Llamas and Alpacas? - Page 2

oldsarge · 12-09-2011, 12:30 PM

Go to the music thread, there is a great song about Llamas there!

wvbreamfisherman · 12-09-2011, 01:37 PM

Well, in my (very limited) experience, it's not tough for anything to be smarter than a horse...

ppine · 12-10-2011, 12:39 PM

I have been trying the last few days to find some donkeys to rent for a hiking trip. I don't really ride any more due to accidents. It is easy to find donkeys in Europe, Austraulia, S Amer, and even Africa to rent. In the US they have fallen out of favor, maybe because of the way they are incorrectly portrayed in movies.

I have found some llamas for rent. Does anyone have overnight experience with them? They always seem to be easy if they are broke to being handled by humans.

catspa · 12-10-2011, 01:24 PM

The llamas I've handled have been really spooky, that's why I got alpacas instead. But I hear they bond with you if you spend enough time with them.

Parker

Grandpa · 12-10-2011, 02:07 PM

sorry Ppine. My only interaction was in the Winds a few years ago. A family of 4 had rented two Llamas for a week pack trip. Our group and there's was on the same route so we ran into them often. These were rented llamas but the people said they were just fine. Just don't try to separate them.
Also, a co-worker had llamas for packing. He said they were very spooky around bears. But others have said they are protective around them. I know a lot of sheep herds are running a llama or two with the sheep and the llama's are very protective and stand guard against predators.

ponderosa · 12-10-2011, 03:22 PM

There's a guy around here who rents pack goats for a reasonable price. I'm trying to talk hubby into giving it a try next year. We don't need a lot of help, probably just 2 goats to handle most of the ultralight backpacking gear so we can carry our little girls. I've seen pack goats in the mountains a couple of times, and they seem pretty easy to manage.

Judy Ann · 12-10-2011, 03:32 PM

If I'm paying to ride a horse, don't bring me a mule. Just saying.

Grandpa · 12-10-2011, 03:49 PM

Ran into a couple of guys in the Sawtooths with goats. They said they couldn't make it over Snowyside, so they were resting a day. But I don't think he meant the goats couldn't make it.

Son in Law has the goats and has the packs made for them but he hasn't worked them much yet. He got a horse this summer as well and hasn't done much with it either except around the yard. I think I may just take up horse packing again.

catspa · 12-10-2011, 03:57 PM

JudyAnn, I'm authorized to offer you a 10% rebate if you'll agree to ride this goat...

Parker

Judy Ann · 12-10-2011, 04:50 PM

Parker, I'd rather make goat cheese for my salads and set them loose in the yard for the entertainment and trimming! Now if you were to adopt a couple of burros and clip those alpacas and teach me to dye and spin we might could discuss you not getting charged for the entertainment! LOL! ;-)