
Why do llamas mistreat humans?
Llamas mistreat humans only when they start seeing them as their rivals. When llamas start seeing them as their rival, they hiss, kick, spit, and chase to scare them away.
Can we drink llamas drink?
Yes, it’s super healthy for lactose-intolerant humans and animals. Llamas milk is considered the best alternative to cow’s milk.
Summary
Llamas farming is profitable several livestock farmers are earning a handsome amount of money from llamas farming. Llamas are usually kept for meat, milk, wool, and as a pet. This member of the camelidea family is also raised by nursing homes and hospitals because the well-trained llamas are used for therapeutic purposes.
They are known for cleanliness, friendly disposition, and mild manners. The llama’s farmers can make money from selling meat, milk, wool, from breeding and riding as well. To start llamas farming, draft a plan, arrange necessary capital, get some space, get licensed if mandatory, build a farm, get livestock, hire help, and start operating as llamas farmer.
Before finalizing the plan, you need to know that llamas are low maintenance quite easier to raise, they do not stink, they can not be confined to a place, do a lot of humming, hiss, kick, chase, and spit, need training and requires a lot of patience.
Llamas can not live alone as they are herd animals, loneliness can sicken them to death. The best part of llamas farming is that the said animal does not need anything extra other than regular care and the worst part is you would be hearing a lot of humming. Lastly, I hope you find this article helpful. It would be an honor if the above-mentioned information helps you in any way.
Resources
- open sanctuary
- Building A Good Home For Llamas
