Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Plant safety · Caution

Can Alpacas Eat Hairy Vetch?

Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa) — a legume. Here is what alpaca owners need to know.

Updated 2026-10-02By the Dreamcatcher Alpacas editorial team
?

Use caution — it depends on the amount and the situation.

Occasional nibbles are usually tolerated, but problems occur with large amounts, certain plant stages or vulnerable animals.

Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa)
Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa). Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Fabelfroh assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Status
Caution
Scientific name
Vicia villosa
Family
Fabaceae
Plant type
Legume
Also known as
fodder vetch
Toxic parts
Whole plant (mechanism unclear), seeds
Toxic compound
Unknown; causes a systemic granulomatous disease in cattle

Why it matters

Used as a cover crop. Limit grazing of pure stands.

Signs of hairy vetch poisoning in alpacas

  • Itchy dermatitis and hair loss
  • Diarrhea
  • Weight loss

If your alpaca ate a lot of hairy vetch

  1. Remove access and estimate how much was eaten.
  2. Watch for the signs listed above over the next 24–72 hours.
  3. Call your vet if any signs appear or if a pregnant, young or sick animal ate a large amount.
  4. Reduce the plant in your pasture and keep good forage available so alpacas aren't driven to eat it.

About the plant

Vicia villosa, known as the hairy vetch, fodder vetch or winter vetch, is a plant native to some of Europe and western Asia. It is a legume, grown as a forage crop, fodder crop, cover crop, and green manure. Although non-native, it occurs in all US states and is considered invasive by some states, such as Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, and Washington state — as well as in Japan and some parts of Europe where it is not native. It is also found in most Canadian provinces.From Wikipedia — “Vicia villosa”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it grows

GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, holds 137,099 recorded observations of Vicia villosa Roth worldwide, including 30,414 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

Is hairy vetch poisonous to alpacas?
It can be. Use caution — it depends on the amount and the situation. Used as a cover crop. Limit grazing of pure stands.
What part of hairy vetch is toxic to alpacas?
Whole plant (mechanism unclear), seeds.
What are the symptoms of hairy vetch poisoning?
Itchy dermatitis and hair loss, diarrhea and weight loss.
Is dried hairy vetch safe?
Drying does not reliably make poisonous plants safe. Treat dried leaves and contaminated hay with the same caution.

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 Q159752.