"They were enjoying the first sunny day in quite a while by racing around the pasture making alarm noises and 'boing-boing'' and 'pronging' back and forth (llamas do a dusk dance almost every day). This went on for at least 15 minutes, and I always just stand there with a stupid grin on my face the whole time. "
"They're curious, gentle animalsone of the most intelligent animals on four legs."
"They automatically make you tranquil, and they're friendly. They come up and greet you. And they give llama kisses, too"
"They learn things quickly, too. Repeat something a trick, two or three times and they've got it. They're a very nice animals."
"Llamas are really cool animals. They're affectionate, they're as curious as cats, and they hum when they're happy or when they communicate with each other. "hummmmm"
"Llamas can leap; limbo and hum - and they don't spit much, but when and if they do it's usually between two llamas over, "Who gets to eat first", or "Your getting in my space, back off".
"We wanted to raise something we wouldn't eat,"
"A gentle animal the whole family could be involved with."
"Even little kids can handle them," we've had 4th grade & 6th grade kids out to the farm touching and working with the llamas.
"I wanted to do a different animal project that not too many other people did,"
"Unlike cattle, they're easier to train, and they're more curious. They're not afraid of people and are smarter and brighter."
"There's a tendency to see them as a 'fluffy, hobby farm animal', that doesn't really do justice to what is a low maintenance, high return farm animal." They really should be seen as gentle and intelligent creatures...That's a FACT.
So, Why did the Llama cross the Road?
or WHY do WE have llamas, ANYWAY!
This is an email from a Llama owner answering that very question. You will find that many (avowed) llama people, like US, think the same way.
One of the "ice breaker" questions with OUR farm visitors is "Why do you have llamas?"
At first, we thought it was too easy.
There are many great stories but our absolute favorite is, "Because of the great daily joy that I get when I feed them." but many times since, as we are feeding and enjoying our llamas, we realized that it was a great answer.
Last night, all my girls, entertained me. They were enjoying the first sunny day in quite a while by racing around the pasture making alarm noises and 'Pronging, and bonging' back and forth. This went on for at least 15 minutes, and I just stood there with a stupid grin on my face the whole time.
There are some days around here, like last weekend for example, when the wind chill was in the negative, bundling and walking the distance to the barn, was about the last thing I wanted to do!
The cold weather had the llamas dancing more than usual, with all the crias (babies) gathered around me tightly for their grain, after I fed the dams (their moms). I said a quick thank you prayer, for the blessings these darlings have brought to our lives.
It's times like that, which make our most difficult days worthwhile, don't you think?
What a perfect ending to a hard day at work!
Just when the day/week is unbearably gray, at least somebody will come up and give me a 'wuffle', (that's a Llama kiss for the uninitiated), or a silly grin, or the normally regal guy will walk around looking like a disjointed haystack. Aww........So many stories, so little time
Like New Year's Day. I had one of those wonderful moments when 6 or 7 of my girls ran up to meet me in the pasture and spent 5 minutes or so giving me llama kisses and presenting their "sweet spots" (their butt) to me to be scratched--their desire to be near me, touch me, and "communicate" with me just melted my heart (now I know, I sound sappy!)
I finally had to break up the little gathering so I could get some work done.
Being easily entertained is a wonderful gift. To me, a Llama romping in the sun - or bouncing in the snow - or just expressing an enthusiasm for life - is a wondrous thing.
Happily, it both entertains and warms the heart. As for big, silly grins?
Well, we wear them a lot around here.
It's just a non-terminal condition that makes you feel pretty good.
Or am I getting old and becoming too easily entertained?
Well anyway, this is "exactly" the reason
why we enjoy OUR llamas !!
Well, Bob's favorite tune is the old classic, "Kansas City ", but he sings it as "Llama City .''
It sorta goes like this
Llama city, llama city, here I come.
Llama city, llama city, here I come.
They've got some purrr - ty lit - tle llamas there,
and I'm-ma gonna get me some.
They've got some purr-ty lit-tle llamas there,
and we're gonna sell you one.
(I'll spare you the sound track - He's sounds pretty bad ! )
Another popular song he sings (in the Barn, of course,!) is "Pharaoh, Pharaoh", but he sings:
"Llama, llama; Oh, llamas, don't you love them so? ... Yah, sure, you betcha!"
Kids on visits to our farm LOVE to "take" possession of our animals, including the 4-H'ers, which work with our babys for the summer. . For example, "barn cats" or our friendly dogs, but mostly our Llamas
