Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Plant safety · Safe

Can Alpacas Eat Teff Grass?

Teff Grass (Eragrostis tef) — a grass. Here is what alpaca owners need to know.

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

It is acceptable forage or browse in normal amounts.

Teff Grass (Eragrostis tef)
Teff Grass (Eragrostis tef). Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Rasbak assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Status
Safe
Scientific name
Eragrostis tef
Family
Poaceae
Plant type
Grass
Also known as
teff

Feeding notes

Warm-season annual increasingly used for low-sugar hay. Fine-stemmed and palatable — a good choice for overweight or senior alpacas.

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

Teff, Eragrostis tef, also known as Williams lovegrass and annual bunch grass, is an annual species of lovegrass native to Eritrea and Ethiopia, where it originated in the highlands of both countries. It has been cultivated for its edible seeds, also called teff, since at least 1000 BCE and possibly as long ago as 4000 BCE. It is one of Ethiopia and Eritrea’s most important staple crops. As a modern crop, it is low-yielding and susceptible to lodging; the teff shoot fly is a major pest.From Wikipedia — “Teff”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it grows

GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, holds 2,755 recorded observations of Eragrostis tef (Zuccagni) Trotter worldwide, including 110 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 teff grass?
Yes. Warm-season annual increasingly used for low-sugar hay. Fine-stemmed and palatable — a good choice for overweight or senior alpacas.
How much teff grass 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 Q843942.