J. Anim Sci.
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J. Anim Sci. 1987. 64:868-871.
© 1987 American Society of Animal Science
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Forage Intake of Alpacas Grazing Andean Rangeland in Peru1

R. J. Reiner2, F. C. Bryant2, R. D. Farfan3 and B. F. Craddock4

Texas Tech University, Lubbock 79409

Abstract

This study estimated forage intake of free-ranging alpacas grazing an Andean Festuca/Muhlen-bergia pasture during the dry and wet seasons. The ratio of fecal output to diet indigestibility was used to estimate intake. Total fecal output from six adult castrated male alpacas was collected for 5 d during each season. Average body weight was 62.0 kg during the wet season and 61.7 kg during the dry season. Alpaca diets were concurrently collected with four esophageally cannulated alpacas. Diet in vitro organic matter digestibility was determined with two forage standards, ryegrass and oat hay, developed in a separate in vitro digestibility trial. Organic matter intakes (percent of body weight) of caged alpacas consuming ryegrass or oat hay were 1.08 ± .21 vs 1.13 ± .13 (P<.05; mean {alpha} 95% confidence interval), respectively. Organic matter intakes of free-ranging alpacas during the wet and dry seasons were 1.6 ± .11% vs 1.8 > .06% (P<.05), respectively. These values are generally lower than those that have been reported for sheep.

Footnotes

1 This study was carried out as part of the United States Agency for International Development, Title XII, Small Ruminant Collaborative Research Support Program, under Grant DSAN/XII-G-0049, in collaboration with Inst. Nac. Investigacion y Promocion Agro-pecuraria, Peru. This is Texas Tech Univ. College of Agr. Sci. Pub. No. T-9-417. We thank Susan Rikert and Timoteo Huisa for laboratory and field assistance. We also thank Dr. Rodney L. Preston for his thoughtful review and Univ. Nac. Mayor de San Marcos for their support.

2 Dept. of Range and Wildlife Manage.

3 Present address: South American Camelid Res. Sta., Vet. Inst. of Tropical and High Altitude Res., La Raya, Peru.

4 Dept. of Anim. Sci.






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Copyright © 1987 by the American Society of Animal Science.