New to Llamas?
Facilities Needs: Fencing and Layout

By Nelson Leonard

Reprinted from Lamas of Minnesota, July 2004

While I was holding two geldings that I sold for $1000 so the buyer could put in $6000 worth of fencing, it occurred to me that I could make a great deal more money by giving away my llamas for the rights to build the fencing. The majority of fencing costs are in the labor. Time spent reading “how to” books, talking with materials suppliers and neighbors who have built their own fences, as well as hours cruising the back roads of your part of the world looking for fencing inspiration, is time well spent. If you are not in a hurry and you keep small children at a distance so they will not be traumatized for life by your vile epithets, you can construct your own fencing with much reduced impact on your pocketbook and minimal impact upon loved ones.

Fencing

Llamas will recognize just about any type of barrier. When designing fencing, your concern is keeping predators out more than keeping llamas in. In Oregon, predators are dogs, coyotes, and cougars. By far the majority of llama injuries and deaths are from dog attacks. A design adequate for dogs will also eliminate coyotes. Cougars are a different matter. I’m not sure any fence design will stop a determined cougar. Cougar attacks are rare, so it is best to worry about what you have control over—dogs. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security by the fact that llamas make great guard llamas. Llamas or a guard llama are sitting ducks in paddocks or pastures that allow entry to a dog pack.

Wire fencing is affordable and will last a lifetime if it doesn’t become buried in soil. Border rail fences are attractive but will have to be backed by wire fencing to exclude predators. Fence height should be five feet; 2×4 non-climb fencing is ideal but the most expensive wire fencing. Field fencing is a good substitute. Avoid barbed wire, as a curious or inattentive llama can be injured. Use metal, treated wooden post, or a combination, spaced 8-12 feet apart. This should allow you to sleep at night. I might point out that a sufficiently motivated adult llama can jump over a 5 foot fence. In seventeen years, we have had only two llama breakouts. Both involved male egos. Fortunately, if a llama gets out, he will not go far from the rest of the herd and can usually be enticed with a treat.

Corners, pulling posts, and posts supporting braces should be cemented in. Certain soil types may necessitate cementing all poss. Large creosote impregnated posts (railroad ties) and metal posts should last a lifetime. Other locally available wooden posts are also long lasting (i.e., soft wood posts like yew or redwood or hardwood posts). These are not normally commercially available, so check with local ranchers or foresters. In the western states, the most frequently available wooden posts are 3, 4, 6, and 8 inch diameter soft wood posts that have been treated to retard decay. These posts are attractive and will last well. After ten to fifteen years, they may weaken to the point that they may break in response to a sharp blow or repeated pressure.

Space and Layout

Provide a minimum of ½ acre for two llamas. Llamas need enough room to run. If possible, the majority of their field should be well drained. Llamas will not choose to sit or stand in mud or surface water. Situate their shelter in a well drained portion of the field and raise the interior floor and outer apron with crush rock, decomposed granite, or sand….

A water faucet should be located in or near the shelter. You may also want to run electricity to your shelter. It is a great luxury to have a light within and outside the shelter, and you may want to install an automatic waterer or heating element in your water bucket. If hay is stored within or next to the shelter, provide for vehicle access. Plan a catch pen within or adjacent to the shelter. The location where the llamas are regularly fed is ideal. This catch pen or an additional pen should include one of your exterior gates. This allows you an area where you can transition a llama that you have had out—a llama airlock. This will avoid a lot of bumping and shoving of you and your llama by pasture mates while you are trying to remove the halter.

Apart from one or more gates to allow human and llama ingress and egress, design a large gate in the fence. The opening should be large enough to allow access for heavy equipment, a van, or a truck. Moving a sick (down) llama is not an easy thing. On a more positive note, you may find that you want to add a spa, in-ground wading pool, or irrigation system for your llamas. You don’t want to have to cut your fence to accomplish this. For your own amusement and that of the llamas, locate a mound of earth in each pasture. “King of the mountain” is a favorite llama game for all ages.

Finally, you would do well to plan for a secure warm area, an area to be used on the short term to care for a sick or injured animal or a newborn and mother in very cold and/or wet conditions. You may only need this once or twice. But when you need it, you will really need it. Ideally, this area would be an interior area in your shelter that could be closed off with insulated temporary panels. Another [tack] would be to set up a temporary pen, [constituted] of four gates or portable panels, on indoor/outdoor carpeting in your garage.