Question:
We recently bought our first llamas. We have five females and can not catch them. The guy we bought them from said he caught them all the time. Can you give us any tips or suggestions on how to catch our females?

Answer:
A basic understanding of the personality of llamas is very helpful in catching, handling and working with them. Some llamas will stand and can easily be caught while others go to great lengths to avoid being caught. Llamas are quick learners and are generally willing to comply with the handler's wishes if the handler can demonstrate quiet and calm control of the situation.

It can often be difficult to catch llamas in an open field and they are much easier caught in a catch pen. I suggest a small pen or corral be built and a smaller pen within the catch pen. We feed our llamas daily in the catch pen which gets them used to entering the pen. They can then easily be herded to the smaller pen and be caught where you have control of the situation. We actually have a small fenced in area in each pasture, next to the barn, where the llamas are fed each day.

When the catch pen is also used as a feeding station the llamas can often be lured into the catch pen by providing a little feed. Should they need to be herded, the use of a long rope to make a moving corral or using a 15 to 20 foot, light weight, herding pole makes herding much easier.

Once in the catch pen the llamas will respond to the actions and attitude of the person attempting to catch them. Approaching the animal in a calm and reassuring manner will usually get the llama to act accordingly. An effective technique is to approach slowly, put your hand on the llamas back, pause a moment, talk to the llama, telling them to stand, slide your hand up the llamas neck and halter the animal. Jumping or grabbing at a llama will almost always get a likewise response.

Even if a llama truly does not want to be caught, waiting a moment until the animal is calm and approaching in a slow, confident, deliberate manner will usually be effective although it may take a little longer. The more llamas are caught and handled the easier they become to catch.

The risk of injury and stress to a llama makes use of a catch pen the preferred method of catching llamas.