Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Plant safety · Safe

Can Alpacas Eat Alfalfa?

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) — a legume. Here is what alpaca owners need to know.

Updated 2026-10-02By the Dreamcatcher Alpacas editorial team
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Yes — alfalfa is safe for alpacas.

It is acceptable forage or browse in normal amounts.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Photo: Amédée Masclef, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Status
Safe
Scientific name
Medicago sativa
Family
Fabaceae
Plant type
Legume
Also known as
Lucerne

Feeding notes

High in protein (15-22%) and calcium. Excellent for late-pregnant and lactating females, growing crias and underweight animals, usually as 10-30% of the forage. Feeding straight alfalfa to adult males and maintenance animals encourages obesity and is linked to urinary stones when mineral balance is off.

How to offer it

  1. Introduce any new forage or browse gradually over a week or two.
  2. Make sure it is fresh — avoid moldy, wilted piles or plants sprayed with herbicide.
  3. Keep a balanced diet: grass or hay first, with a camelid mineral available.

About the plant

Medicago sativa, commonly known as alfalfa in North America and lucerne in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae.From Wikipedia — “Alfalfa”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it grows

GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, holds 329,827 recorded observations of Medicago sativa L. worldwide, including 20,075 in the United States. It belongs to the Fabaceae family, together with Rosary Pea, Black Locust, Coffee Senna & Sicklepod, Kentucky Coffeetree, Laburnum. See the occurrence map on GBIF.

Frequently asked questions

Can alpacas eat alfalfa?
Yes. High in protein (15-22%) and calcium. Excellent for late-pregnant and lactating females, growing crias and underweight animals, usually as 10-30% of the forage. Feeding straight alfalfa to adult males and maintenance animals encourages obesity and is linked to urinary stones when mineral balance is off.
How much alfalfa can an alpaca eat?
As part of a varied diet based on grass or grass hay, it can be eaten freely. Introduce new browse gradually.

Keeping pastures safe

  • Walk every paddock and fence line each season and remove toxic plants, including roots.
  • Never throw garden, hedge or lawn clippings over the fence.
  • Check pastures after storms for fallen branches (cherry, red maple).
  • Buy hay from known sources and inspect it for weeds.
  • Keep pastures well managed — hungry alpacas eat plants they would normally avoid.

Browse the full toxic plant checker, the printable list of poisonous plants and the list of safe plants.

This page is educational and does not replace advice from a veterinarian who has examined your animals. Camelid medicine uses many drugs “extra-label”, so dosing must come from your vet. In an emergency, call your vet first. Read our disclaimer · How we write and review content.

Data: plant status compiled from veterinary toxicology references (see sources); taxonomy and occurrences from GBIF; identifiers from Wikidata Q156106.