Llamas and alpacas need minerals

Llamas and alpacas need minerals to maintain their health and productivity. Unfortunately, unlike true ruminant livestock species, we do not have a lot of research or well defined mineral nutritional requirements for camelids. But that doesn’t mean we should just leave it up to chance and guess work! Mineral supplementation planning should be informed by forage analysis data, and veterinary experience and expertise.

Micronutrient Fleece Functions

Minerals are micronutrients required on a biological cellular level to maintain health, growth and reproduction. They can be measured as a percentage (%) of the total forage or feed, these are referred to as macro-minerals. Other minerals present in the diet at a even smaller amount are measured in parts per million (ppm), these are called micro-minerals or trace minerals. In the case of llamas and alpacas, they also play a key role in fleece production and quality. Some key minerals to consider for camelids include zinc, copper, sulfur and iron. Zinc, copper and iron are micro-minerals. Sulfur is a macro-mineral.

Zinc is essential to skin and hair follicle health and a deficiency can result in brittle fleece that easily breaks and feels coarse instead of soft.
Copper is responsible for melanin production and the color of the fleece. A deficiency in copper can be observed through lighter color fleece and a change in texture.
Molybdenum is a well-known antagonist to copper absorption and for other livestock species just 5 ppm on a dry basis can interfere with copper in the diet.
Sulfur is another antagonist that can interfere with copper absorption when they are at high levels in the diet. However, despite the potential to interfere with copper, sulfur is also a key component of the amino acid building blocks that make up the structure of fleece.
Iron is another micromineral that is required for healthy skin and hair follicles but can interfere with zinc and copper absorption when in excess in the diet.

So, just looking at fleece quality and production alone, we can see quite a balancing act arising when it comes to micronutrients in a camelid’s diet. We haven’t even started looking at biological function requirements for maintenance, growth, lactation and immune function!

Minerals in Forages

Another consideration when we think about camelid nutrition is limited gut capacity. Limited gut capacity paired with forage as the bulk of the diet makes it imperative to feed forage that can provide both protein and energy as well as micronutrients. Table 1 is adapted from the 2021 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report: Mineral Concentrations of Forages for Livestock in Nebraska and South Dakota (Kern et al. 2021). It shows commonly observed ranges of mineral concentrations in forages submitted to Ward Laboratories, Inc. by forage and livestock producers.

Table 1. Commonly Observed¹ Range of Macro and Micro mineral Concentrations in Forage

	Calcium (%)	Phosphorous (%)	Magnesium (%)	Sulfur (%)	Manganese (ppm)	Zinc (ppm)	Copper (ppm)
Good annual small grains (9 to 12.9% CP³)	0.21-0.56	0.20-0.36	0.12-0.21	0.13-0.22	43-116	20-38	4-8
Good annual warm season grass (9 to 12.9% CP)	0.27-0.86	0.13-0.25	0.25-0.43	0.12-0.18	29-127	25-45	5-9
Good perennial grass (9 to 12.9% CP)	0.39-0.86	0.13-0.25	0.13-0.23	0.12-0.27	25-126	12-45	2-13
Good alfalfa (18 to 19.9% CP)	1.19-1.82	0.21-0.32	0.21-0.35	0.19-0.28	30-69	14-35	3-16
Fair alfalfa (16 to 17.9% CP)	1.10-1.76	0.19-0.32	0.20-0.32	0.16-0.28	24-55	17-30	5-11
Utility alfalfa (< 16% CP)	0.81-1.66	0.15-0.34	0.16-0.31	0.13-0.25	17-75	10-45	1.8²-19
Alfalfa Grass Mix	0.57-1.29	0.13-0.29	0.13-0.33	0.10-0.29	21-91	11-36	4-10

1 Average – or + one standard deviation

2 Minimum value, one standard deviation below average was negative

3 CP is crude protein on a dry basis

Minerals in forages relative to camelid needs

Llama and alpaca protein requirements range from 8.5 to 13%. So, as you can see from Table 1, most good quality grass forages will meet those requirements. Alfalfa with higher protein content that exceeds protein requirements of camelids, also have higher calcium content. So, they would need additional phosphorous supplementation relative to the other forages to ensure an ideal ratio of 1.5:1 to 2:1 Ca:P.

Additionally, Kern et al. (2021) found that macro- minerals including calcium (Ca), phosphorous (P), magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S) and potassium (K) were positively correlated with protein content of the forages. Therefore, lower protein forages likely require not only more protein supplementation, but also more mineral supplementation.

Conversely micro-minerals including zinc, copper and iron, key for fleece production and quality were not correlated with the forage protein concentration. So, camelids likely need supplementation for these key nutrients regardless of forage mineral profile.

Implications for Llamas and Alpacas

1. Test your forages

Forage analysis can help inform nutrition supplement decisions. Table 1 shows a mineral range. While macro-minerals are correlated with protein, micro-minerals are likely lacking in forages. Although present in forages, zinc and copper are often very low in concentration and for other livestock species can be supplemented without worry of resulting in a toxicity issue. With the extra fleece requirement for llamas and alpacas it is highly likely they will need supplementation of these micro-minerals. Understanding what is available in your hay or pasture can aid in making the best possible supplementation decisions.

2. Choose quality forages when possible.

As mentioned earlier, the limited gut capacity of llamas and alpacas means it is important to fill that gut with nutrients. So, when making hay purchasing decisions or determining the timing for grazing pasture. Choose forages that match their needs as close as possible and fill minor gaps with targeted supplementation.

3. Work with your veterinarian or nutritionist to choose a mineral supplement that compliments the mineral profile in your forage.

As stated above, the requirements for camelids are vague. So, working with professionals who have experience of working with both the numbers as well as the animals can help ensure success in meeting micronutrient requirements. Nutrition is both science and an art even in species with well-defined requirements other factors such as genetics and environment can play a role.

In conclusion, even though we don’t have clearly defined mineral requirements for llamas and alpacas, that doesn’t mean we should ignore their importance. Minerals like zinc, copper, sulfur, and iron are essential for fleece quality and overall health. Forage testing gives us a starting point to see what’s already in the diet, but it’s not the whole picture. Supplementation decisions should be based on both the forage mineral profile and the specific needs of your herd. Working with a vet or nutritionist who understands camelids can help you fine-tune your feeding program. Paying attention to the details of mineral nutrition can go a long way in supporting healthy, productive animals.

Originally published in the Rocky Mountain Llama and Alpaca Association Journal

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