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Llamas as Guards

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Llamas as Guardians.

Let me preface this page with a disclaimer that I have never placed any of my animals into guardian homes. The information contained here is based on things I have read, my own observations and other people’s experiences. Other breeders may have different experiences and beliefs.

I have heard from many different sources that alpacas and llamas can make good guardians, there are lots of lovely stories where they have saved the lives of lambs and kids. Our chickens free range and so long as they stay in the paddocks where the llamas are they are safe from foxes, if they wander off the property then they may not make it home again. (We have quite a big problem with foxes in our district) The llamas are by no means bonded with our chickens and don’t guard them it is just their zero tolerance to foxes has an advantageous side benefit.

I have also heard stories where alpacas or llamas have not done a great job and farmers have been disappointed. I believe  that some animals are naturally better in a protective role than others. Some people think one llama per paddock works best whereas others think they work better in pairs. I prefer the concept of two llamas per paddock, as they do seem to thrive better when they have company of their own kind. Other factors that influence the number of alpacas or llama needed per paddock  are the size and topography of the paddock and the number of animals that need protecting. What most people tend to agree is that it is not advisable to run single animals in neighbouring paddocks as they will spend their time hanging around the fence with each other rather than doing their job.

From my experience females often make better guards then males. Certainly here Clover is the most protective llama with Chilli our stud male being the one least likely to chase off an intruder. Normally females are more expensive than non-breeding males which is why boys are often employed as guardians. As there have been instances of intact males trying to breed their charges (sheep, goats etc) most people prefer to run wethers with their stock. I have also read that older males are often better guardians, although you can pair them with a younger male and they will teach them the ropes.

I have had several calls from people enquiring about using llamas as a defence against wild dogs. My feelings on this are that a couple of llamas may be able to run off a timid single dog who is likely to retreat and find an easier meal elsewhere but they are no match for a large aggressive dog or two or more dogs of any breed. There are countless accounts of dogs (often pet ones) killing alpacas and llamas. I do not recommend llamas to people with a problem with roaming wild or domestic dog packs.

One last thing, llamas will often get used to your own pet dog(s) but after having my poor guide dog stomped by a protective mum I always make sure they are separated. Our dogs have a securely fenced area that keeps them contained which is the safest and most responsible thing a rural dog owner can do. I also discourage any farm visitors from bringing their pet dogs as it stresses my dogs, our other animals and if their dog got into the llama paddock I would hate there to be a tragic outcome. 

If anyone has stories or experiences good or bad about using llamas as guardians or have any more questions about llamas and dogs I’d love to hear from you, email me here.