Love at first sight on Home Services

Mar

Love at first sight

posted by admin in Window Cleaning

A creamy-coloured female llama standing in yards in the South Island became the first member of her llama herd of 10, who live with her on the outskirts of New Plymouth.
Living with llamas has become a passion for Uta, who describes them as kind, gentle animals.
When the photographer and I visited last Friday, its fair to say we were both entranced by the animals, who greet you with a sort of hongi.
While they are smelling your face ever so gently, these big dewy eyes focus on your own and look deeply into your soul.
Its easy to fall under their spell.
This endearing gentleness has made llamas popular in use as therapy animals, with visits to places like rest homes.
Utas llamas have become a well-known sight in charity parades and rest home visits here.
The llama is a member of the camelid family, which also includes alpaca, camels, guanaco and vicuna, the last two being wild.
They have been around for a long time.
When the Inca populated part of South America around 1100AD, llama had already been domesticated for 3000 years.
They originated on the plains of North America about 40 million years ago.
With their broad backs and strong hindquarters, they naturally make fantastic pack animals and this has been their main use high up on the Andes ranges for centuries.
There, they are still used as beasts of burden as well as for fibre and meat.
There is no chance that Utas llamas will be used for meat though, not ever.
On the property she also has three cows who look like full grown bulls - her vet describes them as the fattest cows he has ever seen.
Uta puts them through the pasture to clean up after the llama.
Stocking rates for llama are about four per hectare.
Llamas, particularly males, have a habit of defecating only one area of their paddock, which helps to keep the grass clean and the worms down.
It also makes a convenient pile to collect manure for the garden.
They like to have a sandy or dusty spot to roll in and will create this for themselves.
One of the most charming aspects of these animals is the humming noise they make.
Standing in the paddock with them, you can hear a selection of quiet hums, which are more than adorable.
They are not so quiet when it comes to mating, according to Uta, who says the process can take up to 40 minutes.
The male will chase the female, signalling his intent, who will then kneel down and the mating takes place.
The male will make a sort of gargling sound that gets louder as time passes. Enough said.
Eleven months later a baby, or cria, is born and the herd meet and greet this new family member.
Uta keeps her one intact male, or stud, separate from the females unless she wants them to mate.
He is kept in the adjoining paddock so he can see his harem and doesnt feel he is alone.
There are females and gelded males in the rest of the herd and sometimes babies.
Spitting is one habit of camelids that isnt so appealing.
While llamas value their personal space, they also respect others, which is what makes them especially nice to have around children and older people.
But they do use this tool within the herd if someone is getting out of line, but they always warn first, like flattening their long banana shaped ears and making a noise.
A pregnant female will spit at an advancing male for example, to show she is not available.
One day Uta got in the middle of a disagreement, when another llama came up behind her and the one she was facing spat at it, missed and got Uta square in the face.
She said it smelled so bad she immediately ran to her car and drove home to wash.
When the policeman pulled her over and she wound down the window, she hoped the stench would help her case for speeding. It didnt.
Maintenance is minimal for llamas.
Depending on the ground, they will need their toenails trimmed regularly and are shorn once every year or two.
It is a help if the llama you buy is used to this treatment already.
They are easily trained but it is better if they are trained while young and small.
She says that for someone who is looking at getting some llamas, they need to decide what they are wanting them for - is it for showing, breeding, fibre production or just a pet?
For a show animal, conformation is an important consideration and these will be higher priced animals. For fibre, the woollier Chilean variety are best and for pets, Uta recommends that gelded males are ideal and most affordable.
These cost from $1000-$2000, whereas females can cost $8000 plus.
While deciding on an animal, Uta says to spend time looking at different animals and dont necessarily buy the first one you see.
It is important that the animal has been halter-trained and has learnt good manners.
You should be able to watch the breeder walk up to it in the paddock and halter it. You should then be able to do the same.
It should follow calmly when you lead it.
Uta feels llamas have stronger personalities than alpacas, who have been bred primarily for their fibre.
While considered to be of slightly lesser quality than alpaca fibre, llama wool can be used for spinning, weaving and felting.
Before buying a llama, Uta recommends that you spend time getting to know them so your personality can be matched with the one you will buy.
You will need to buy at least two, as they cannot live for long on their own - they will get sick and die.
Llamas can live for up to 25 years, so it is a long commitment.
After-sale support is an important factor and you should make sure this is offered by the breeder.
You ought to be able to contact them with questions and most breeders like to keep an eye on their llamas anyway. After all, they loved them first.