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llamas are woolly herbivores known for their gentle disposition and used as pack animals in parts of South America. Given their unique range, unusual appearance and propensity for being kept as pets, it’s hard not to wonder what llamas eat.
We’ll take a close look at what llamas like to eat, how they find food in their habitats, and many other questions that will help you familiarize yourself with these domesticated camelids.
What foods do llamas eat?
Llamas eat grass and other plants as herbivores, and their diet consists of various grasses, vegetables and other vegetation.
They have a large native range in South America, where they are kept as farm animals and pets. As a result, llamas encounter a lot of vegetation while foraging and also get food from their owners.
Check out some of the foods llamas eat:
- Lucerne
- Clover
- Timothy there
- fescue
- shrubs
- small trees
- Grains (as part of their diet)
- lichens
- corn silage
- Fruit (a rare addition to their diet)
- Vegetables
Much of what a llama eats depends on the climate they grow up in and the areas they live in. They are often kept as farm animals, similar to: sheep because their wool is sheared and used for clothing and more.
Depending on their location, llamas have access to a variety of foods, including many of the above foods. On a farm they are often allowed to walk around and search for their food.
Their owners will often use different grains to supplement their animals’ diets, but never as the sole part of their daily food intake. However, it is often best to provide llamas with pelletized versions of these grains rather than the actual grains.
Llamas, like many other farm animals, enjoy the occasional treat. They enjoy soft fruits and vegetables cut into reasonable sizes. “Treats” for llamas can include:
- Broccoli
- pears
- Celery
- beets
- Melon
- Mango
- bananas
- Watermelon
- Oranges
These foods should not be a significant part of a llama’s diet.
Llamas live all over the world and their diet varies, but they mostly eat the foods we mentioned above, especially local grasses.
What do baby llamas eat?
Baby llamas are called crias and their primary food source is their mother’s milk. Within a few weeks they begin to forage on their own to supplement the milk. By the time they are six months old, llamas stop drinking breast milk and can follow an adult diet.
How do llamas find food?
Llamas mostly exist as domesticated animals wherever they are in the world. As with other livestock, llama owners will feed them while also allowing them to graze on their farmland.
Llamas thrive in these environments, feeding themselves while also preventing natural grasses from becoming overgrown. Thus, finding food is a matter of allowing the llama to forage for suitable food on their grazing land or feeding them directly like other farm animals.
Llamas may also need some supplemental food. Minerals, proteins and salt supplements are widely available for llama owners to purchase. This is especially true if a llama is used as a show animal.
Like the cow, llamas will often eat their food, spit it out when chewing the cud, chew it again, and then finally swallow it. Using this method, llamas can digest food with a high cellulose content in their bodies three stomachs and get nourishment from it.
How much do llamas eat?
An adult llama typically needs about 2 to 4% of their body weight in food per day, which equates to about 10-12 pounds of food per day. The cost of this is not as high as one might think; they eat a lot of hay and naturally occurring grasses.
Crias must drink over 10% of their body weight in milk per day for the first few weeks of life. That will provide them with the nutrition they need to grow and mature so they can start eating mature foods.
Do llamas have predators?
Llamas are almost completely domesticated today, so they have a fair amount of protection from predators from their owners. However, that doesn’t mean they are immune to predation. Check out some of the most common predators that llamas face throughout their lives.
Llamas can be killed by large predators, but safety measures can also help reduce the incidence of livestock loss. When predators manage to move in the same area as llamas, they will often kill off the young or morbidly rather than fight a healthy adult llama.
Of course, humans can also be counted among the predators of llamas because of their history of killing them for food. Llamas are rarely killed for food, as they are often kept as pets, as herdsmen, or used for their wool as sheep.
Why are llamas kept as herd guards?
Interestingly, healthy adult llamas have been used as herd guards in places where a stray predator is harming the animals. Llamas are large creatures that bond well with other livestock animals so they can deter or confront predators.
Several cases have emerged where: guard flames have warded off coyotes, wild dogs and other predators. Usually, their size and long nails (no hooves) are enough to deter potential predators. However, in some cases llamas go so far as to kill the predators.
Llamas are not always successful in their duty, but they have had a significant impact on livestock loss in places around the world. Their owners need to consider their location and the potential predators that live in the area. A llama can be a difficult customer, but some predators, such as bears, are too difficult to overcome.
Llamas are interesting herbivores, and in some cases they make wonderful pets, livestock and guardians. To feed llamas is not that hard because they thrive on a variety of grasses, grains, and other foods that are easy to find.
As long as the llama owner doesn’t overfeed the animal or put too many grains in his diet, the llama should thrive in a grazing environment.
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