My favorite llama Lancaster

Everybody already knows that llamas are beautiful and graceful animals. They have a personality that is far beyond any other domesticated large animal I have ever seen. It is almost like they can understand what you are saying to them. I have told my llamas my problems many times. Whenever I feel like I need to talk to somebody I will go out to the barn and converse with my llamas. I entered into the llama business March of 1989. I trained many llamas and had some very hair raising experiences while trying to learn how to train them. Once I figured out that you had to work with each individual animal's personality things started working better for me.

My first llama was my best llama and the best trained. Isn't that usually the way it always works? His name was Lancaster and he was all white with a black tail. Lancaster was a very proud animal and loved people. If someone would give him some attention he would come bounding across the field at a rapid pace. He would eat almost anything a person gave him even part of a sandwich. The only thing that he really did not like and that was peanut butter. Lancaster was a great show animal and loved every minute of it. He was trained to pull carts and worked well with other animals. He would pull a cart in a team side by side or one in front of the other.

I had entered him in many shows and he would always come home with a ribbon or two. In an obstacle course I could actually ground drive him through the course, letting him make all the decisions. All I had to do was head him in the right direction.

I still have this great llama but has become lame in both back legs. he was gelded at less then six months of age because he was a bottle fed llama. A few years ago the llama breeders were afraid of getting a berserk animal. When ever you bottle feed a male llama he does have to be gelded but not until he is about 18 months old or until he starts acting like a stud llama. The reason he went lame is because he was gelded far to young, and his growth plates had not closed. If a llama is gelded this young it seems to have an adverse affect on the way he grows. It may cause some llamas to grow very tall or may cause bone deformity. With Lancaster it caused bone deformity and the patella (kneecap) located in the stifle joints of both back legs to dislodged.

I had surgery performed on him but there was nothing that could be done. He is now just a pet that has his own pasture. I do not even allow other animals in the same field with him. At times he will dislodge a patella and I will have to put it back in place for him. I know it hurts him but he will stand there until I get it fixed.

This is a photo of Lancaster in the lead and Kodiak Kid in the rear. Kodiak always had a problem with leading, but he always worked well with Lancaster. On this day we were waiting in line at the Pear Blossom parade in Medford Oregon. This was the first time I had ever driven this team in single file. They had pulled a cart together many times, however never positioned this way. They both did very well with no problems the entire parade.

I have also wrote a book named Llamas: Their Personalities and Expressions. The book  sells for $10.50 If you would like to purchase a copy, email me at bill@billswebb.com  

Written by Bill Cushman