Llama Buyers Guide
You want llamas. We get it, llamas are awesome. But where do you start? It’s not as easy as one might think to buy a llama! There are so many factors at play- llama breed, color, size… how much money you have for the purchase. What about the llama legal ramifications in your state? This article will walk through all of these considerations and more to answer any question you may have on how to buy a llama!
Locate Reputable Seller
It is very important to first ensure you are purchasing your llama from a reputable seller. A good place to start is by asking around for llamas that have been bred on farms, as they will be more likely to provide a healthy llama due to the regulations of their farm and how frequently llamas must get veterinary care. Alternatively, there may also exist llama breeders’ associations in your locality that can help you find llamas for sale.
You should also perform internet searches to see if there are any llama breeders or llama farms near you! You never know- perhaps they may be running an ad campaign right now and have some llamas up for grabs. Especially, check out Craigslist as many llama breeders place llamas for sale ads on there.
1) International LLama Registry
3) American Miniature Llama Association
These Associations will help you find llamas for sale.
Where to Buy a Llama: Quick Facts!
– There are three llama breeds recognized by the International Llama Registry. These include Huacaya llamas, Suri llamas, and Puno llamas (the latter two of which cannot be shown in competitions).
– The price of a llama is determined by llama breed and age.
– llamas can range in weight from 75-300 pounds depending on their size and sex!
How to Buy a Llama: A Comprehensive Guide You want llamas. We get it, llamas are awesome. But where do you start? It’s not as easy as one might think to buy a llama! There are so many factors at play- llama breed, color, size… how much money you have for the purchase. What about the llama legal ramifications in your state? This article will walk through all of these considerations and more to answer any question you may have on how to buy a llama!
Home Needed Checklist
You will need the Basics at your farm before you receive your Llama
1) Shelter
2) Bedding
3) Feed
4) Water Containers
5) Halters and Leads
6) Toenail Trimmers
7) Shearing tools
8) First Aid Kit
9) Phone Numbers and Contact of your Nearby Veterinarians
These Basic llama care necessities will be needed before your llama arrives.
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Local and Regional Breeders
Gather your list of llama breeders in your area and llamas for sale ads that you find on Craigslist.
If You choose a local Breederyou will be able to visit llamas and llama breeders, see llamas in person before you buy.
You can also ask questions about llama care. You can see the conditions and environment llamas llama farm is in.
You can also see how llamas are treated and if the llamas appear happy and healthy as well as learn about llama care from a breeder.
If you choose to buy locally, it’s important that you visit the llama farms before buying so you know what conditions your new pet has been living in.
You will want to visit llamas, llama breeders, and llama farms at different times of the day to see how they are being cared for throughout the day.
If You choose a Breeder that you cannot visit, llama breeders or llamas for sale ads on Craigslist, you will have to choose a llama breeder based upon their reputation.
You can ask other llama owners about reputable llama breeders in your area and if they’ve had positive experiences with the breeder!
A good place to start is by asking around for llamas that have been bred on farms, as they will be more likely to provide a healthy llama due to the regulations of their farm and how frequently llamas must get veterinary care.
Alternatively, there may also exist llama breeders’ associations in your locality that can help you find llamas for sale.
You can ask for Videos, Pictures, and references from other customers that have purchased from them before.
You can also ask for the number of the Veterinarian that they Use and contact Them.
Buying Llama Online
Some important things to check if you are going to buy a llama online are llama breeders’ associations, llamas for sale ads on Craigslist, or llamas for sale online.
Some llama breeders have their own websites where they list llamas for sale. This is a great place to get information about llamas and contact the seller directly if you are interested in buying.
You will want to ask for references, videos, and pictures of the llamas they are selling before making any purchase decisions!
If You cannot Visit before you buy do as much Due Diligence as you can,
1) Price
2) Condition
3) Age
4) Pedigree – Sire and Dam
If llamas are at the same price, you will want to choose a llama that is younger as they have many more years of breeding left.
You also might want to consider pedigrees before buying. The pedigree can be found on Registration Papers for Llama or Pack llamas. It gives information about Parents and grandparents,
Pedigrees can be checked to find llamas with certain traits if you are looking for a specific purpose. For example, Llamas who have been trained as Pack llamas might be more easily handled than llamas that haven’t had this training!
How Much Does a Llama Cost?
The pricing on Llamas varies greatly depending on the type of llama you are looking to purchase.
There is also a variety of llama breeders in the United States and Canada, so it’s important you do your research on where to buy llamas before making any decisions or commitments.
Most llamas for sale range between $1500-$15,000 each, however, there can be some variance depending on factors such as:
– llama type (stud llamas, herders, pack llamas etc.)
– sex of llama
– age and breeding history of llama
– location where the llama is located (city or rural)
This last factor can be particularly important because depending on whether you live in a rural or urban area, llama prices can vary greatly.
The cost of llamas also varies widely from farm to farm and llama breeder to llama breeder as well.
For this reason, it is important that you do your research on where to buy a llama before committing yourself financially or otherwise with a llama farmer/ llama breeder.
In this llama for sale guide, I’ll provide you with a comprehensive list of where to buy llamas and llama facts that will help you make an informed decision on how much is a llama worth before making any commitments or purchases with potential llama breeders/ farms.
I hope the information provided in this llama buying guide is helpful to you and provides the information necessary for making an informed decision on how much does a llama cost.
From The 2020 Llama Market Report
- The average for female llamas selling at auction in 2020 was $3,142
- The average for male llamas selling at auction in 2020 was $1,611
- The average for females under 2 years of age was $3,711
- The average for females between 2 and 10 years of age was $2,772
- The average for females over 10 years of age was $2,157
- The average for males under 2 years of age was $1,853
- The average for males between 2 and 10 years of age was $1,150
- One male over 10 years was offered, selling for $1,000
Prices can vary on whether you are buying a
1) Llama for Breeding
2) Show and Pedigree
3) Guard Animals
4) Building your own Pedigree Line
The Highest Llama Price I Found was $20,000
Here is a Great Resource to Begin your Pricing Research
Open Herd Farms – Over 400+ Llama Farms Included
Buying at Farm Auctions
A lot of Animals are sold at livestock auctions, llamas are one animal that can be found at these auctions.
Livestock Auctions are a great place to find llama breeders who have too many llamas or llamas for sale, as well as llamas themselves!
If you go to an auction where there is only llamas being sold, this would also be a great place to find llamas for sale.
Livestock Auctions are usually only open during the week, so you will have to plan around your availability.
You might want to ask other llama owners where the nearest livestock auction is if there isn’t one in your area!
At these auctions, llama breeders are putting llamas up for sale.
You will want to be sure that the llama you plan on buying is healthy and has been treated well before bidding! This can come down to the seller’s reputation as they do not have any way of proving what condition llamas were in, so it will be important to look over them yourself.
Arriving Early at the Auction will allow you to visually check the llama before anyone else does.
This will allow you to see llamas that are in the best condition and llamas with any issues early on so they do not go unnoticed!
You might also want to consider bringing a veterinarian along for this, as it would be another set of eyes looking over llama before bidding begins. This can prevent any llamas with health problems from being bought.
Livestock Auctions can be a great Place But be aware Prices can vary depending on who is bidding.
Check Registration Papers
Checking the Llamas registration papers is very important because it will give you llama breeders’ contact information and llamas history.
Before buying a llama for sale, check the registration papers to make sure that it is actually a llama!
You want to avoid purchasing any animal other than llamas such as alpacas or camels at auctions because this would be a very costly mistake!
You will want to make sure that the llamas you are buying come from a llama breeder and not another type of animal breeder.
Before you give your check make sure everything is documented with the proper paperwork After the transaction it may be difficult to get the needed cooperation.
Transporting Your Llama
Once you buy your llama you need to arrange transportation to your llama llamas for sale.
There are many options when it comes to transporting llamas, so you will have a lot of choices!
If you live near farmland where llamas can be kept with other animals on the farm, this might not be necessary as there are llamas that already know how to get along with other llamas.
However, if llama has never been around llamas before or you are transporting them to a new location where they will be the only llama for sale it would probably be best to hire someone who is experienced in llama transportation! Llamas can get very stressed out when being transported and this stress could cause llamas to get sick or even die!
It is important llama breeders are used in llamas transportation so that llamas will not be injured during the journey. Llamas can also become very nervous when they are being transported, so it is best llamas have someone who knows how to handle them on their way back home with llama llamas for sale.
Llamas are very large animals so llama llamas for sale are important to make sure there is someone who knows how to handle them!
It might be helpful to have the person transporting llama llamas for sale bring some of their own supplies such as food, water buckets, and fences which will make llamas more comfortable during transportation.
You will also want to make sure llama breeder has enough room for llamas so that they can move around and stretch their legs before continuing the journey! It is best to have transport llama llamas for sale from a place where there are no other animals since this could cause problems between them if llamas llama llamas for sale is not used to llamas.
There are in a truck or van where there is plenty of room and the temperature will remain constant throughout the journey!
Your Own Options
You can use your own transportation
1) SUV ( The Llama or Alpaca can kneel in the Kush Position for short trips.)
2) Truck
3) Livestock Trailer
Just take the needed supplies if it is an extended trip, for care and exercise.
Livestock Transporters
There are several advantages to using experienced livestock llama llamas for sale, including:
– They know how to handle llamas that have been purchased.
– llama breeder will have their own llama supplies such as transport llama llamas for sale and food that is familiar to your specific animal.
They have experience in hauling livestock and have the necessary and quality equipment to make the transportation moves safely.
The only disadvantage of hiring a livestock transporter is the cost! It is best to obtain estimates from several llama llamas for sale in your area so that you can get the best price.
Questions to ask are:
1) Type of Hauling Equipment
2) Contingency Plans in case of Breakdowns
3) If Hauling other animals, partitioning used
4) Types of other livestock – you need to know because of common diseases and parasites that might be present
5) Provide Feed, Water
6) How do you deal with sick animals in Route
7) Do you contact owners if any problems arise?
Quarantine your Llama
Once you receive your llama you will want to put your llama in quarantine.
Your llama needs time to adjust before being introduced to the rest of the llamas on your farm or in a zoo! Llamas can be very territorial when it comes to their space so this is important so they stay healthy throughout their llama llamas for sale.
Give your llama llamas for sale a few weeks to settle into their new home and meet the llamas before introducing them!
It is also important that you quarantine if they are pregnant because this could cause stress and health problems in themselves or even with the baby once it has been born.
Make sure your llamas have all their vaccinations before you introduce them to other llamas to avoid any health problems. Once they are healthy and at least one month old, then it is time to let the new llama meet others!
It’s important that you separate them if necessary until you know they are healthy. Llamas can have many health problems so it is important that you as a llama breeder know how to take care of any issues your llama may have!
When you move your new llama from one place to another, be sure that there is a fence between the new and old areas so that no fighting occurs. Once all of this has been done then llamas will mingle across the fences.
It’s best to keep your llamas in a herd or group of other llamas because they will become more relaxed around them. There are many benefits to the “herding instinct”
Locating a Local Veterinarian
Make sure your Vet is experienced with Large Animals and has had experience with Llamas.
There are several organizations that can help you locate a llama vet in your area:
American Llama Association (ALA) – Find an ALA member Vet by State or zip code.
Llama Health Organization (LHO) – Locate a llama Veterinarian by State or zip code.
It is very important to keep Numbers close so you can call your vet if you encounter Health Issues beyond your experience. You also need to Keep the Breeder’s numbers close to call them if you need to.
Taking Your Llama to the Vet
Once you receive your Llama it is best to schedule a Vets visit to go over your new Guest. He can easily give the Llama a Physical examination, check vaccination records, and discuss llama health.
Llamas should have a yearly physical by their Veterinarian to check the overall well-being of their new llama guest and make sure vaccinations are up to date.
Giving the Vet Copies of all the llama’s health records that you got from the sale, will help them create a file and history on Your New Llama
in summary: Buying a Llama should be done with a lot of preparation and research. You will want to have a llama veterinarian lined up, quarantine llamas in your area so they can adjust before being introduced to the rest of the llamas on your farm or in a zoo, and know how to take care of any health problems that may arise with llamas from vaccinations to pregnancies.
