The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Camelids => Topic started by: blades on August 03, 2011, 01:38:52 pm
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I keep alpacas and would like to plant some trees in their paddocks.... just a clumb to one day provide some extra shelter (all the paddocks currently have field shelters) just wondered what trees any alpaca owners would recommend if they have done similar??
Thank you in advance
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Depends partly on where you are. My alpacas love ash (as do the sheep especially the Jacobs) and are also happy nibbling on some hawthorn or hazel. You will need to protect what you plant or you will find the alpacas devouring it. First thing my crowd do in a new field is check the hedgerows to see what they can reach.
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Depends partly on where you are. My alpacas love ash (as do the sheep especially the Jacobs) and are also happy nibbling on some hawthorn or hazel. You will need to protect what you plant or you will find the alpacas devouring it. First thing my crowd do in a new field is check the hedgerows to see what they can reach.
I'm in the North East of Scotland
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I've got some silver birch - well established - that my llamas enjoy. It's a dappled shade and the trees are now well trimmed and I can walk under them easily as everything has been munched up to above head height.
My llamas enjoyed stripping the bark off a few trees, especially willow, which subsequently didn't survive the next winter - the bark on these birch seem not to be so tasty.
Another tree that is left well alone is sycamore, but it's not the best looking tree and the seedlings each year that need mowing is amazing!
Mine will eat any sapplings, so they will need protecting until they can fend for themselves, the trees that is!
I'm sure alpacas/llama habits are similar ;)
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I've got some silver birch - well established - that my llamas enjoy. It's a dappled shade and the trees are now well trimmed and I can walk under them easily as everything has been munched up to above head height.
My llamas enjoyed stripping the bark off a few trees, especially willow, which subsequently didn't survive the next winter - the bark on these birch seem not to be so tasty.
Another tree that is left well alone is sycamore, but it's not the best looking tree and the seedlings each year that need mowing is amazing!
Mine will eat any sapplings, so they will need protecting until they can fend for themselves, the trees that is!
I'm sure alpacas/llama habits are similar ;)
Thank you Kevin. I do like silver birch!!
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Quite slow growing though! :-)