How do you prefer to feed grain to multiple alpacas?

[MrsCountryChick]

I measure out the feed for all my girls into seperate bowls. But I'll tell you it sucks when my two dominate girls start spit fighting, even before I'm in thru the gate. Yuck! Granted I always shower after farm chores, but their spit is Gross smelling even if it didn't land directly on me... so while I prefer to have everyone have their seperate bowls, I'm wondering if everyone else prefers to save thier noses & clothes & just put their measured feed as a whole for all of them into a long feeder? If so, do you worry about them getting fed an even ration?

 

[ksalvagno]

I do separate bowls and even separate out either the dominant girl or the lowest in herd girl. I know if you put it in a trough, then the dominant ones will get the feed and the weaker ones will get little to nothing. My girls know which stalls to go in now and they just automatically do it so feeding "separately" is easy now.

 

[sayyadina]

I have multiple areas in my barn for feeding. I usually have 1 or 2 more buckets in the feeding area than there are alpacas, so no one gets left out. I herd them out of the area where they'll get fed, and then I close the door. Once I've put the buckets out, with a couple feet of space between, then I let them back in.

 

[mully]

Do not feed them together, feed one and lead the other to a place the eating one cant see. Be quick about it because when the dominate one has finished she will be looking for the others food. If one is real friendly lead her out of the fence area and stay with her while she eats.

 

[Chirpy]

I don't have alpacas but I do have llamas and feed them in separate bowls, in separate areas to make sure I know who's getting how much and to make sure someone isn't 'off' their feed.

My neighbor has a large alpaca ranch (80 some alpacas) and also feeds in separate bowls. She has an impressive set up and has individual pens that she uses at feed time by rotating the animals into that area, feeding them and then moving them out to a different part of the large pen and bringing in the next ones to the small feed pens.