Llamas attract visitors at Ag Awareness Day
By Janet Kubat Willette
jkubat@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 05/06/2010 9:28 AM
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MINNEAPOLIS — Rick Carlson stood beside the pen holding his llamas as people gathered in front, snapping pictures with their cell phones.
Carlson, of Waconia, was asked to come to the first University of Minnesota Agricultural Awareness Day by event organizer Jason Kaare, who knew Carlson through 4-H.
Carlson of Carlson's Llovable Llamas brought an eight-year-old female and her three-week-old cria. People had been gathering in front of the pen all day, which didn't surprise Carlson.
"They (llamas) get a lot of attention," he said.
When 4-H'ers take their llamas to the Carver County Fair, Carlson encourages the youth to take the llamas for a walk so people can see them. The 4-H'ers are swarmed almost as soon as they take the llama from its spot, he said.
Carlson has 42 llamas and 56 young people lease the llamas through 4-H. Some animals are leased by two 4-H members, an older one and a younger one. The break is at state fair age, he said.
Kaare was one of his 4-H kids, Carlson said.
He was impressed by the event Kaare helped organize. He said he talked to many students who were having a great time.
"It's gone really good," Carlson said.
Educating the public is nothing new for him. He does mostly 'kid things' with the llamas, including working with the 4-H'ers. Llamas fill a whole barn at the Carver County Fair, Carlson said.
Llamas are mild-tempered, gentle animals, he said, and he doesn't worry at all about children as young as three or four leading a llama around.
Carlson has raised llamas for 12 years. He wanted an animal that was good with children and something different.
Llamas are majestic in their appearance and contented animals. They hum when they are sad, mad or happy, he said. When danger is present they emit what sounds like loud gurgles.
He shears his llamas each spring and has the wool processed into yarn. The female at the U of M was shorn and her wool was in a bag on display by the pen so interested visitors could touch and feel. Carlson tries to sell the yarn, which he said is high quality and soft.
The wool grows back by winter.
The crias nurse from their mothers and are nibblers, Carlson said. They nibble on grass, nurse, nibble and nurse. They should be weaned at five to six months, he said.