Llama and Alpaca Nutrition

New!

• Body Condition Scoring Fact Sheet - Laminate this sheet to take out to the barn! This is a quick guide on how to take body condition scores (BCS), how to interpret them, and how they can be an inexpensive and easy tool to continually evaluate your feeding program.

Articles by Dr. Robert Van Saun, DVM, Ph.D. Extension Veterinarian

• Copper Nutrition in Camelids - Part 1 - This is an article that discusses the issues with copper nutrition in llamas in alpacas. It also discusses both diseases associated with deficiencies in copper as well as diseases with toxicities in copper.
• Copper Nutrition in Camelids - Part 2 - This is a continuation from the previous publication entitled "Copper Nutrition in Camelids Part 1". It discusses requirements of copper in small ruminant diets, the metabolism of copper in the diet, feeding recommendations, and also proposes suggestions for monitoring the status of copper in the animal.
• Selenium Nutrition in Camelids - Part 1 - This article assesses the importance of selenium in a llama or an alpaca's diet. It discusses the overall biological role of selenium as well as diseases that are associated with a deficiency in selenium.
• Selenium Nutrition in Camelids - Part 2 - This article is a continuation from the previous article on selenium nutrition in llamas and alpacas. The article addresses feed regulations of selenium, requirements of selenium, feeding recommendations of selenium, and how to properly monitor selenium status.
• Hepatic Lipidosis in Llamas and Alpacas Part 1: Recognizing the Disease - This is a journal article that describes hepatic lipidosis and the causes of it in llamas and alpacas. It provides information on diagnosis and characteristics of the disease.
• Hepatic Lipidosis in Llamas and Alpacas Part 2: Disease Therapy and Prevention - This is an article that discusses disease therapy and prevention of hepatic lipidosis in llamas and alpacas. It mentions treatment approaches and disease prevention through monitoring and nutritional management. The article also provides a descriptive table on body condition scoring for camelids.
• How Well Are They Growing? - This is a article that discusses growth and the proper nutrition for adequate growth in llamas and alpacas. It also mentions how to measure this growth.
• Inquiries on Skin Disease and Eating Problems - This article addresses a question on whether or not supplementing zinc can be used to correct skin lesions. Various lesions are described and the role of zinc and the levels required to correct skin diseases are described.
• Urinary Blockages in Llamas and Alpacas - This article discusses whether or not commercial feeds are responsible for urinary tract obstructions in llamas and alpacas. It discusses nutrition and its effects on the urinary tract as well as discusses various signs and symptoms of urolithiasis.
• What is Forage Quality and How Does it Effect a Feeding Program? - This article discusses what type of forage and how much is needed for llamas/alpacas. It provides and overview of forage quality and the important of a good quality forage in the diet.
• Determining Forage Quality: Understanding Feed Analysis - This article is a general feed analysis for llamas. The article goes into detail about forage quality, dry matter, crude protein, and the energy content of a diet made for llamas.
• Grain Feeding:  It's All About Energy - This article touches on what grain source is needed in an alpaca/llama diet for energy. It also discusses various other ingredients that can be supplemented in the diet.
• Problems Following Grain Consumption - This article addresses a question relating to grain consumption. It helps to describe various disorders associated with obstructions caused by grain consumption and describes the disorder known as megaesophagus.
• Where'd the Sun Go?  Vitamin D and Bone Development - This article explains the benefits of vitamin D in bone development. It discusses Rickets and the signs and symptoms. It also discusses the harmful effects of a deficiency in vitamin D in the diet.
• Which One, Loose or Block Salt Feeding? - This article discusses whether loose or salt block feeding is more appropriate to feed to alpacas and llamas. It also discusses salt intake and offers recommendations for salt feeding.

Other Llama and Alpaca Nutrition Articles

• Why is my lama not eating? - By Dr. Karen H. Baum: An article about what to look out for if your llama is not eating, and on-the-farm problem solving.
• Optimizing llama nutrition: Suri llama association and registry - A website featuring tips on feeding the llama, including balancing of rations, supplements, and avoiding feeding problems.
• Camelid Nutrition: Challenges of Feeding Llamas and Alpacas! Dr. Nancy A. Irlbeck
• What is Forage Quality and How Does it Affect a Feeding Program?- Why do camelids require forage and how much forage should I feed? What kind of forage is the best? How do I determine what is good quality forage for my llama or alpaca? These are only a few of the common questions posed by llama and alpaca owners regarding feeding their animals.
• Feeding Camelids - International Llama Association.