How Much Shelter Space Does an Alpaca Need?

Alpacas come from the high Andes and cope with cold well, so their shelter is about staying dry and out of the wind rather than staying warm. That makes the indoor figure small next to the land they need, and there's less published guidance on it than you might expect.

The shelter figure

The British Alpaca Society doesn't give a floor area. Its rule is that a shelter must be large enough for all the alpacas in the field. The one published number we found is from Cornell Cooperative Extension: a permanent barn should give at least 20 sq ft (about 1.9m²) per alpaca, with a three-sided shed or other shelter recommended for bad weather. For a starter herd of three, that's at least 60 sq ft (about 5.6m²).

What the shelter has to do

• Keep them dry. UMass Extension says alpacas need shelter from wind, rain and, without much tree cover, sun. It doesn't need to be warm or airtight, just dry.
• Fit the whole herd. Every alpaca in the field should be able to get in at once (British Alpaca Society).
• Suit regular use. Larger buildings may benefit from internal pens, and if they're used regularly they need good ventilation, a feeding area and water (British Alpaca Society).
• Make handling easy. Catch pens are useful for routine care; UMass suggests catch areas about seven feet square in field corners.

UMass Extension notes that simple three-sided shelters, car ports with sides and old barns (with dangerous objects removed) all work.

Land is the bigger number

Grazing is measured in acres, not square feet: see how much land do alpacas need? The alpaca calculator gives both figures for your herd size.

Sources: British Alpaca Society, Accommodation; Cornell Cooperative Extension (2020); UMass Amherst Extension, Alpaca Housing. Sources checked: October 2026.

Common questions

How big should an alpaca shelter be?

Big enough for every alpaca in the field at once, says the British Alpaca Society. The one published floor figure we found is Cornell Cooperative Extension's minimum of 20 sq ft (about 1.9m²) per alpaca in a barn.

Do alpacas need a barn?

Not necessarily. UMass Extension says shelters range from barns to simple three-sided shelters, and need to keep alpacas dry and out of wind, rain and sun rather than warm or airtight.

Can alpacas live outside in winter?

Yes. The British Alpaca Society says alpacas can live outside all year round as long as they have adequate shelter and nutrition.

What is a catch pen?

A small pen for gathering alpacas for routine care. The British Alpaca Society says catch pens can be very useful, and UMass Extension suggests catch areas about seven feet square in the corners of fields.