6 Grain Feeders For Alpaca Farmers That Prevent Common Issues

You toss the grain into a long, open trough and step back, only to watch the same old scene unfold. The herd boss shoves everyone aside, a timid female gets nothing, and half the expensive pellets end up scattered in the mud. The right feeder isn’t just a container for food; it’s a critical tool for managing herd health, reducing stress, and protecting your budget.

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Choosing Feeders to Reduce Waste and Bullying

Finding the right feeder starts with identifying your biggest problems. For most alpaca owners, those problems are wasted feed and herd bullies. Alpacas are notorious for slinging their heads while eating, tossing pellets everywhere, which is like throwing money on the ground.

Bullying is more subtle but just as costly. A dominant alpaca can easily guard a small feeder, preventing others from getting their fair share of grain or essential minerals. This leads to poor body conditions in more submissive animals, even when you’re providing plenty of food.

The solution lies in feeder design. Troughs with dividers, individual feeding stations, or grills that force animals to eat slowly can solve both issues at once. The goal is to create a feeding environment where every animal can eat peacefully without competition or spilling. Consider the material, too—slick plastic is easier to clean than porous wood, and heavy-duty rubber won’t crack in the winter sun.

Behlen Country Corner Feeder for Stall Safety

Stalls and small pens present unique safety challenges. An open trough or a bucket on the ground can easily get knocked over, and its hard edges can become a hazard if an animal spooks. A corner feeder is a simple but brilliant solution to this problem.

The Behlen Country Corner Feeder is a classic example. Made from durable molded polyethylene, it bolts directly into the corner of a stall, keeping it off the floor and out of the way. Its rounded design eliminates sharp edges, reducing the risk of injury. This is especially important when you have curious crias or are managing an animal in a confined medical pen.

By securing the feeder to the wall, you also prevent alpacas from pushing it around or getting a leg caught underneath it. It’s a small detail that makes a huge difference in tight quarters. The height can be set perfectly for your herd, ensuring comfortable eating without the risk of contamination from bedding.

Brower Trough Feeder with Feed-Saving Grill

If feed waste is your primary frustration, a trough with a feed-saving grill is your best bet. These feeders directly combat an alpaca’s natural tendency to toss their food. The grill forces them to put their head through a specific opening, making it nearly impossible to sling pellets sideways.

The Brower Trough Feeder is a workhorse in this category. The metal grill provides physical separation between animals, which also helps reduce bullying. A bossy alpaca can’t just run down the line and shove everyone off the trough; they are confined to their own "slot." This ensures more timid members of the herd get their share.

The main tradeoff here is cleaning. Getting a brush around all the bars of the grill takes more effort than wiping out a simple open trough. However, the amount of money saved on wasted feed often makes the extra two minutes of chore time well worth it. This design is a direct investment in feed efficiency.

Little Giant Rubber Feeder for Portability

Every farm needs a few versatile, indestructible tools, and a heavy-duty rubber feeder fits that description perfectly. You don’t always need a permanent, bolted-down solution. Sometimes you just need a reliable feeder for a temporary pen, a sick animal, or for traveling to a show.

The Little Giant Rubber Feeder is tough, flexible, and portable. You can drop it, step on it, and leave it out in freezing temperatures without it cracking. Because it’s heavy but flexible, alpacas are less likely to tip it over than a standard plastic bucket, but it’s still light enough for you to move easily.

This type of feeder is ideal for targeted feeding. If you need to give a pregnant female extra supplements or provide a special diet for a recovering animal, a portable rubber bowl is the simplest way to do it. It’s not a solution for a whole herd, but it’s an essential piece of equipment for managing individual needs.

Tarter Covered Mineral Feeder for Pastures

Grain is one thing, but free-choice minerals are another. Leaving expensive mineral supplements out in an open dish is a recipe for disaster. One good rainstorm can turn it into a useless, clumpy mess that your alpacas won’t touch.

This is where a Tarter Covered Mineral Feeder becomes essential for pasture-based herds. These feeders are designed to protect supplements from the elements. A durable poly hood keeps rain and snow out, while the wide base prevents tipping. The feed pan itself is often divided, allowing you to offer multiple types of minerals at once.

While primarily for minerals, these can also be used for supplemental pellets in a pasture setting. By keeping the feed dry and clean, you prevent mold growth and ensure the supplements remain palatable and effective. Protecting your mineral investment is a key part of maintaining herd health.

Sydell Fence Line Feeder to Stop Competition

Feeding time can be chaotic and even a little dangerous if you have to enter a pen with a hungry, crowding herd. Fence line feeders solve this by allowing you to distribute feed from the safety of the alleyway. More importantly, they are one of the best designs for minimizing competition.

The Sydell Fence Line Feeder is long and narrow, designed to hang on a fence panel. This spreads the alpacas out along a line, giving each animal its own space. A dominant alpaca simply can’t guard a 10-foot-long feeder effectively, giving everyone a chance to eat in peace.

This setup is incredibly efficient. You can fill the entire trough quickly without having to navigate a sea of hungry camelids. For larger herds, using several of these feeders along different fence lines is an excellent strategy to ensure low-stress mealtimes for every single animal.

High Country Plastics Feeder for Easy Cleanup

Herd health is directly tied to hygiene, and your feeders are a potential breeding ground for bacteria and mold. Wooden troughs may look rustic, but they are porous, can splinter, and are notoriously difficult to truly sanitize. This is why smooth, non-porous materials are a superior choice.

Feeders from High Country Plastics are designed with cleaning in mind. The slick, food-grade polyethylene surface doesn’t harbor bacteria and can be scrubbed clean in seconds. Many models feature rounded corners and even drain plugs, making the chore of washing feeders significantly faster and more effective.

A clean feeder prevents the spread of disease and ensures that alpacas aren’t ingesting moldy, leftover feed. While a plastic feeder might not have the aesthetic of a wooden one, its benefits for animal health and labor savings are undeniable. Prioritizing easy-to-clean equipment is a non-negotiable part of responsible animal husbandry.

Feeder Maintenance and Placement for Herd Health

Even the most perfectly designed feeder will fail if it’s poorly managed. The best equipment is only as good as the system you build around it. Feeder placement and a consistent cleaning schedule are just as important as the feeder itself.

Place feeders in well-drained, high-traffic areas to prevent them from sitting in mud and manure. Avoid putting them in a tight corner where a submissive animal could get trapped by a bully. If you have a large herd, use multiple feeding stations spread far apart to reduce crowding and stress.

Finally, create a routine for cleaning. Feeders should be scrubbed regularly—not just when they look dirty. Old feed residue can quickly grow mold that is toxic to livestock. A quick scrub with a stiff brush and a simple vinegar-water solution can prevent major health problems down the road. A feeder is a tool, and like any good tool, it requires proper care to function correctly.

Ultimately, choosing a feeder is an exercise in problem-solving for your specific herd and farm layout. By investing in a feeder that minimizes waste, reduces bullying, and is easy to clean, you’re doing more than just feeding your alpacas. You’re actively managing their well-being and making your daily chores more efficient and rewarding.