What do llamas eat? Diet, digestion, forage, water and minerals

Llamas (Lama glama) are strict herbivorous grazers and browsers whose diet consists of grasses, fibrous hay, shrubby browse, clean water and balanced trace minerals. Having evolved on the dry, low-protein highland pastures of the Andean altiplano, they digest coarse fibrous forage more efficiently than many European domestic ruminants. However, nutritional requirements differ substantially between an adult at maintenance, a female in the final third of gestation or lactation, and a growing juvenile cria. [1, 3]

Digestive anatomy: why llamas are three-compartment pseudoruminants

Although llamas regurgitate, re-chew and re-swallow cud (rumination) and rely on microbial fermentation to break down cellulose, anatomically they belong to the suborder Tylopoda rather than Ruminantia (cattle, sheep and goats). Instead of four stomach chambers, the llama stomach is divided into three distinct compartments: C1, C2 and C3. [2, 3]

• Compartment 1 (C1): Accounting for over 80% of gastric volume, C1 serves as the primary anaerobic fermentation vat. Unlike a cow's rumen, it lacks keratinised papillae and features specialized regions of glandular saccules that secrete bicarbonate and mucus to buffer fermentation acids.
• Compartment 2 (C2): Smaller chamber that continues mixing digesta and absorbing volatile fatty acids, also containing glandular saccules.
• Compartment 3 (C3): An elongated tubular compartment whose distal fifth contains true gastric glands secreting hydrochloric acid and pepsin, performing the enzymatic role equivalent to the abomasum. [2]

This three-compartment system, combined with slow particulate passage rates and highly efficient recycling of blood urea back into C1 via saliva, allows llamas to extract energy and synthesise microbial protein from mature, fibrous grasses where cattle or sheep would lose condition. [1, 3]

Daily dry-matter intake, pasture and hay

Nutritional guidelines from Penn State Extension and the Merck Veterinary Manual note that daily dry-matter (DM) intake in camelids is slightly lower as a percentage of body weight than in sheep or goats due to a lower basal metabolic rate. Long-stem forage (pasture or grass hay such as orchardgrass, timothy or endophyte-free fescue) must form the foundation of every diet to maintain C1 motility and normal tooth wear. [1, 3]

Reference dry-matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) intake by physiological stage [1, 3]

Physiological stage	Daily DM intake (% body weight)	Dry matter for a 150 kg llama	Target Crude Protein (% of DM)	Recommended forage approach
Adult at maintenance	1.5% – 1.8%	2.2 – 2.7 kg DM/day (~2.5–3.1 kg hay)	8% – 10% CP	Medium-quality grass pasture or hay; avoid pure alfalfa hay due to excess calories and calcium.
Late gestation (last 3 months)	1.8% – 2.0%	2.7 – 3.0 kg DM/day	11% – 13% CP	High-digestibility grass hay; modest supplementation only if Body Condition Score falls below BCS 3.
Lactating female	2.0% – 2.3%	3.0 – 3.5 kg DM/day	12% – 14% CP	Peak energy and water demand; top-quality forage and regular palpation of maternal body condition.
Weaned growing juvenile	2.0% – 2.2%	Scaled to juvenile weight (e.g. 50 kg → ~1.1 kg DM)	13% – 15% CP	Digestible leafy forage, balanced calcium-to-phosphorus ratio (1.5:1 to 2:1) and adequate vitamin D.

A common mistake on smallholdings is feeding large amounts of starch-heavy grain concentrates (maize, barley, oats) or rich legume hay to sedentary adult llamas. Rapidly fermentable carbohydrates lower C1 pH, predisposing the animal to forestomach acidosis, C3 ulcers and obesity. [1, 3]

Hydration, trace minerals and the copper–selenium balance

An adult llama typically drinks between 6% and 9% of its body weight per day (roughly 9 to 14 litres daily for a 150 kg individual), with requirements rising sharply during lactation, pack trekking or hot weather. Clean, fresh water must be available at all times in wide troughs so subordinate animals are not blocked by dominant herd members. [1, 3]

Regarding micronutrients, Penn State Extension highlights three critical areas to review with your local veterinarian: [1]

• Copper (Cu) and the copper-to-molybdenum ratio: Llamas are vulnerable to both copper deficiency (causing anaemia, coat fading and neurological issues in young stock) and acute copper toxicity. Never offer multi-species or equine mineral blocks high in copper without forage testing; the target dietary copper-to-molybdenum ratio is generally between 6:1 and 10:1.
• Selenium (Se) and vitamin E: In selenium-deficient soils, supplementation prevents nutritional myodegeneration (white muscle disease).
• Zinc (Zn) and vitamin D: Zinc supports skin and footpad integrity, while vitamin D is crucial in cloudy temperate winters to prevent rickets and angular limb deformities in growing crias. [1, 3]

Assessing Body Condition Score (BCS 1–5) beneath the fleece

As Dr Robert J. Van Saun outlines in Penn State Extension, thick fleece easily conceals severe weight loss or excess fat. Nutritional status must therefore be monitored by hands-on palpation of the lumbar vertebrae behind the ribs, the ribcage and the chest using a 1 (emaciated) to 5 (obese) scale, where BCS 3 is optimal for maintenance adults. [4] You can estimate daily intake using our interactive forage and BCS calculator and review farm routines in our basic llama care guide.

Frequently asked questions about what llamas eat

Which plants and foods are toxic to llamas?
Llamas must never have access to cardiotoxic or neurotoxic ornamental plants such as oleander (Nerium oleander), yew (Taxus baccata), rhododendrons and azaleas (Rhododendron spp.), garden clippings or bread. Endophyte-infected tall fescue should also be avoided, particularly for pregnant females as it can cause agalactia (lack of milk) and dystocia. [1, 3]

Do llamas pull grass up by the roots when grazing?
No. Unlike horses (which have upper and lower incisors) or cattle (which wrap grass with their tongues), llamas grasp stems with their mobile split upper lip and clip them cleanly between the lower incisors and upper dental pad, leaving root systems intact—as explained in our high-Andean grazing ecology guide. [3]