He thinks llamas are effective because they are so inquisitive and probably intimidate the coyotes. Our llama is always checking out everything and if something new or different comes around, she knows, Hindman says. During the past 15 years, the growth of the llama industry in North America led to llamas occasionally being pastured with sheep, according to an Iowa State University Extension publication. To sheep producers surprise, they noticed fewer sheep were being lost to coyotes. ISU researchers say when llamas are introduced to a flock they are usually curious and neutral toward the sheep, while the sheep are either neutral or afraid.
Most producers say the initial adjustment period lasts only a few hours or up to a week for some.
Sheep producers interviewed by ISU researchers said they had been losing an average of 11 percent of their flocks to predators before they obtained the guard llamas. After getting llamas, their losses dropped significantly to about 1 percent, and some said predator kills were reduced to zero. While Hindman says the llama does a good job of protecting the sheep, he prefers his dog. He feels Norman does a more effective job, and he plans to purchase a couple of pups this year to protect sheep on other farms. Five years of research with 60 livestock guard dogs was completed at the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, Idaho.