How to Provide Adequate Housing for a Pet Llama
It is important to provide adequate housing for your pet llama in order to ensure its health and well-being. Llamas, while generally very hardy animals, can be sensitive to extreme weather conditions. Building an appropriate shelter for them will help them to live a happy and productive life. Read on to learn more.
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Instructions
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Provide Adequate Housing for Your Pet Llama
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Determine which type of structure you are going to build to protect your pet llama, depending upon the climate in your area. If you live in a very temperate area that is free of extreme temperatures, a shady grove of trees may be adequate to house your pet llama. But if you experience either very hot or cold temperatures in your area, you will need to install a shed or barn.
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Choose the size of your shed or barn based upon how many animals you are going to house. A 12 foot by 16 foot shed can house up to five adult llamas comfortably, or even more during cold weather, since they tend to huddle together to stay warm.
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Ensure that the door to the shelter is large enough to encourage llamas to freely come and go. Llamas can be a little claustrophobic, and may resist entering a door if it is too small. A window or two in the shelter may also help reduce the llama's feeling of being shut in.
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Make sure that the llamas always have dry ground to retreat to in the case of heavy rains, preferably in the area where they eat and drink. Llamas can suffer from "foot rot" if conditions remain too wet, which can be difficult to cure once it starts.
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Supply water sprinklers or outdoor fans for your pet llama if the temperatures become too hot during the day. Building a pond, or even placing a small plastic wading pool in sleeping quarters can be effective as well.
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Provide an appropriate style of fencing for your llama corral or pen which will prevent the animal from escaping, and protect it from potential predators such as dogs and coyotes. Generally a llama can leap over four feet high if provoked or frightened. For more fencing guidelines, check out the South Central Llama Association website (see Resources below).
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Tips & Warnings
Remember that llamas are very social animals and they do not thrive by themselves. Consider buying at least two llamas in the beginning.
