How to Make a Hay Feeder for an Alpaca

Alpaca farming is becoming increasingly popular in the United States because alpacas are easy to care for, require very little space and produce valuable fiber. If you are interested in raising alpacas, you will need to prepare some basic equipment for your herd. Since alpacas require fresh forage daily, one of the few pieces of equipment you will need for your alpacas is a hay feeder.

Things You'll Need

  • Hay bale
  • Measuring tape
  • 2-by-4s (15 feet worth of untreated, non-pressurized wood)
  • Non-toxic plyboard, several sheets
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure your hay bale. Bales may vary in size, so you will want to know the standard for your baler before you begin construction.

    • 2

      Cut two side pieces and two end pieces from the plyboard so that the inside measure of the box will be the measure of your bale, and the bottom of the box sits 4 inches off the ground. If your bale is 20 inches by 40 inches by 18 inches high, your short side pieces will measure 24 inches wide by 22 inches high. The long sides will be 40 inches by 22 inches high.

    • 3

      Trim your side and end pieces with the 2-by-4s so that the sides rest on the narrow edges of the board (the 2 inch side).

    • 4

      Cut several 20 inch slats from the 2-by-4 to fit in the rectangle as a bottom. The number you need will depend on the length of your bale, but for our example (20 inches by 40 inches), you will need 15.

    • 5

      Assemble the hay feed box by nailing the sides together through the 2-by-4s. Nail the bottom slats between the bottom rails, leaving a small gap (3/4 inch or so) between each slat so any heavy debris can fall through the bottom to the floor.