How to Breed Llamas

Llamas can be bred as pack animals, companion animals or as breeding and show stock for their conformation and fleece. The traits you breed for depends on what type of llama farm you have. It's always a good idea to own llamas before making the decision to breed them; you can't always learn from a book what you'll get from the experience of caring for them day to day.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Know what makes a superior llama superior and an inferior llama inferior. Know what the market is currently looking for in the animals and be able to distinguish that from the breed standard.
2. Choose quality breeding stock. Select for temperament, intelligence, fleece, conformation, willingness to please, athleticism and mothering skills.
3. Decide whether to keep one or more intact males on your farm. You may need to separate them from youngsters and heavily pregnant females.
4. Decide whether you will hand-breed, pen-breed or pasture-breed. This decision will depend on how much time you're willing to commit to the actual breeding, how important accurate record-keeping is to you and the availability of your male.
5. Trim the hair on the male's belly and flanks, wrap the top of the female's tail and clean the vulva and perineal area with soap and water to prevent infections before allowing the animals to mate.
6. Check the females that have been bred by teasing, progesterone assay or ultrasound to make sure that they're pregnant. Re-breed if they aren't.

Tips & Warnings

• Let other females and young llamas watch matings.