Alpacas
How many alpacas per acre, shelter space, feed, herd size and the guides behind the numbers — everything for keeping a small herd of alpacas.
Who this is for. These tools are for people thinking about a small herd of alpacas as pets, fleece animals or paddock mowers, rather than commercial breeders.
Start with the housing calculator
The rules differ between the UK and the US, so each has its own calculator citing its own standard.
Need a vet that sees alpacas?
Most vets only treat dogs and cats. Our directory lists clinics whose own websites say they treat alpacas, across the UK and the US.
Alpacas at a glance
The headline figures, each traced to its source on the page it links to. Starting points for planning, not a substitute for the calculators.
- Land
- 4–6 alpacas per acre (UK, British Alpaca Society)
- Depends on the amount and quality of grass. US: Cornell Extension gives 3–4 adults per acre; UMass Extension's rule of thumb is about 6.
- How much land alpacas need →
- Shelter
- At least 20 sq ft (1.9m²) per alpaca
- Cornell Extension's barn minimum. The British Alpaca Society gives no floor figure, only that a shelter must fit every alpaca in the field.
- How much shelter space an alpaca needs →
- Company
- A group of 3 or more
- Alpacas are herd animals; the British Alpaca Society says they should be kept in groups of 3 or more.
- Can you keep just one alpaca? →
- Feed
- About 2% of bodyweight a day
- Mostly grass and hay, with a daily vitamin and mineral supplement (British Alpaca Society; Rutgers Extension gives 1.8–2% in dry matter).
- How much an alpaca eats →
- Pregnancy
- About 345 days (330–370)
- Alpacas have no heat cycle and usually give birth in daylight (British Alpaca Society).
- How long alpacas are pregnant →
Planning to keep alpacas? Work through it in order
5 steps, each a couple of minutes — click a step to open it.
01Plan for a herd of three+−
Alpacas should be kept in groups of 3 or more, so every figure — land, shelter, cost — starts at three.
Can you keep just one alpaca? →02Check you have enough land+−
Roughly half an acre to an acre for three, depending on how much good grass your ground grows.
How much land alpacas need →03Work out land and shelter+−
The alpaca calculator gives grazing land and shelter space for your herd size.
Alpaca space calculator →04Budget for the year, not just the purchase+−
Annual shearing, nail trims, teeth checks, worming, vaccinations and hay all year round, for each alpaca.
What alpacas cost to keep →05Work out feed and winter hay+−
About 2% of bodyweight a day, mostly grass and hay — and a winter's hay supply for the herd.
How much an alpaca eats →
Calculators and tools
These cover all nine species — following a link opens them with alpacas already selected.
- Plan My Setup
Housing, outdoor land, bedding, feed and running cost together in one place, for a species and headcount.
- Feed Cost Calculator
Estimate daily, weekly and monthly feed cost from a headcount and your local feed price.
- Water Calculator
How much water your animals drink a day and a week, from the published figure for each species.
- Bedding Calculator
How much bedding to start with, based on your floor area and species.
- Cost of Keeping Calculator
Feed, vet allowance and other ongoing costs, by species — a weekly, monthly and yearly running-cost estimate.
- How Much Land Do I Need?
Indoor housing plus outdoor paddock or run space combined — the total footprint, not just the pen size.
- Breeding & Hatching Due-Date Calculator
Enter a mating or egg-set date and get an expected due/hatch date, by species.
- How Much Hay Do I Need?
Daily hay and a winter total for goats, sheep and horses, with a waste allowance and bale count.
- Compare Animals
Which backyard animal needs the most space, land or vet budget — a side-by-side comparison of all nine species.
- Sources & Methodology
Every figure behind every species' housing calculator, traced to its source, what it applies to and when it was last checked.
Alpacas guides
- How Much Land Do Alpacas Need? Alpacas Per Acre
How many alpacas per acre, what the breed society and extension services recommend, and how much land a starter herd of three needs.
- Can You Keep Just One Alpaca?
Alpacas are herd animals and the breed society says to keep at least three. What that means for land, shelter and cost.
- How Much Does It Cost to Keep Alpacas?
What alpacas cost to buy and keep: why you need three, purchase prices, and the yearly shearing, vet and feed costs to budget for.
- How Much Does an Alpaca Eat Per Day?
About 2% of bodyweight a day, mostly grass and hay, plus how much hay an alpaca needs for winter and how much water it drinks.
Common questions about alpacas
- How many alpacas can you keep per acre?
- Typically 4 to 6 per acre according to the British Alpaca Society, depending on the grass. Cornell Cooperative Extension is more cautious at 3 to 4 adults per acre.
- Can I keep one alpaca?
- No. Alpacas are herd animals and the British Alpaca Society says they should be kept in groups of 3 or more.
- Can alpacas live outside all year?
- Yes, as long as they have adequate shelter and nutrition, according to the British Alpaca Society. The shelter needs to keep them dry and out of the wind rather than warm.
- Do alpacas need shearing?
- Yes, every year. The British Alpaca Society says shearing is essential for good welfare as well as for harvesting the fibre.
Want to see what keeping alpacas is actually like?
Try My Backyard — a simple interactive simulation. Adopt one, feed it, play with it, keep its bedding clean, and see how it gets on.
Play My Backyard →