Producing Superior Pack Llamas
Our Roots: Great Divide Llamas
Our breeding operation, Great Divide Llamas, began breeding pack llamas in 1977. Our foundation stock came from widely dispersed domestic and Canadian breeders. Over the last 45 years we have selectively bred and culled that core group based on strong reproduction traits and high-capacity packing. We find these traits are complementary, and have consistently noted our strongest breeding animals produce our strongest packers.
Meet
Big T
Our Preeminent Herd Sire
Big T established himself as foundational to our breeding program. Matched with our select females, he consistently produced offspring that exceeded either parent. Those succeeding generations gave rise to the Great Divide line. This line continues producing the consistent inventory of strong packers that supports Buckhorn Llama Company’s reputation as a reliable source of high-performance pack llamas.
We breed for high-capacity females that demonstrate exceptional fecundity as evidenced by early onset of puberty, gestational efficiency, strong mothering instincts, and exceptional reproductive lifespans. Good birth weights and baby size, dependable lactation, and quick breed back support a more relaxed brood management program. Our males have strong territoriality (high libido) that makes them effective pasture breeders and underwrites a strong packing ethic.
GDL Lucky Charms
GDL Beauty
GDL Bonita
PRIMO
backbone of Buckhorn Llama Co.
Powerful Llamas
We produce powerful llamas with endurance and strength for packing. These are the backbone of Buckhorn Llama Co’s leasing and sales program.
Emphasis on balance
We emphasize conformational balance of neck/back length, height/back length, limb correctness, bone mass, strong feet and joints, proper leg extension, and straight topline.
Importance of capacity
We track carrying capacity as a percentage of body weight (packing efficiency). Our standard is 25% for daily loads, and 30% max load. Our llamas demonstrate these capacities at 3-4 years of age.
The llama is naturally a subsistent animal, genetically adapted to the high, arid landscapes of the Andean altiplano. We manage our llamas on foothill pastures that mimic the sparse conditions of the Altiplano to preserve their efficient foraging and low maintenance. Natural browse consisting of grasses, brush, and forbs maintain optimum conditioning whether packing or gestating. Our llamas thrive on the trail in the summer season without supplement and late season hunts in snow require minimal supplemental feed. Similar management of females supports our desired reproductive profile and they exhibit the same capacity on the trail as their male counterparts.
Naturally Comfortable
Trust our llamas
Being raised in the same environment in which they pack, makes our llamas naturally comfortable on the trail. When encountering natural obstacles and situations they respond appropriately. They handle wildlife encounters, variable forage, changing trail tread, and sudden weather changes without prompting. In fact, it is so natural for them to handle changing environments, our default response to these situations is to “trust the llama”.
