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Well you can certainly see why this female is
protective; she has been through the worst thing
that can happen to a mother animal. I am not sure
what you mean by hands off farm.... I will assume
that they don't do much with their animals. That
can be a blessing. It is often easier to deal with
animals that have not been handled than ones who
have been handled a lot— badly!
Spitting and growling is pretty normal; charging
would make me wonder why they are getting really
getting rid of these animals? I would be careful
and not turn my back on her. Dangerous aggression
is not limited to males. In terms of building trust
I would recommend several things.
1. Do your very best to move around them so that
they do not have to get up or move away from you.
That means walking way around them and taking the
long way from point A to point B if it will mean
that the animals do not have to move or get up.
This gesture means quite a lot to frightened animals
in a new location.
2. Always, Always, Always, Always use a catch pen
(9 x 9 feet or 8 x 8 feet NO larger) and herd the
animals into this area to catch them DO NOT use a
corner for catching use a pen.
3. Use a wand and rope to catch the animals.
(previous columns have more on this technique as
does my website and book the Camelid Companion)
4. If you are feeding a supplement don't try to
lure these animals to eat out of your hand put the
bowl on the ground and make a big show of leaving or
standing far away while they eat.
Of course I would also suggest using my book the
Camelid Companion as a guide for any handling that
you do. Use containment over restraint, pay
attention to halter fit if you use one with these
animals and of course NEVER grab or corner them.
Good luck,
Marty
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