Raising Llamas  For Beginners
                     Raising Llamas
If you are familiar with the care of other domestic livestock, you will find llamas comparatively 
easy to maintain, with a minimum of veterinary assistance required. 
If you are uncertain of the health of your new animal, consider isolating it in sight of but separate 
from your other animals for the first two weeks to prevent accidental introduction of any illnesses, 
and to give you both a chance to get acquainted. Make sure it is eating and ruminating, as well as 
eliminating pelleted feces. 
If you have not already done so, this is time to locate a veterinarian in your area. If he or she is 
inexperienced with llamas, information is available through ILA to handle problems, which may 
arise. It is recommended that you have your veterinarian give your newcomer a general health 
check, and take a fecal sample to determine if worming is necessary.
Although llamas have been arid land dwellers, they thrive in a wide array of temperate 
environments throughout the United States and Canada, including Alaska. They are highly 
adaptable feeders, being both grazers (grasses and forbs) and browsers (shrubs and trees). Because 
of a relatively low protein requirement due to their efficient digestive systems, they can be kept on a 
variety of pastures or hay. 
They eat about 2% to 4% of their body weight in dry matter every day. Without pasture, a 100-
pound bale of hay will last an adult llama for ten days to three weeks - good news, indeed, to 
experienced horse and cattle owners! If you are going to graze your llamas, plan on about three to 
five animals per acre on a moderately producing pasture.
When good hay is available, grain is recommended only for working pack animals and nursing 
females. Sheep mineral and salt blocks (with selenium wherever necessary) should be available free 
choice. Granulated minerals are somewhat more wasteful than mineral blocks, but are easier to eat 
since llamas can't lick. 
High-protein grain mixes prepared for other livestock should generally not be given to a healthy 
llama on a good diet, unless it's a female nursing or close to giving birth. Llamas are not prone to 
bloat, but have been known to do so if they get into a grain bin. Avoid over feeding llamas.
Llamas require less water than most domestic animals, but should have an unlimited, fresh, clean 
supply at all time. They tend to drink less in winter and when on lush, green pasture, and more 
when working or lactating, especially in summer.
Llamas Natural Diet
Llamas graze on grass and a variety of available plants. They are not especially picky, and can be 
fed various farm products and mixes that include corn silage, alfalfa and bromgrass. Growing 
youngsters need sufficiently nutritious foods in order to develop properly.
The llama's nutritional program is very important for a healthy, good producing herd however this 
program will vary a lot between different areas of the country, what the animals are being used for, 
and what kind of pasture you have for them. Their nutritional program can effect their breeding, 
their birthing, the health of their crias, milk production, stress in the animals, heat stress, their 
conformation, and the wool quality.
The llama's dietary need consists of Energy, Protein, Fiber, Salt, Calcium and Phosphorus, and 
Vitamins, and Minerals. A very important factor in the diet and feeding is regularity and 
consistency. 
Suggested daily feeding proportions for each animal are l lb. supplement (some people call it grain), 
5 lbs. from hay and pasture, plus free choice trace minerals. A good diet is especially important in 
the hot humid weather and gives the animal the strength and energy to fight heat stress. Additions to 
the supplement may be added in late gestation, early lactation, or in extremely cold weather.
Energy and Fiber - Pasture and Hay are a major contributor of energy and fiber to the diet. The start 
of a good nutritional program should begin with an analysis of your pasture and your hay. A good 
leafy grass hay, not moldy or dusty, generally provides the necessary energy and fiber needed. Corn, 
a grain, is also a high energy source and may be added to the diet under certain circumstances. 
Animals in early lactation or in late gestation may have 3/4 lb. cracked corn added to their diet for 
energy. In extreme cold weather, 1/4 lb. of cracked corn per 100 lbs. of body weight for every 10 
degrees below 30 degrees up to a maximum of 2 lbs. per head. A second feeding with the addition 
of cracked corn (breakfast) may be added to the expectant mother's diet about 4-6 weeks before her 
delivery date and then continue with the additional feeding after birth. 
Especially if the mother is prone to losing a lot of weight after giving birth and having the nursing 
cria at her side. This is a good time to use your "body scoring" and/or keep a monthly record of her 
weight Grains, such as corn or oats, should only be used as supplemental high-energy sources and 
are normally not given during hot humid weather.
Protein - The llama's protein requirement is rather low and in most cases a good grass hay will 
provide adequate protein intake. When protein supplement is necessary, 50% alfalfa hay may be 
added for cold weather or lactation. The protein content in alfalfa hay is excessive and is better fed 
only as a supplement and not as a routine daily hay. 
Alfalfa hay is likely to be the cause of fat pads in mammary tissue and can do damage to the crias 
by putting on excess fat in their primary growth period. For herd maintenance, 10-12% protein is 
good. Geldings are fine at 10% protein. Protein content and quality of the pasture is much higher in 
the spring when plants are growing actively. The same pasture will test much less in August and 
September. 
Caution should be taken against overfeeding protein. Excess calcium in the diet from alfalfa hay 
will upset the calcium-phosphorus balance which is crucial during the rapid growth period in crias.
Salt, Calcium and Phosphorus, and Vitamins - A good llama supplement (feed) can provide the 
necessary grains, salt, calcium and phosphorus, minerals, and vitamins. This supplement can be 
compared to a daily vitamin pill necessary to their well being. Regularity of this supplement in even 
distribution is very important. 
Feeding the supplement by way of a pellet is the most efficient way to feed and to control all their 
immediate dietary needs. Mixing the vitamins and minerals by way of powders, pellets, and loose 
grains does not make for the most consistent and controllable diet as much of it falls to the bottom 
of the bag and all ingredients are not distributed evenly. 
A small 1/8" pellet, somewhat hard in consistency, is the most preferable to prevent choking. Not all 
llamas in the herd will choke, but a certain few will be more prone to choking due to the makeup of 
the esophagus (or how fast they chow down). It is my opinion, however, that a choke problem is as 
much a herd management problem as it is a feed problem. 
If fed from a long trough, the food will be spread out and animals will not be able to get enormous 
mouthfuls of food and therefore this method of feeding greatly lessens the possibility of choke. 
With the pellets spread out, they have to work harder to pick up the pellets with their lips. Once an 
animal has choked, do not offer the pellet again for a couple of days. 
Then introduce it back slowly. Even though the llama supplement may have all the needed vitamins, 
minerals and salt, it is also necessary to offer a loose free choice trace mineral mix. A salt block 
does not provide the necessary ingredients and they all will not use a salt block.
Most of the midwest area is very selenium and phosphorus deficient. Abnormal bone growth such 
as bowed legs are usually the result of deficiencies or imbalances of calcium and phosphorus. 
Excessive alfalfa hay can upset this calcium-phosphorus balance in crias. The lack of selenium, a 
trace mineral, can be the cause of white muscle disease, weak crias, or interference with growth, 
reproduction, and lactation. Selenium levels should be randomly checked in the herd when blood is 
drawn. Above 150-200 is a normal level.
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