Luci Lu
This girl is a keeper for us. Her dam, Lucy, is a multi-time champion of incredible beauty. When I first saw Luci Lui, at one hour old, she was standing by her mother and looked like she could take Champion in the show ring before she had even dried off! Luci Lui is turning heads in the show ring with several high placings and many ALSA points. She took 3rd at the Millenium Magic Futurity show!
Female llamas are induced ovulators, meaning that release of a mature ovum for fertilization is induced by copulation. They do not have an estrus, or heat, cycle. Llamas can be breed any time of year, although breeders prefer to avoid births occurring during the extreme heat and humidity of summer, or during the severe winter months.When the male llama approaches an open female, she may initially resist his advances, but then she will lie down in a kushed position for him to mount her.Actually breeding can last from 5 minutes to over an hour, with 20 minutes about typical. The male will release semen slowly during the course of the breeding. Approximately 7 days after successful impregnation, the female will resist the advances of the male, often to the point of “spitting-off.” Occasionally open females will spit-off a male, and pregnant females may lie down and allow the male to mate. Due to this variability, behavior is not always a conclusive indicator of pregnancy. Breeders can take advantage of progesterone level testing and ultrasounds to reliably determine pregnancy or the source of breeding problems.
Llamas do well on grass pasture, although a fescue grass may contain an endophyte that can contribute to abortions and should be avoided if possible. Good quality grass hay can supplement pasture, and be used for the bulk of winter feeding. The hay should be ideally 10% to 12% protein of maintenance of adult llamas. Alfalfa in large quantities should be avoided; it generally has too high a protein content, can contribute to obesity, cause urine scald, and can upset the calcium/phosphorous balance in the blood.Most breeders provide a llama supplement, or llama chow, containing vitamins and minerals. This is usually given at the rate of about one pound per day per llama. Several commercial mixtures are available, and can usually be obtained from your local feed mill.
Loose salt is also provided free choice. Commercial mixes and salt blocks designed for other livestock are not formulated for llamas; they may contain minerals and contaminants not appropriate and even harmful to llamas. For example, your locale may be deficient in selenium. However, too much selenium is also harmful. Consult with your veterinarian on a source of salt designed for llamas in your area.
