Why Choose Agistment?
Agistees range from short-term agistees learning the ropes to care for their own llama on their own farm, to long-term agistees never intending to give up the advantages of their city life-style. Surprisingly, some agistees even own their own farm, but prefer to have the peace of mind agisting their llama with a full time breeder.
If you keep llamas as a hobby, you’ll miss out on the tax benefits of llama-business, but you will be freed of the need to prove a profit-based motive to the ATO. If you do make a profit from your hobby, this should be tax-free! If the ATO accepts your llama breeding activities as a business, you will benefit from deductible expenses such as agistment, vet expenses etc. (Check this out with your accountant).
Maintaining a farm is time consuming and requires dedication and money. There is always another job that needs to be done on the farm. By agisting your llamas, you can build up a herd at a fraction of the cost of owning and maintaining a farm of your own. All you have to do is spend your time enjoying your llama!
Having your llamas in a large herd offers you the opportunity to learn about herd dynamics, about llamas in general and your llamas in particular. In this atmosphere your learning curve is not only very fast, but also very safe. Many llama breeders are only too pleased to provide their agistees with ongoing education and support. This can be done in the field, or even just by regular reports and discussing management options with the agistee.
What if there are no llama agistors in my area?
Agisting your llama with other llamas has many advantages, perhaps the most significant being that your llama has company. Ideally, the best company for a llama is another llama, and the best person to care for a llama is a llama breeder. Check out your yellow pages under “Alpaca & Llama Breeders”. If there are no llama breeders nearby, perhaps one of the alpaca breeders may board your llama.
As a compromise, you could purchase a different species to be your llama’s companion – say an alpaca, goat, calf, horse or donkey. Meanwhile if you have bought a breeding female, you are already starting your own herd!
As your llama will be keen to chase foxes; a sheep, goat or deer farmer may find agisting your llama of great advantage! Any ruminant that is to graze with or use the same paddock as your llama should be healthy and free of disease. Satisfy yourself that your llama is safe from other ruminant’s diseases. It may help to ask advice of a local vet. Likewise, when you buy your llama you should insist on making sure it has a health certificate (including a recent faecal culture for JD Johne’s Disease). Caution: Some horses are terrified of llamas, so if your llama is to share a paddock with a horse, get them accustomed to each other slowly.
Whether you share your llama adventures with friends and family, or go it alone, you’ll have an exotic, gentle and quiet companion as a focus for outdoor activities, getting back to nature, de-stressing and rejuvenating your body, mind and spirit.
You may chose to attend llama shows, knit or felt a llama jumper, make a llama doona, take photos, go carting or packing - trekking or picnicking. You may help others enjoy the rewards of pet therapy by visiting nursing homes, schools, fetes and promotions etc.
Whatever your chosen way to enjoy your llamas’ company, you’ll benefit from many hours of relaxation in the countryside, with none of the costs of owning land.
In order to protect our livestock and agisted livestock, all livestock coming onto Alpaca Magic must meet our health standards.
All ruminants must be JD (Johne’s Disease) tested negative and have a current health certificate.
For more information about agistment, please phone Glynda on (02) 6230 3311, or complete the on-line form, or send an email to: sales@alpacamagic.com.au.
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