Glad to see we are starting to get more people signing up. The more who contribute the better this will work.
My question is in regards to Hay. Traditionally most farmers have baled their hay, either small squares or the large round bales. While most alpaca farmers have used the baled hay method has anybody tried using the sillage method that many cattle and dairy farmers are now using. Sillage method is when the hay is cut and then within a day (so the hay is still green and full of moisture) the hay is collected, cut and then wrapped in plastic. This provides green feed in the winter months. While this works for cattle, do/will alpacas eat this form of hay. With Nova Scotia's coastal weather it is often hard to find 4 rainless days in a row at this time of year to get your good crop of hay cut and into the barn.
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Hi Rob,
From what I hear alpacas love sillage and do very well on it. The trick is that once a sillage bale is opened it has to be all eaten within 2-3 days or else it will spoil quickly. So if you don't have enough animals to consume a huge sillage bale in a few days, then you'll lose most of it. That's why I stick to bales. If they were to make smaller sillage bales I would surely try them. Maybe they would be higher in protein than the dry bales I've been able to find so far.
My alpacas much prefer silage over dry hay. They come running when they see the tractor coming with a bale. I usually only feed it when the weather isn't warm so it doesn't spoil. The only thing I find wrong with it is that they waste it if I don't keep the ground cleaned up. I haven't got a feeder. Does anyone have one that is good for alpacas?
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