Alpaca Barn

Alpacas are true herd animals, and it is important that they have sufficient space. Adequate space in the Alpaca stable is essential for their well-being. Therefore, make sure to always check if you have enough space in your barn. We recommend a minimum of 2 square meters per Alpaca in the pen, provided the Alpacas also have access to the outdoors. If they cannot go outside, then a minimum of 4 square meters per Alpaca should be allocated.

For example, let’s say you have a stable of 25 square meters, 10 Alpacas, and the Alpacas can go outside. A quick calculation shows that you need at least 20 square meters of available space for 10 Alpacas. In this case, you have enough space in the barn and even some extra room to create a feeding alley.

You might be wondering about the feeding alley. Don’t worry! We’ll talk this through later on!

Straw is a good bedding and substrate for Alpacas. Additionally, it is hygienic when you regularly replace the straw. It is not recommended to use sawdust or wood chips, as they can get stuck in the wool.

In summary:

• House Alpacas in groups, as they are true herd animals.
• A minimum of 2 square meters per Alpaca (if they can also go outside).
• Maintain a minimum of 4 square meters per Alpaca when they cannot go outside.
• Use straw as the substrate (avoid sawdust or wood chips).

A fence that is approximately 1.40 meters (about 4.6 feet) high is sufficient for Alpacas. In most cases, you’ll see outdoor areas enclosed with wire mesh. Most Alpaca owners opt for fine-mesh wire where the bottom part of the mesh is spaced approximately 7.5 cm (about 3 inches) apart. From a height of half a meter, this spacing increases to 15 cm (about 6 inches), and above a meter, it becomes 20 cm (about 8 inches). Do you need wire mesh to secure your fencing? We can provide you with a non-binding quote.

Just like humans, Alpacas need to eat as well. Alpacas are true ruminants and they enjoy eating grass and hay (dried grass), but they also like pellets. But how do you feed them? This can be done using a hay rack or a feeding trough.

A hay rack is a practical solution for feeding Alpacas. You can place it outdoors in the pasture or in the barn. In the hay rack, you put hay, and the Alpacas can nibble on it. It’s a good idea to provide a roof for the hay rack because without one, they will grab the hay directly from the rack and not through the mesh. This can lead to more food waste, which can be quite costly.

We mentioned earlier that a feeding alley is a convenient way to feed Alpacas. This has several reasons, namely:

• You don’t need to enter the pen to feed the Alpacas.
• It’s an easy way to feed them.
• It’s efficient.
• It requires relatively little work.

An Alpaca needs sufficient space to feed. We recommend approximately 40 cm (about 16 inches) per Alpaca. This is important because when you approach with pellets or hay, all the Alpacas will want to eat at once. Therefore, having enough space is crucial.

In our experience, feed barriers with trough and hay rack work best for Alpacas. On our website, you can find these feed troughs with a height of 1.00 meter (about 3.3 feet). For Alpacas, we make them slightly taller. Are you interested in a feed trough with a gutter and rack for your Alpacas?

It’s convenient to have a separate enclosure in the barn for mother animals with their offspring, sick animals, or new arrivals. Mother animals with their young ones can stay peacefully together in a pen for the first few days. Sick animals and newcomers can be placed in this enclosure separately for treatment or quarantine.

Maternity pens can be created using maternity pen fences. You can obtain these from us in plastic, wood, or wire mesh. In most cases, we sell plastic ones because they are easy to clean and provide insulation to keep the young ones warm in the enclosure.

We custom-make maternity pen fences specifically for Alpacas. Please contact us for more information on the available options.

An easy way to provide drinking water is by using a bucket holder with a bucket. The downside to this is that the water can quickly become dirty due to hay or debris getting into it. Since all animals prefer fresh drinking water, you will need to replace it regularly.

An alternative to this is using a water trough. When installing a water trough, it’s important to position it at a height that prevents the animals from standing in it.