Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Plant safety · Safe

Can Alpacas Eat Orchardgrass?

Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata) — a grass. Here is what alpaca owners need to know.

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

It is acceptable forage or browse in normal amounts.

Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata)
Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata). Photo: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Status
Safe
Scientific name
Dactylis glomerata
Family
Poaceae
Plant type
Grass
Also known as
Cocksfoot, Cock's-foot

Feeding notes

Productive, palatable cool-season grass for pasture and hay. Slightly higher protein than timothy; holds up well to rotational grazing.

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

Dactylis glomerata is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae, commonly known as barnyard grass, cocksfoot grass, cockspur, orchard grass, or cat grass (due to its popularity for use with domestic cats). It is a cool-season perennial C3 tufted grass native throughout most of Europe, temperate Asia, and northern Africa.From Wikipedia — “Dactylis glomerata”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it grows

GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, holds 1,860,750 recorded observations of Dactylis glomerata L. worldwide, including 27,219 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 orchardgrass?
Yes. Productive, palatable cool-season grass for pasture and hay. Slightly higher protein than timothy; holds up well to rotational grazing.
How much orchardgrass 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 Q161735.