Alpaca en Lama

Alpacas and lamas belong to the camel family and are native to South America.
They are adapted to the harsh climate of the Andes and thus to a very fibre-rich and frugal diet. A diet based on the needs of the alpaca or llama is very important for their health, good reproduction and wool production.

Roughage in the form of hay or hay substitutes (such Agrobs AlpenHeu) should form the main part of the ration and should be offered in sufficient quantities. The high fibre and structure content promotes saliva production. Feeding too little crude fibre but a high proportion of cereals can lead to increased acidity in the forestomach system and thus to digestive problems. In addition to hay, fodder straw such as Agrobs Stroh can also be offered.

A feed that is rich in raw fibre, low in starch and sugar, such as Agrobs ProKamelid Basis, is suitable as a supplementary feed.
ProKamelid Basis is a supplementary feed rich in vital substances and adapted to the specific diet of camelids to complement hay, fodder straw and grass. With selected ingredients such as flowers, leaves, root vegetables, flax and black cumin, as well as the bark of South American lapacho trees, ProKamelid Basis is rich in vital substances, particularly tasty and healthy.
As an occupational therapy you can offer your llama or alpaca branches of non-toxic trees to nibble on.

To prevent electrolyte loss, a licking block should always be present.
To meet the need for minerals and trace elements, a mineral feed specifically tailored to the needs of camelids should be fed in addition to the basic and supplementary feed.

In order to adjust the ration as desired, it is important to regularly check the animal’s body condition. In addition to regular weighing of animals, the body condition can also be checked using body condition scores. This is particularly recommended for animals that are heavily furred, as the wool makes it very difficult to assess body condition.
With body condition scoring, the dorsal muscles and the fat layer in the area of the vertebrae are scanned and assessed at regular intervals.

How can you determine the body condition of your alpaca?

To assess the body condition of your alpaca, it is important to feel its spine regularly.