SASKATOON – After Linda Simington had 70 lambs eaten by coyotes last year, she was open to suggestions on how to keep it from happening again.
So when Saskatchewan Environment officials told her some sheep farms in the United States use llamas to guard their herds, she thought she’d give it a try.
So far, a llama named Corduroy has earned his keep. Since Corduroy arrived on the scene this spring, Simington hasn’t lost a single lamb to predators.
Corduroy works alongside two guard dogs, skirting the edge of the herd and moving into the middle of the flock when the dogs leave to be fed.
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In times of trouble, Corduroy lets out a loud shriek that “would scare anything,” laughed Simington.
Coyotes turn coward
“It made the hair stand up on the back of everybody’s necks,” she recalled of the first time she heard the shriek. Since coyotes are opportunistic hunters, the challenge is usually enough to get them to back off.
Saskatchewan Environment arranged to bring the llama to Simington’s sheep farm near Aneroid, Sask., through the summer.
At first Simington was worried Corduroy and her guard dogs wouldn’t get along. Canines and llamas are natural enemies. But while he doesn’t like being herded, Simington said Corduroy tolerates the dogs.
The llama’s success in protecting Simington’s sheep is good news for Sask-atchewan Environment. Last year, in the southwest of the province where Simington lives, the use of poisonous bait to control predators was banned so farmers were forced to look at other means to protect their flocks.
Llamas seemed worth a look because they aren’t expensive and don’t require a lot of time from owners. Male llamas have a natural instinct to protect their families. When they are put with sheep or goats, they bond very quickly and the herd becomes their family.
“It is an environmentally friendly form of predator control,” said Saskatchewan Environment’s Wayne Harris.
In addition to Simington, Saskatchewan Environment arranged for another sheep farmer in the area to try llamas. Both projects proved successful, Harris said. He expects that as other regions limit the use of poisons, more farmers will be looking for alternatives.
Offer other benefits
That’s what llama breeders are hoping for. There is little demand now for male llamas that are not of stud quality, said llama breeder Gene Brockman, who provided Simington with Corduroy.
Brockman, of Lake Lenore, Sask., said the average price for a stud llama is $40,000 to $50,000, but a neutered guard llama costs $750 to $1,000.
Brockman has used llamas to guard his flock of sheep for two years. He said they are very effective and cheap to maintain. They have great eyesight, can stay with the sheep night and day because they eat the same food and don’t need special care. They get the same vaccinations as the sheep and have a long life span.
But llamas can also become too protective. Harris said he has heard of llamas that are so possessive, they won’t allow the owners near their flock.
Brockman suggested this has more to do with the history of the individual llama than the entire breed.
“They’re such a versatile animal,” he said. “You can use them for protection or take them out and give kids a ride.”
