Check the Progress of Lauren
Lauren is a sweet female gelding llama my family recently rescued. He was kept in awful filthy conditions and not given proper care. It will take months if not longer to repair the damage done, this lens is meant to chronicle that process.
Be a responsible pet owner!
Take this lens as a lesson. It's easy to get in over your head with animals, you need to plan and educate yourself before adopting any animal. This goes double for rescues.
While Lauren is our first llama we have years of experience with livestock and we've rescued animals before so we are prepared for the work involved. If you aren't absolutely sure you can properly care for and handle an animal contact a rescue society that can.
What Lauren Needs
List of goals for Lauren
- Gain trust. Mostly complete, still a little head shy.
- Proper grooming. Mostly done, still needs a bath.
- Shearing. Done
- Trimming hooves and teeth. Done
- Vet checkup including deworming and vaccinations. Complete, a little underweight but otherwise a clean bill of health.
- Evaluate training. Complete. Only training appears to be simple halter training.
- Training.
Never take anything for granted!
We were told Lauren was a female llama. Turned out that instead he's a gelded (neutered) male llama.
Introducing Lauren
Week 1 - Starting April 11
Friday April 11, 2008Lauren arrived at 11:30am. Her wool is filthy, her teeth and hooves are far too long and need serious attention. She's nervous but seems friendly, whether she trusts me or not will take time to tell.
Saturday April 12, 2008
Dad talked with the vet and set up a farm visit for Tuesday. Lauren will get a physical, shots, and hooves trimmed. He also stopped by a local Alpaca farm and talked ot the owner. She told him what type of de-wormer she needs and how to trim her teeth.
The barn stall is now complete so she is the barn and out of the livestock trailer (now we can give it back to my uncle). Trimming her teeth was a partial success, understandably it scared her and so we were only able to cut them back a little bit, we'll get them the rest of the way Tuesday with the vet's help. It's already helped her though, her lip isn't pushed up to the point where it's blocking off her left nostril anymore and she seems to be able to eat better.
Sunday April 13, 2008
Took a trip early this morning to the farm supply store, got Lauren proper llama feed, mineral supplement, a feed dish, and tried to get her a new halter but the one we picked out was too small. Guess she needs the next size up. I also got a book on llama care and training which should be a help.
Stopped in on the way home to a small farm with 3 llamas (and a whole lot of dwarf goats) to talk with them. Learned some new things, like that Lauren will need a specific injectable dewormer every 2 months to protect against a worm carried by white tailed deer that can be fatal to llamas. I really don't look forward to learning how to give her injections.
Monday April 14, 2008
Worked with Lauren trying to get to to accept her coat being clipped.
Tuesday April 15, 2008
The vet came to check out the animals today and we got a surprise. Lauren is not female! Lauren is a neutered male llama. We were told he was female and with his woll the way it is we couldn't see (but of course the vet has to check that area).
Lauren now has all his shots but his teeth and hooves will have to wait until the pasture is dry because there wasn't room enough in the barn to work on him sedated.
First Photo of Lauren - What we have to work with.
Further Lauren News
11:30 am: Llama breeder is visiting today, Lauren may have been born at her farm. I really hope he was, we'll be able to know more about his age and his parents health background.
6:30 pm So the breeder came over and Lauren is one of the llamas raised on her farm. Her name is Hilary and she was so helpful. Found out lots of info about him, first of all he's 13 years old, born October 5, 1994. His original name was Liszt after the composer Franz Liszt. She said she can't believe how affectionate and trusting he is after all the neglect he's gone through and that she thinks he's found a great home.
She also partially sheared him, I'll be getting photos in a few days when it's not rainy.
Photo of Lauren at 3 years old.
Lauren 2 1/2 Months On
Finally got the vets out here to trim him up. His teeth, hooves, and wool are all nicely trimmed. He's also put on a little weight. Here's what he looks like now!
Blog Posts about Lauren
- Sheryl's Scribblings: We Can't Say No
- My family loves animals, that's obvious to anyone who visits our house within a very short time. Monday of this week the menagie consisted of 2 dogs, 3 cats, 2 goats, 2 rabbits, 3 fish, a bantam hen, and a gecko. Notice that I said Monday because it's changed.
What is a Llama?
The llama is a South American camelid, widely used as a pack animal by the Incas and other natives of the Andes mountains. In South America llamas are still used as beasts of burden, as well as for the production of fiber and meat.The height of a full-grown, full-size llama is between 5.5 feet (1.6 meters) to 6 feet (1.8 m) tall at the top of the head. They can weigh between approximately 280 pounds (127 kilograms) and 450 pounds (204 kilograms). At birth, a baby llama (called a cria) can weigh between 20 pounds (9 kilograms) to 30 pounds (14 kilograms). Llamas are very social animals and like to live with other llamas as a herd. Overall, the fiber produced by a llama is very soft and is naturally lanolin free. Very intelligent, llamas learn simple tasks after a few repetitions. When using a pack, llamas can carry about 25% - 30% of their body weight for several miles.
Llama Links
- LlamaWeb: Llamas on the Internet!
- LlamaWeb contains information about llamas - llama farms, veterinary resources, llama related events, llama treks, supplies or fun items.
- Llamapaedia - Llama & Alpaca Resources + Info
- Comprehensive llama and alpaca research site. Offers anatomy, origin, behavior, reproduction, care, llama industry information, and other links.
- General pack llama information
- Advantages of llamas as pack animals
- LlamaSeeker.Com - Llama Information for
- Welcome to the wonderful world of llamas! If you are looking for information on llamas and how to begin raising llamas, we congratulate you for coming this far, and you have found the right site for information.
- LANA
- Llama Association of North America
- Llamacrossing - Home
- A community based resource that introduces you to llamas or lends support to current llama owners. With educational and training articles that cover a broad range of llama ownership there is something for everyone. The news, events, rescue and classified pages will keep you informed on what is happe
- Caring for Llamas
- Caring for Llamas
As this page is further developed, we will provide links to resources with more in-depth information, and we'll be posting our own articles on these topics. Though we refer here to llamas, all the information, except perhaps for shearing, is relevant to both alpacas and llamas.
Llama Books on Amazon
Learn about Llamas
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byLlamas on Flickr
Llamas in the mist at Dead Woman's pass, Inca Trail, Peru 4215m considered
Caro coqueteando con una llama beb'e en Machupicchu
Bucky, a one-year-old Labrador that belongs to some friends of ours, meets Cataz...
There's a veritable cottage industry of little girls in traditional dress asking...
Lu_'s kids kept singing the "
Or is it
We chose Trillium Gap for the hike down from the LeConte Lodge on Monday. The ro...
I think this is probably the most "classic" Machu Picchu pictu...
I finally know the difference between an alpaca and a llama. The alpaca has long...
A llama at the local zoo
Lloyd the llama rests near the Chasm Lake Junction on the Longs Peak Keyhole tra...
A bit blurry because it started coming towards me and after all the tintins I've...
Llama Letters
Leave your comments or questions here.
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ElizabethJeanAllen
My niece and her husband have a llama. He pulled the flower cart at their wedding. Posted July 21, 2008 |
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chloecavanaugh
What a beautiful person you are. And what an outstanding lens! Posted June 22, 2008 |
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dcgrrl
Thanks for joining our group! Posted May 15, 2008 |
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Evelyn_Saenz
Llamas are beautiful animals. Posted April 25, 2008 |
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mulberry
Very interesting lens. I saw some in a limbo contest once...very cute. They are certainly springing up all over farms in the past 10 years or so. With increased popularity I suppose there will be increased need for rescues. Posted April 22, 2008 |
Fun with Llamas
Llama Humor Links
- The Naked Dancing Llama Homepage
- The Naked Dancing Llama is a frolicking, tangoing, peanut spitting llama that is here to help you with your problems!
- The Great Llama Fan Site
- This site details the life and times of the very famous actor and politician The Great Llama.
- The Llama Song
- The Llama Song. Flash Movie Animation.
- Llama Eggs and Their History by Chelle
- A story about llama spirit eggs, unicorns and an evil curse.
Llama Toys
Fetching RSS feed... please stand bySesame Street Song - Me and my Llama
Classic Sesame Street - girl takes her llama to the dentist
Two questions: 1) Who in Manhattan owns a llama as a pet? 2) Shouldn't this girl be accompanied by a parent?
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