What do alpacas eat?
Alpacas are ruminants. They eat grass and forage from pastures, grass hay, and are fed grain supplements by most US breeders. In their natural state high in the Andes, they subsist only on the sparse grasses found there. As a result of many years of this, they became very efficient eaters, and don’t require large amounts of food to exist.
Alpacas do quite well on a diet of grass hay, with some supplemental grain for lactating females or growing weanlings. I can feed 42 alpacas about two bales of hay per day. (Yes, two bales for 42 animals!) Because of the harsh environment and scarce forage in their native environment the alpaca has become an extremely efficient eater.
Alpacas graze and do well on pasture grass and good quality hay. Here in East Texas, our pastures grow a mixture of bermuda, bahia, orchard, and other native grasses. If you live in a different part of the country, check with your county agricultural extension agent about which pasture grasses are best suited for your ranch. In the winter, we plant a winter rye. Having evolved in incredibly harsh conditions, Alpacas utilize their food more efficiently than other domesticated stock. They have 3 stomachs and so are able to get all the nutrition from what they eat. Typically, an alpaca eats about 1 square bale of hay per week. We also provide them with about 1/4 to 1/2 pound per day of a llama pellet. A 50 lb bag of pellets costs about $12 dollars. So it’s very incexpensive to feed alpacas. Get more information about what alpacas and llamas eat. What are alpacas and where did they orginate? Alpacas are rare, gentle, and charming animals that are adaptable to varied habitat, successfully b
The primary thing alpacas eat is just plain grass or hay. Alfalfa is discourage or fed only sparingly, as it has a high protein content that can be unhealthy for the alpacas. One to one-and-a-half, 60-pound bales of hay will usually feed between 20 to 25 alpacas each day. Most alpaca owners give their animals some type of supplemental grain, especially in the winter. Some owners also give their animals food pellets as a nutritional supplement or training reward. Additionally, all alpacas require access to free-choice salts and trace minerals.
The primary thing alpacas eat is just plain grass or hay. Alfalfa is discouraged or fed only sparingly, as it has a high protein content that can be unhealthy for the alpacas. One to one-and-a-half, 60-pound bales of hay will usually feed between 20 to 25 alpacas each day. Most alpaca owners give their animals some type of supplemental grain, especially in the winter. Some owners also give their animals food pellets as a nutritional supplement or training reward. Additionally, all alpacas require access to free-choice salts and trace minerals.
