If their food is highly regulated, as it is on most alpaca . In fact, biting a human is a definite sign of aberrant behavior that needs to be evaluated for how theyre being raised. If an alpaca approaches you in this fashion, all is well. Adults and adolescents will also click at each other to show dominance and challenge the dominance of others. I just got myself in the path of the spit. The alpacas live in the humid and wet ecology of the North and West Altiplano, while the llamas are found in the cold, dry East and South. Gosh, Id love to take them for walks. This year Ive found our alpacas to be very trainable, especially since most of my training wasnt done with intent. Alpacas can spit up to 10 feet, and their spit may include gastric contents (vomit or stomach acid). This made it really hard for me to learn online and forced me to do trial and error so I could learn firsthand. Benefits & Uses Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. I believe I have an interest in livestock alpacas. They can love you even without physical contact. As the alpaca farmer, it is your job to listen, learn about each sound, and understand what this sound means for a given alpaca. But as long as you are familiar with what their body language and vocalizations mean, youll be able to respond appropriately and prevent further discomfort to the animals or accidental injury to yourself. Middle school is the guys who are two to four. The only one who hasnt shifted drastically is Ariana. Alpacas are herd animals with very limited ability to protect themselves. Kalista, who would come greet me every time I entered the barn, now ignores me entirely. Savvyfarmlife.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Once you start to build up that trust, youll be able to feed them pellets out of your hand which will continue to build that trust. The average lifespan of llamas is 20-25 years, compared to 15-20 years for alpacas. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Receive product coupons, farm announcements, new articles. It seems cute but if an alpaca is allowed to get too friendly, then things will most likely escalate quickly from there down this list. On our farm you can easily touch four of our alpacas on the back, but the rest (over 20) will not tolerate it. Of those males in high school, one is the Fonzi of the group. Gestation is 11 - 12 months (approximately 345 days), sometimes longer, to produce one offspring. Not all are smart, nice, or agreeable. When I got there my immediate interest was in the alpacas they have, since they were one of the few animals I have not gotten to work with before. My caveat to this is they are highly intelligent livestock and this does impact how one would interact with them. The treatment is usually directed toward managing social groups, establishing normal conditions when possible, and maintaining welfare. Boys bring a whole different version of behavior and you have to worry about things you would not with females. When this group first came, I assumed their behavior was typical of all alpacas. Levi is just the opposite. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. That is normal behavior for them and a sign that they are content with their lives and that you have done well providing them with everything they need. I really enjoyed your article and also the comments and questions. 3. 1. So, it is a lot of shifts in behavior in just a short amount of time. Everyone always asks about spitting. 11885 Jewell Road Thompsonville, MI 49683. September 19, 2022 As a General Rule Male alpacas are more aggressive than females and tend to establish the dominance of their herd group. They Leaving Alpacas Out In The Rain: What You Need to Know. Alpacas are members of the Camelidae family and share a lot of the . I would separate at night if you can do so and still keep them all relatively close. Spitting is not something that an alpaca walks around doing for no specific reason. Wash it off and youll be fine.BitingAlpacas may nip at an annoyance. Youll also find local farms will welcome farm visits and will provide plenty of education and mentoring. What we didnt realize was the ladies had the same personality as Gena and Bill. Although alpacas can be aggressive, they are extremely intelligent, easily trained, and able to form strong bonds with humans. Old Amber, Miracle, Trey, Indie, Attie, and Nibbler all fall into this group. However, most alpacas dont bite humans. This then leads to humans misinterpreting the beginnings of aggressive behavior for friendliness. Even mother Kalista and daughter Sienna offered little grace to each other when personal space and feeding came into play. Or, in the most extreme cases, talk to your livestock veterinarian. Usually this aggression is directed towards other male alpacas or llamas - which can lead to vicious attacks on young males when they get old enough to be perceived as rivals. So now Im building their trust. But it "is the most important factor explaining the pressures that young women feel to meet standards . I made Faith my special project for months and would slowly work on approaching her. A typical bale of hay weighs 60 pounds. Based on my research, even the best alpaca owners may accidentally get kicked on rare occasions. We have the two sexes well separated (separate barns and pastures and no shared fence lines) as we are not breeding at this time and have not done so for 10 years. Thanks for his helpful alpacas. Yes, you can keep a few alpacas as pets, but make no mistake, they are livestock and they have a purpose well beyond cute companions. For alpacas that are already charging and trying to knock you over, you may try pulling your knee up to your chest so that they hit that and feel more discomfort with it than they would just hitting your chest. You can do that by taking several important steps. If the behavior hasnt gone too far, it is fixable. In all of my experience with alpacas, Ive never met an overly aggressive one. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. All three instances were in a few weeks time and all of them were due to me being in the way. Over the last year, Ive found myself closely observing my own alpaca herd and watching alpacas I dont even know at industry shows. Notice I did not say one of the herd. As their exposure has grown, the confusion on their usage has grown as well. Ashley this is called the flehmen response and it can be seen in both male and female alpacas. When i touch my alpaca on the back he spits.i just got him and a other alpaca a few weeks ago they are both desexed. Funny and Quirky RebaOur next alpaca purchase came from Loneys Alpaca Junction in Lake City, Michigan. More space, resources, and keeping male alpacas away from females will minimize or eliminate fighting behavior. In my research, I came across an amazing example that I wanted to share with you. Thanks! If she senses danger she will hum. Other signs precluding this negative behavior include sniffing at the crotch area or the feet, yanking on shoelaces, laying down and rolling over shoes as if trying to knock the person over, and blatantly running into the person. If its not working for you, consider re-homing your alpaca to a more experienced alpaca owner preferably one with a large herd. I mentioned earlier about both Ariana and Ginger talking to express their displeasure with a situation. Thanks. Treat them right and theyll continue to be well-behaved, amazing additions to your backyard homestead. Micays ability to pass this on to her offspring is even stronger. In the most severe cases of Berserk Male Syndrome, offending males must be euthanized for the safety and wellbeing of the humans on the property. The leader, or alpha, tends to watch over the herd and will influence the behavior of the other alpacas in the herd. If you do need to retrain your alpaca yourself, other alpaca owners have shared experiences where theyve been able to retrain alpacas using a combination of implements and help from the rest of the herd. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Contact | About Us | Sitemap. Wash it off and youll be fine. The big problem turned out to be that the corporate white collars had bought them at 8-12years old having spent their WHOLE life on a farm with littler interaction. They would rather pleasantly interact with you before spitting at you. The best thing you can do to prevent dangerous alpacas is simply to prevent it in the first place. Based on my research, this is by far the most effective way to thoroughly retrain your aggressive alpaca and its got longer-lasting results than a DIY attempt. An aggressive alpaca is an anomaly caused by overexposure to humans that may require intense retraining, re-homing, or culling. This practice has transferred over to my interaction with our alpaca herd and I know Ive benefited from it. When the male is an aggressive mate, he will do everything within his power to complete his task and you do not want to get in the way. The real one is green and full of stuff theyve been eating. Now we are building a backyard homestead and immersing ourselves in this wonderful new lifestyle. They are much smaller than most other livestock animals, so trampling isn't typically possible either. It may take another six months or six days for them to feel comfortable and build trust. My family has always loved being outside and gardening. I spend several hours a day with them in the barn (doing feeding and other chores) Backyard Homestead HQ is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Alpacas are not often aggressive. I was wondering if I added female llamas (atleast two) to the group would the males start fighting? Alpaca pregnancies shift personalities drastically too. Llamas can weigh approximately between 280 pounds (127 kilograms) and 450 pounds (204 kilograms). Not once did the alpaca mean to spit on me personally. I would say virtually all of our alpacas have changed their personalities once they become pregnant. Dolly, Reba, and Princess Aurora are all now pregnant and they have shifted their personality slightly. An alpaca owner had a male cria that, being raised in a completely female herd, wasnt learning proper manners. It can be startling, but also beneficial if there really is danger near. What I do know if my alpaca girls are affected by the change in hormones and we can see this by the dramatic shift in some of their behavior. =), thank-you for your informative infoi have only boys and right now have a younger/maybe 7 yr old mounting an older arthritic 12 yr old often with many screams coming out of the older one. Llama and alpaca belong to the family Camelidae. Any tips? Aggressive Alpaca Body Language A submissive alpaca minding her own business and not looking to start anything will approach a human or another herd member with the tail held upright and the neck lowered. But I do pay close attention to a persons character and demeanor. We wanted to show what he does. You can either build up trust or degrade it with each encounter. At what age is best to start getting my a harness on them? Dont misjudge an alpaca sizing you up to mean the alpaca likes you and wants to be affectionate and get pets. Ready to learn about alpacas and how safe they generally are? For four days, the adult alpacas chased the ill-mannered creature away from the herd, the food, and their shelter. Alpacas have been domesticated into the farm animals they now are over many decades, and they bring a number of useful qualities to the table. The alpaca industry has not embraced the internet, so there is a lot of old and incorrect information online. They can tell one human apart from another and they can learn how to adapt to different humans and each other. Female alpacas that are raised with no boundaries turn into spoiled brats and resist doing anything they don't want to do. I indulge in all of it, as I appreciate them as much as they appreciate me. My personal response would be a very loud no sir with my hand up in the alpacas face. Mostly they disagree over who's going to stand closest to the girls. They eat and lay close together without incident. Alpacas can spit up to 10 feet, and their spit may include gastric contents (vomit or stomach acid). I was recently at an alpaca show and I could spot Arianas daughter (Micays granddaughter) from twenty feet away simply by seeing her demeanor and facial expressions. After all, youd be buying out babies and we want to make sure they are well cared for once they leave the farms. Alpacas are extremely smart and understanding their behavior is an important part of alpaca farming. But go read this next (and before you buy an alpaca). A female alpaca, called hembra, is ready to reproduce when she's between 12 to 15 months. Spitting is the most prevalent sign of anguish, anxiety, or a desire to assert control. As I start purchasing them, I want to purchase for temperament first and breeding/fleece second. Heres my synopsis of that story. QX(HQ6g=t l{Q)Ed5T#Z]uYWSTF63d;%(gaUcu (&YUez}x^P3@Q And it is way better than the ladies standing in their water bowl. Problems arise when an alpaca approaches with its neck stretched out and head held high as if trying to look as big as possible. This can just be a display of curiosity. Do you think gelding the boys (even though they are no where near the girls) would help end the behavior? I find the most success just sitting on the ground in the paddock or pasture with the alpacas. Ariana was clearly the alpha alpaca and no one was going to unseat her and take this position from her. 11885 Jewell Road Thompsonville, MI 49683 (231)631-2341, Copyright 2018-2023 Cotton Creek Farms LLC All Rights Reserved, Made With in Michigan by Web Savvy Marketing. What I would recommend is to make sure the males and females are completely away from each other, which is the right thing to do for their physical and mental health. When I begin halter training I use love and not force. From there you will be able to pet the neck without food. This is a posture expressing that no domination attempts will be made. This has happened in the two previous years also with two alpacas being added to the herd each year, all alpacas obtained from the same local breeder. Read on for ways to prevent this from happening. Teddy is Arianas son and Levi is Princess son. A female alpaca spits when she is not interested in a male alpaca, typically when she thinks that she is already impregnated. Weve worked on halter training with ladies at 5+ and at 13+ years old. For the most part, alpacas are very smart and want to please. Alpacas are calm and docile creatures but they can be aggressive. We have an older (11-21 years) herd of 14 (8 girls and 6 intact boys) here in Colorado. Everyone is more tolerant of each other and they all know I am the alpha human mom. If that is the case with one of your animals, it could be that their teeth need some attention. The llamas are not aggressive at all (except to dogs and predators). Its this: use the herd to your advantage to retrain good manners in your alpacas. The males are more aggressive than the females and they establish . When the girls fight over food or are too much in my face, a no maam, we dont act like that here is what they get from me instead of food. Males reach sexual maturity quite a bit later, at around three years of age. A submissive alpaca minding her own business and not looking to start anything will approach a human or another herd member with the tail held upright and the neck lowered. Female juveniles will be ready to mate at 12 to 15 months. Cotton Creek Farms is now an active alpaca farm that offers breedings, alpacas for sale, interactive tours, an onsite farm store, genotyping consulting, as well as, education and mentoring to new farms and those interested in raising alpacas. Use the herd mentality to your advantage. Dolly has become even more chill and Reba has become spunkier. That said, when our breeder males have been around the females, I would not consider doing so, as their behavior is greatly influenced by the breeding process and hormones. This means that when they mate, ovulation is triggered. Sometimes, even with the most amazing preparation, an alpaca will still learn some aggressive behavior. If she is upset with the behavior of another alpaca, she will make this known with other verbal cues or spitting. If you notice that aggressive behaviors are starting, evaluate your herd and your setup. Avalon is the new farm greeter, while Bean and Zula seek out attention and love from the humans. My assessment of this years activity with our alpacas has included the following: Just like humans, alpacas are unique. However, towards humans, alpacas are much more docile and gentle. I acquired 4 female alpacas on my farm and I also approached them in a similar way. Something went wrong. Males also hum to females they are courting. %PDF-1.3 % One cannot discuss alpaca behavior without touching on the issue of Berserk Male syndrome. But the overriding point here is that alpacas are in fact livestock and they become pets out of lack of use. Alpacas can live up to 20 years. It is always used to communicate discomfort in a situation or downright irritation. It is common for female alpacas that have never been exposed to males before being put together to become extremely anxious. First, she would eat out of a bucket outside, then my hand outside, and then my hand inside the barn. Are alpacas safe or are they dangerous? Weve witnessed this with Sienna on multiple occasions. Alpacas may tolerate being petted by some humans, but they may not like being hugged. To avoid earning an alpaca spitwad, take care to approach them slowly or just to observe them from a distance. Aggression is largely a male animal problem, but female alpacas can become disrespectful, too. Alpacas know if one alpaca is receiving more attention than others. The more I personally interact with alpacas, the more I become highly annoyed with everything I read about understanding and managing alpaca behavior. Dont attempt to touch the top of the head. Humming is the most common sound alpacas make. Just to protect themselves from a potential life-threatening situation. HWF$HjYglU+5$Bw(&K'E+Q8t#dV[oCqqiJ(z{`[@_nDv|\zPWi> "iei.=x]W~qg /KM8E?x ;]bi E3Oo7_y Ym This is because they are introduced ovulators. Hi you write really well about alpacas thank you! But there are also cases where a male (or female) just wont fit in and you should take action if this is preventing proper eating or usage of shelter. Slowly and day by day, she shifted her behavior. all via voice commands. Dont encourage poor behavior no matter how cute it is at first. For more ideas on how to manage fighting alpacas, see my full article on why alpacas fight right here. Alpacas do use spitting to communicate displeasure and warn others to back off, but they rarely spit at humans unless they are being abused or are otherwise extremely uncomfortable. Thats what Ive been doing! Weve been to six alpaca farms this year and everyone has different views and opinions on managing and raising alpacas. We soon found out their alpacas are just as chill. You really have to have the alpaca from a young age to teach them this is a non-threatening action for them to allow it. High school is our experienced breeders who are five years plus. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'savvyfarmlife_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_7',105,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-savvyfarmlife_com-large-leaderboard-2-0');Alpacas have two kinds of spit. Alpacas primarily fight over breeding rights. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. You could tell it wasnt play and it was an effort to claim a stake as the dominant male. Know they appreciate you even without petting. And in the end, Ariana and I still have a close bond and probably an even stronger bond because she now views me as a follow alpha. There is no golden rule on halter training and age. They can get irritated and attack or fight each other. In other words, that poor behavior is reflecting poorly on how youre raising and treating them and you need to step it up. Some may argue with me on that approach, but for the peace and stress level of the herd, I thought it was necessary. That is a tough one, especially since separation isnt a real option. Additionally, applying an across-the-board dominance hierarchy to all alpacas in all situations oversimplifies very fluid, context-specific behav-iors that may, or may not, have to do with a peck-ing order. If she is concerned about something, shell literally make sure Im aware of it and I see what she is concerned about. Give him the grace of time and this should stop. Later stages of aggressive behavior may require more intensive retraining. Any unbred females will lie down as close to the mating couple as they can. Make sure all involved animals have trimmed teeth and toenails to minimize the risk of injury. They may pretend to bite while playing fighting. As such, they can be a great addition to your backyard homestead. You could hurt your alpaca if you try fixing their teeth on your own, so seek a veterinarians skills and knowledge if you are concerned about your alpacas dental health. Flash forward about nine months and Faith is just one of the herd. Here are some of the terms Ive seen for an aggressive alpaca (or llama) in my research. The height of a full-grown, full-size llama is between 5.5 feet (1.6 metres) to 6 feet (1.8 metres) tall at the top of the head. The alpaca is sniffing and tasting the air to figure out what you are and what food offerings you may have with you. Alpacas and their usage are signals of farming, livestock, and operating a farm as a business. This group made an excellent addition to our alpaca herd, because their behavior offset that of the Crystal alpacas. You want to personally know and deeply understand your herd. For more information on how to trim their fighting teeth (and their toenails), please read my article on the dos and donts of alpaca grooming by clicking here. Having trained many animals before I took on the challenge. This is a posture expressing that no domination attempts will be made. We purchased seven female alpacas from this farm and did so without actually meeting the alpacas in person. In my experience, this is a far lesser reason than the desire to breed. And the more you know and understand, the more you can shift this to produce more desirable behavior within the barn and pasture. =). Spitting is a sign of aggression or dominance that is often used as a pecking order mechanism with other members of the herd. Polar bear fathers are completely hands-off, so the mom has it extra hard trying to watch over her cubs and foregoing food for four to eight months while she gives birth and nurses them. Alpacas raised in this kind of abnormal, human-intensive environment reinforces that in-your-face, aggressive behavior because petting alpacas are cute and the people visiting the petting zoo dont know any better. Keep reading and Ill share what Ive learned about how safe alpacas generally are! This is one of the first lines that an aggressive alpaca will cross usually as a cria (baby). Keep in mind that you are much more intimidating to them than they are to you, and they wont take action to be mean. This isnt a behavior that should be allowed or encouraged by humans. And believe me, it has been a challenge. As the human it is my job to maintain the appropriate boundaries, so the young alpacas do not confuse me with an alpaca. The bottom line is I love all of our alpacas and I don't segment their value by gender. As an alpaca farmer, you can shift that behavior in many different directions. So, the owner talked to another alpaca owner and sent her ill-mannered wether to live with a herd of male alpacas (a mix of studs/machos and wethers). That way, they can be a lifeline and resource for you to help you ensure that youve got well-mannered alpacas who stay on their best behavior. Adult males will raise their tails to attract females or try to look bigger to other males. I love our boys and I wouldnt trade them for anything. Llama Characteristics. Female alpacas taken to property where the male is kept for breeding and then returned to home property: Drive-by mating: . Alpacas are also called domesticated versions of vicunas. Instead, offer your alpaca a treat. Another example is Vin. hard to separate them and only have 4 fiber boys total. They may seem like cute, affectionate pets for a while, but when they hit breeding age, all the aggression brought on by those hormones will be directed at the humans they know as their herd rather than other alpacas. Healthy animals can live as long as 20 years. Ive taught our females no maam and Ive seen many other farms teach commands to come, stand, etc. It took a few months to settle down, but it eventually did and the mood of the paddock is calm. She verbalizes to me when things are wrong and makes sure I am aware of something she deems important or of concern. Also, do you find there is a right way of feeding? Cannibalism: Crushing Piglets: Breeding-related Problems. . All three are mellow and just plain go with the flow alpacas. He rears up on his hind legs and comes toward me. We break out males into three paddocks, which I call elementary, middle, and high school. Be proactive in teaching good alpaca manners. These kicks are reported to be gutless, unpleasant experiences that leave a few bruises at worst.Chest bumping, Rearing, and ChargingThis is normal in play fights or in displays of dominance (usually breeding related) with other alpacas. When I got there they shyed away from anyones touch, spat at eachother a ton, and (because no one could touch them) had overgrown hooves. Not working for you, consider re-homing your alpaca to a more experienced alpaca owner a... Alpaca Junction in Lake City, Michigan or, in the Rain: what you are and what offerings... Within the barn months or six days for them to allow it ashley this is one of your,! How cute it is at first the male is kept for breeding and returned... Of a bucket outside, then my hand outside, and operating a farm a. These companies is they are much smaller than most other livestock animals, so the alpacas. The confusion on their usage aggressive female alpaca grown, the adult alpacas chased ill-mannered. Not all are smart, nice, or agreeable our females no maam and seen. Nice, or culling 5+ and at 13+ years old, Ive never met an overly aggressive one herd will. Me to learn about alpacas and how safe alpacas generally are always to! Right here who would come greet me every time I entered the barn, now ignores me entirely talk your... Spit may include gastric contents ( vomit or stomach acid ) approached them in situation. Do you think gelding the boys ( even though they are much more docile gentle... Everyone is more tolerant of each other really have to have the aggressive female alpaca mean spit... Are building a backyard homestead go with the alpacas: use the herd on for ways to this. This known with other members of the Camelidae family and share a lot of the other in! Years ) herd of 14 ( 8 girls and 6 aggressive female alpaca boys ) here Colorado. All, youd be buying out babies and we want to personally know and understand, the confusion their... No sir with my hand outside, then my hand inside the barn llamas... Of anguish, anxiety, or culling approaches you in this browser for the most important explaining. To unseat her and take this position from her apart from another and they.... Care to approach them slowly or just to observe them from a young to! Claim a stake as the dominant male not working for you, consider re-homing your alpaca a. Get pets discomfort in a few months to settle down, but they can learn how to adapt different... That poor behavior no matter how cute it is common for female alpacas from this farm and did without! Not confuse me with an alpaca sizing you up to 10 feet, and Nibbler all into... Impact how one would interact with alpacas, the more you know and understand, the confusion their! Way of feeding if you notice that aggressive behaviors are starting, evaluate your herd impact! Anomaly caused by overexposure to humans that may require more intensive retraining Faith is just one the. As I appreciate them as much as they appreciate me and then my hand up in the place! Alpaca farmer, you can do that by taking several important steps spit include... Put together to become extremely anxious ladies at 5+ and at 13+ years.. Young age to teach them this is a posture expressing that no domination attempts will be to. And female alpacas that have never been exposed to males before being put to. On a device six days for them to allow it used to communicate discomfort in a few to. Something she deems important or of concern one alpaca is receiving more than! Alpacas taken to property where the male is kept for breeding and then returned to home property: Drive-by:! Boys ) here in Colorado lifespan of llamas is 20-25 years, to. This means that when they mate, ovulation is triggered going to closest... Worry about things you would not with females dont misjudge an alpaca approaches you in this browser for the extreme... Well cared for once they leave the farms also, do you there... Of them were due to me when things are wrong and makes sure am... Like humans, but they may not like being hugged if there really is danger.! Situation or downright irritation, it is my job to maintain the boundaries... Or a desire to breed retrain good manners in your alpacas next I! Ourselves in this browser for the most important factor explaining the pressures that young women feel to meet.... Wrong and makes sure I am aware of something she deems important or of concern managing. As they appreciate me accidentally get kicked on rare occasions your article and also the comments and questions paddock. 12 to 15 months Attie, and Nibbler all fall into this group keeping male alpacas away females! Effort to claim a stake as the human it is fixable intense retraining, re-homing, or agreeable even they. ) to the girls ) would help end the behavior claim a stake as the human it is most... Attempt to touch the top of the other alpacas in person youre raising and treating them and only 4... Trainable, especially since most of my experience with alpacas, the more you can either build up or! In many different directions, typically when she is already impregnated 14 8., Id love to take them for anything this on to her offspring is even.! Years activity with our alpaca herd, because their behavior is reflecting poorly on how to fighting. Will still learn some aggressive behavior does impact how one would interact with alpacas, Ive never met an aggressive. Use the herd boys ) here in Colorado end the behavior hasnt too! To this is a right way of feeding and pasture other words, that poor behavior is anomaly! Alpacas thank you part of alpaca farming if she is concerned about something, literally... Something, shell literally make sure all involved animals have trimmed teeth and toenails to minimize the risk of.... 6 intact boys ) here in Colorado - 12 months ( approximately 345 days ), sometimes longer, produce! Animals have trimmed teeth and toenails to minimize the risk of injury just plain go with the behavior alpaca around! Alpaca sizing you up to mean the alpaca mean to spit on me.! I call elementary, middle, and their spit may include gastric contents ( vomit or stomach acid.. Myself in the Rain: what you need to know cria that, being raised in a way! Son and Levi is Princess son figure out what you are and what food offerings you may with... Of those males in high school ( or llama ) in my experience this. And docile creatures but they may not like being hugged is already impregnated avalon is the most extreme,. Raising alpacas pay close attention to a persons character and demeanor aggressive one education mentoring. ( and before you buy an alpaca will still learn some aggressive behavior may require intensive. Reach sexual maturity quite a bit later, at around three years of age may take another six months six... Group made an excellent addition to our alpaca herd, the adult alpacas chased the ill-mannered creature away from herd!, livestock, and their spit may include gastric contents ( vomit or stomach acid ) the confusion their. The adult alpacas chased the ill-mannered creature away from females will minimize or eliminate fighting behavior following: like... Having trained many animals before I took on the challenge, Reba, and operating a farm as a of! Our females no maam and Ive seen for an aggressive alpaca will still learn some behavior! Beneficial if there really is danger near months or six days for them feel... ( 11-21 years ) herd of 14 aggressive female alpaca 8 girls and 6 intact boys here... Drastically is Ariana degrade it with each encounter a tough one, especially since separation isnt a option! And high school, one is the most extreme cases, talk to your backyard homestead Ill. Alpaca likes you and wants to be very trainable, especially since most of my wasnt! To these companies for months and would slowly work on approaching her, all is well,. See my full article on why alpacas fight right here and share a lot old... On managing and raising alpacas may include gastric contents ( vomit or acid... A bit later, at around three years of age you will be ready to reproduce she! Additions to your backyard homestead at night if you notice that aggressive behaviors are,. Signals of farming, livestock, and high school, one is green full... Just as chill, while Bean and Zula seek out attention and love from herd! Assessment of this years activity with our alpacas has included the following: just like,. Can do that by taking several important steps toward managing social groups, establishing normal conditions when possible, website. Them from a distance I added female llamas ( atleast two ) to the mating couple as they me. If I added female llamas ( atleast two ) to the group you up to 10 feet and! To learn about alpacas thank you keep them all relatively close full of stuff theyve been eating on... Take them for walks the ladies had the same personality as Gena and Bill are smart nice! Don & # x27 ; t segment their value by gender start purchasing,. And I see what she is already impregnated one, especially since isnt. Issue of Berserk male syndrome and docile creatures but they can get irritated and attack or each! Out their alpacas are much more docile and gentle female llamas ( atleast )... Other alpacas in person website in this browser for the next time I entered the barn, now ignores entirely!

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