Jill: What was your first 'llama' experience?

Kris: The first time I actually ever remember seeing llamas was as a teen-ager, visiting the Brooklyn Zoo. Then, about 15 years ago, a woman called me looking for goat colostrum for a preemie 'cria'- a word we didn't recognize at the time. We were raising and showing award-winning dairy goats then and the vet gave her our number, knowing we would be able to help her. So I called a bunch of other goat owners in northern WI and came up with plenty of frozen colostrum for the little one, even though it was off season for goat birthings. The owner was amazed that a bunch of people that didn't even know her were willing to go out of their way to see that the cria survived. That was the beginning of a friendship that is still going on.

Jill: What made you decide to have llamas in your life? How long ago?

Kris: At the time I began to make friends with the gal who owned the llamas, they were still way out of our price range. But a couple of years later, we unexpectedly lost our Great Pyrenees LGD to osteosarcoma and were without a herd guardian. I had heard of llamas protecting herds of sheep from coyotes out west and did a little research on the internet about it (not much info to be had in those days!) The previous spring, I discovered that a friend had a sister who lived in CA and raised llamas. When the sister came to WI to visit, she visited a number of llama breeders and I was able to go with her to a couple of the farms. When the time came that we were thinking seriously about a gelding as a herd guardian, we contacted one of the people I had met. They had a small herd in northern WI, south of us about an hour, but still northern WI!

And that's what started it! The prices on llamas had begun to come down from the early heights and we got an older gelding who had been a rescue boy, and a young boy without any training whatsoever. It was an interesting learning curve! But we have had a lot of years of experience with livestock, mostly sheep and goats, but a few steers as well, so it was not like we were entering into llama ownership blindly. In the ten years we've had them, it'll be eleven years this Thanksgiving, we've learned a lot and really enjoyed them.

Jill: Primary function of your llamas?

Ah, the classic question- "What do you do with llamas?" Other than the joke,"We have them for the eggs!", let me try to give you a more serious answer. We don't still have the original two geldings, one died as a result of a vet error in anesthetizing him for dental surgery and we sold the other, but the first cria born on our place, along with another gelding, have taken the job as flock guardians to our flock of market sheep. We also did get another Pyr, as we were not comfortable with leaving the entire job to animals who are prey themselves. No matter how efficient llamas may be at running off coyotes, they are still no match for stray dogs, one of the most dangerous predators of all. The boys work well with the Pyr. They notice things before she does, and when they alarm, you can bet she is right along the fence barking. In an area with wolves, coyotes, bears and increasing reports of cougars, we feel much safer with the llama/LGD combo.

The girls have their own area, and their own flock of Shetlands. We joke to visitors that the girls wanted pets, so we got them short sheep. I shear the llamas myself each spring (We now have a professional shearer do the sheep.) and spin the wool. I love to spin- that's my favorite wool-related task, but have learned to knit in self-defense. The gals in my guild said I needed something to do with the yarn. I also crochet a little and am getting more into felting.

We have had some experience with llamas as therapy animals in kids with ADHD and learning disabilities and seen some pretty miraculous results. We have also seen the positive effects of llamas on people with chronic depression. But to be honest, I would have to say that the current primary function of our llamas is to be companions. I love just spending time with them.

Jill: How many do you have?

We currently have 9. The most we ever had at one time was 15. I have never wanted a large herd; I like to have the time to relate to each animal individually.

Jill: Breeding philosophy?

Ah, you hit one of my soapbox topics! Feel free to edit as needed... We do very little breeding. We never ascribed to the belief that every female should be bred just because she's registered. A practice that has been all too common, I believe, especially in the early days of llama ownership. Regardless of conformation, genetic capabilities, and temperament, almost everything that could be bred, was. Never a good thing, I think. The llama community is still sorting out the results in terms of things like CA, poor conformation, poor mothering ability and lack of milk production, etc. I remember at one time seeing a sale flyer from a major breeder, offering a female for sale for only $7,000 because she didn't produce enough milk to feed a cria! I was appalled, and angry. At least I have to give the breeder points for honesty, I suppose, but that's a female who should not be reproducing. I feel pretty strongly about this, as we entered the llama breeding business with 20 years of experience breeding (which includes culling) dairy goats. The drop in prices over the years has led to a lot of people dropping out of the market who, I believe, should never have been there in the first place.

Also, I am actively involved in llama rescue, as Co-coordinator for the state of WI for the SELR. (Southeast Llama Rescue) I know this seems to be little out of the territory for an organization that had its origin in the southeast, but there was a need for it here and Kris Paige and I took on the job. We had a massive rehoming that we did in the dead of a WI/Northern MI cold spell this past winter. It was pretty grim- more than 30 animals, underfed, undersized, a herd that got out of control when the woman who was their main caregiver became ill. Females bred at 7 month, not knowing who the sires were without blood testing, a real mess. Giving worming shots and vaccinations in the trailer during the rescue to animals who had almost no muscle to give an IM shot into, so everything had to go sub-Q. Everyone who breeds llamas should have to go through this experience at some point, so they really think about their breeding program.

My involvement in llama rescue has made me even more dedicated to the belief that indiscriminate breeding should NOT take place. Our youngest llama just turned three and we are deciding whether we want to breed two of our females for 2005 crias. We have someone we have been mentoring in llamas who is not in a position to have them yet, but will be in the next two years and wants a particular female from our herd and her cria. And I would like one more cria out of my favorite female, so we are still deciding whether or not to breed. I will tell you, if we do, those will probably be the last crias on our farm. Being that llamas are quite long-lived and Larry retired last year and I am approaching retirement age, I feel we need to give a lot of though to what will happen to our llamas in the future. So that has really reduced any desire we have to breed many more llamas.

Jill: Influences in the llama 'community'?

Kris: Bobbi Griesel- I never knew her in person, but we talked over the internet a lot and by phone occasionally. I still really miss Bobbi. She and Sandy Stillwell and Marilynn Larson were internet llama influences pretty much from the beginning. And a lot of other people I've met over the internet, with whom I've corresponded. We live in an area where there are not other llama breeders, so I have to rely on the internet for my llama owner connections.

Jill: Most rewarding aspect of owning llamas?

Interacting with them, definitely. And seeing the way they interact with people with special needs who come to visit- the 9 year girl with ADHD whose mother said she had never seen her daughter sit still as long as she did when she sat on the ground hugging Charmie, who had kushed next to her. And the little boy who had previously been afraid of animals, and the adults from the disabled adult group home who came for regular visits before their insurance company put a stop to it. And a friend with chronic depression who likes to just come and sit in the barn; she always feels better and more connected to life when she leaves.

JIll: Accomplishments you are proud of? (YES, we want to know these!)

Kris: The little day to day things- the llama/human interactions that I mentioned above. The rescue work- deeply emotional and difficult, but so rewarding if we manage to make life better for even one abused or neglected llama.

Jill: Advice for new/prospective llama owners?

Oh Heavens, don't get me started or it'll be another couple of pages! I guess the biggest piece of advice I have would be "DO YOUR HOMEWORK!" As much as possible, be sure that this is what you want. If you're going into llamas or alpacas (or anything!) because you think it will make you a lot of money, don't even start. You're in the wrong place. You are dealing with living beings here, with personalities as distinct as people have. Join the lists, do the research, do the reading, determine where you will get hay and supplements, find a vet, talk to people, be prepared for the downs as well as the ups, because there will be some downs amongst all the rewards. Don't go into breeding until you have had llamas for a while and are sure that it's what you should do. There are a lot of llamas out there that need care. Be sure you have the facilities for them, the ability to care for them, someone to mentor you, and above all, the commitment to do a good job.

Elements Farm
Email: Kris Hopkins
Visit their website: http://www.elementsfarm.com/

Interview by Jill Edinger for LlamaCrossing.Com