Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Plant safety · Safe

Can Alpacas Eat Bermudagrass?

Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) — a grass. Here is what alpaca owners need to know.

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

It is acceptable forage or browse in normal amounts.

Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon)
Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon). Photo: Robert Flogaus-Faust, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Status
Safe
Scientific name
Cynodon dactylon
Family
Poaceae
Plant type
Grass
Also known as
Coastal bermuda, Tifton 85

Feeding notes

The main warm-season hay and pasture grass of the southern U.S. Coastal and Tifton varieties make good alpaca hay when cut young; very mature bermudagrass hay is coarse and associated with impaction in horses.

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

Cynodon dactylon, commonly known as Bermuda grass or as couch grass in Australia and New Zealand, is a warm season grass found worldwide in warm and tropical climates. It is native to Europe, Africa, Australia, and much of Asia and has been introduced to the Americas.From Wikipedia — “Cynodon dactylon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it grows

GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, holds 174,906 recorded observations of Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. worldwide, including 14,670 in the United States. It belongs to the Poaceae family, together with Johnsongrass, Cheatgrass, Corn Plants & Stalks, Dallisgrass (ergot-infected), Foxtail Barley & Foxtail Grasses. See the occurrence map on GBIF.

Frequently asked questions

Can alpacas eat bermudagrass?
Yes. The main warm-season hay and pasture grass of the southern U.S. Coastal and Tifton varieties make good alpaca hay when cut young; very mature bermudagrass hay is coarse and associated with impaction in horses.
How much bermudagrass 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 Q208705.