Alpaca Manure

Yes, you must scoop the poop!

I know that you would rather hug your alpacas, but cleaning up after them is part of the job.

A clean pasture and barn reduces the load of farm parasites considerably and prevents disease. And you want healthy alpacas, right? You will also have less flies, and less odor.

At least the good news is that the alpacas try to make your job as easy as possible with the use of community dung piles. Yep, they all poop and pee in the same place! Usually, they line up and take turns. And you do not need to train them to do so – they innately know just what to do!

Most alpaca owners scoop poop at least once per day, but usually twice per day.

Everyone has their own system. You will need a leaf rake and a snow shovel or something similar. Some owners use 5 gallon buckets. Others use wheelbarrows. I have even seen tractors with carts and vacuum manure removers.

And then they haul the alpaca manure to a composting area which should be far away and downhill from the alpacas.

Efficiency is the key to getting this job done quickly with the least amount of effort.

Alpacas are extremely efficient at digesting grass, hay and grain. Since their manure is low in organic matter, alpaca poop can be spread directly on plants and crops without burn. However, some alpaca owners add 2-3 parts of vegetative waste to one part of manure. This manure is excellent fertilizer since it is high in nitrogen and potassium.

You can also make manure tea – but not to drink! When the manure sits around for a month or so, it separates into a solid and a liquid. The nutrients are transferred into the liquid phase. This liquid can then be used for fertilizer. It should be stored in a cold and dark location.

While you are collecting the beans, take a close look at them to make sure that there are no parasites. Also, check to make sure that they look like beans instead of a mushy mess. Occasionally, you will want to collect a fecal sample for fecal analysis with your veterinarian. Analyzing alpaca poop is actually part of herd health assessment.

You can even turn your poop into profit. Many farmers value the fertilizer so much that they will even purchase it from you. But make sure to check out your local laws first though.

If you do use alpaca waste for fertilizer, it would be a good idea to test it in order to determine its composition. If you also test the soil, you can then figure appropriate application rates. Now aren’t you glad that you took high school algebra?

Manure spreaders are available to ease the work load. You know you are a real farmer when you get excited about your manure spreader!

Now that your barn and pastures are nice and clean, get ready for your alpacas to line up next to the community dung pile to mess it up again.

Yes, alpaca manure management is a never ending job!

Return to Top of Alpaca Manure Page

Return HOME