Sugarloaf Llamas' Breeding Program

 

Successful breeding of llamas begins with strong blood lines and healthy breeding stock with excellent conformation. While banana ears, ear and face wool, leg wool, long fleeces, and very fine diameter wool (measuring in the low microns) are important to us and desired by many, they are really just the "wrapping". Llamas do not walk on their ears, nor do they need face and leg wool to stay warm.

At Sugarloaf Llamas, we have built our breeding program from the ground up. The conformation of the llama starting with the feet and legs has always been at the top of our list of criteria, along with reproductive soundness. We often have four and five generations of a dam line standing on the ranch at one time. We strive for large, well balanced, athletic animals with fluid movement. We have continued to improve fleece quality over the years, specializing in fine fleeced, silky llamas and suri type fleece. We use an independent testing laboratory to objectively assess our fiber quality. The offspring at Sugarloaf have fleeces under 22 microns, with many in the teens.

Here is a recent example. He is not named yet, but we call him "CurlyHead". Click on the photo for a larger photo of him. Photos of other offspring, are also available.

Our breeding program uses athletic breeding stock with excellent conformation, strong genetic backgrounds, and outstanding reproductive performance. We use blood lines proven to have known, outstanding genetic backgrounds rather than work with "genetic black boxes" represented by animals of unknown lineage.

After conformation and reproductive soundness, we breed for style, presence, disposition, and fleece quality. We breed for animals that have that special regal presence, carriage and stretch that make them stand out, in the pasture and in the show ring.

Animals bred at Sugarloaf continue to excel in the show ring, indicating that we are achieving our breeding objectives and receiving recognition for outstanding animals.

Each of our sires has his own pasture and girls. We do not keep our sires in small enclosures as we feel it is more natural for each to have his own herd. Until a female is pregnant, however, we introduce the male to her in special breeding areas where the breeding can be monitored and safe for the animals. This also insures that we have accurate breeding dates and a known sire. Once settled the female is then introduced into the sire's pasture until her due date.

Even though llama deliveries usually do not require assistance, we try to be on hand for each "big day", and closely monitor each animal when she approaches her due date. We have even been known to sleep in the pasture or stall with an expecting dam.