JNK Llamas Wait List, How it works!
Our farm works off a wait list for our animals. We will ONLY add you after having a conversation with you or if we personally know you. This list is currently 4 years long. Many on there already tried the free and cheap route and were disappointed in their results. Some also were taken advantage of by disreputable breeders who really don't do the things they say their llamas are good for.
Because we do not breed a lot or saturate the market, we do NOT have to sell everything we produce. We also do not have a sales list as our animals are spoken for in advance.
Once on our wait list, you will not necessarily be waiting in order of when you were placed. We work hard to make sure we pair you up with the right animal. As we know our animals so well through the various activities we do with them, we know the type of home they are best suited for. When you are getting close and we believe the right match is coming, we will notify you. Feel free to check in as well and see where things are currently at.
Our optimum home is active, doesn't collect/warehouse llamas, has specific uses/goals, owns a small herd and dearly loves their llamas. Our llamas are family members and getting one of their offspring makes you a part of our family.
We will not sell babies, mixed pairs or pregnant females to new owners. In our over 30 years of experience, this never turns out well. We do rescue and many of our rescues are a result of these situations. New owners are not equipped to properly handle and train babies, hormonal animals and more. Most of the time the results are not good and we will not contribute to the rescue market. We rescue a fair amount of animals from others irresponsible behaviors.
Our llamas do not get sold at auctions or on Craig's List. We guarantee them by contract for what we sell them for and send them with lots of cool things that nobody else does. They are not going to be Walmart priced and please do not send us a note saying, "I only need pet quality, not show quality." You should want one of our show quality offspring as that means they are sound and well put together for the long haul. Showing isn't everything, but it does prove that our breeding stock is exceptional and not just because we say so! Cheap and free llamas do not have the consistency, longevity and proven records usually to do jobs like packing, performance, driving and more. Just like you wouldn't go to the local auction to buy a cutting horse, you shouldn't expect to get a llama that does that job randomly. If you still believe you can get a good deal on a llama for those jobs, we aren't the farm you should talk to.
As you probably surmised from our other pages, the guesswork is done as to how our llamas will perform. Every pairing here is done with consideration of end use and producing the best animal we can improve the species with. A lot of research goes into the pedigrees on these animals prior to buying or breeding them. When you put a lot of training and love into an animal, it is heartbreaking to have them fall apart at a young age.
We have references! Many of our homes love their llamas from us and will attest to the quality of their after sale care. We frequently have people go onto our website and steal our concepts and words to try to peddle their own llamas. Beware, that not everyone can walk the talk and you should do your own homework.
Our animals receive daily interactions. We clean and feed twice a day. Animals are given appropriate supplements to keep them healthy and growing properly. We feed expensive high quality hay and mineral mixes. Llamas are weighed and cared for regularly. Many of our llamas are blanketed for the Winter and we keep accurate and precise records on the care within our herd. We are fully aware of parasite management and do not send animals that are loaded with them to you. Our care regiment does not include over vaccinating or worming. Llamas are weighed and fecals are run when necessary. Every year we do vaccinate for West Nile, which most farms do not do because of the added expense. Our llamas are spoiled and well loved essentially.
Inquiries about our animals should be emailed and or followed up with a phone call. You will be asked which lines/animals interest you and why. Please include that in your contact. We are always happy to talk about our llamas!
Some frequently asked questions about our program:
- Are your males cheaper than your females? Actually at times, our male list is sometimes longer than our female list. Additionally, many people are more concerned about the job the animal can perform and the bloodlines that they don't have a preference. They just want one of our animals!
- Can you add me to your wait list? Again, we will not add you without talking to you, meeting you or having some sort of connection. It is important that not only will you get the right animal for YOU but, that our animals do not end up somewhere that they will not be appreciated or properly used/cared for.
- Wow your prices seem really high. Why wouldn't I just go to that cheap farm on Craig's List? You are more than welcome to shop wherever you would like. Good breeders do not over breed and warehouse llamas. Just like they have puppy mills, they have cria mills (baby llamas in surplus). Usually this type of approach cuts corners on care, vet care and quality. Most will not give you a contract guaranteeing the animals and most of the details they tell you are either sketchy or just flat out not true. We get the calls frequently from the buyers who thought they knew more and could get a good deal on a packer, guard, 4-H animal, breeding stock, etc., many end up regretting their good buy.
When you factor in a lifetime of being able to use, enjoy and own a healthy animal, the cost is by far not very much. At least compared to having a llama who couldn't do the job or hold up for their lifetime that you have to feed and care for. Also, having a good mentor that you buy from is invaluable. Our assistance continues for the lifetime ownership of that animal. - We want a gelding, whether or intact male for guarding. We have only sold two female llamas of our own as guards in 35 years. We help a lot of people find female guards from other reputable breeders but, it is rare we have one for guarding. Most of our animals live their entire life here if they are still on our farm past weaning.
Some geldings work out as guards but, many do not. We have rescued many that did not work out and killed sheep/goats by trying to breed them during the night. Llamas are nocturnal breeders hence why people say they have never seen them breeding anything. You don't know until you try to see if they are safe and there is no guarantee that they will never do it. We have helped place/sell well over 300 adult guard females for people now with only one not working out in this role.