What do Alpacas eat?
Alpacas are a type of ruminant, with three stomachs, and a very efficient digestive system, converting food into energy with little wastage. They enjoy short moist grass, plus hay when the grass is limited. In the winter you could allow a small (square) bale of hay per month for each animal and some calf nuts. They are browsers as well as grazers and will make short work of the young leaves on many trees and hedges if permitted to.
They enjoy twigs but they rarely ring bark trees unless extremely short of food. During lactation and the last weeks of pregnancy they may benefit from a light protein rich feed such as is given to young calves. . Guttering makes a good and hygienic feed trough. Allow 18" per animal - even if they don't use it! This will prevent the more timid animals being pushed aside. Plants that are toxic include such common ones such as ragwort, rhododendron, yew, laurel and laburnum. They need ready access to clean drinking water and can consume up to two pints a day. They will generally refuse brackish water even if they are dehydrated.
