Hay

Becoming an alpaca farmer has made me learn to appreciate good hay. Alpacas prefer grass hay, the more leafy green hay is their preference. If we give them hay that is yellow and stalky, they will pick through it and throw most of it on the ground, going to waste. Sometimes it can be hard to find good hay (especially during the spring and early summer). The best for alpacas is the second cutting of hay, which isn't usually harvested until August.

This last batch of hay we purchased is the best alpaca hay I have ever seen! J told me when he unloaded it, not only were the bales heavy, but he could stack the hay with a short sleeve shirt on, the hay was so soft it didn't scratch up his arms (usually we put on long sleeve shirts, even in the hot of summer when stacking hay because it tends to scratch you up).

Here are the bales stacked in our hay barn:



Here is it in the alpacas hay bins (inside the bin the new hay, outside on the ground, the old hay):



I have to say, these pictures do not do justice to the real green color of these bales. The best yet - the alpacas aren't wasting any of it!