One of the first things you need to know when you get goats or are planning on getting goats is what can goats not eat. There are many things that can make your goats sick or even kill them so it’s important to know what you can feed them. Goats are amazing creatures, but they are also very fragile. As a responsible goat owner it’s our responsibility to protect them and make sure they have the best care possible.
Are Any Plants Poisonous To Goats?
There are more than 700 species of plants in the United States that have been recognized as causing toxicity in ruminants. Plants dangerous to goats are more likely to be ingested when the animals are near starvation and eat plants they normally would avoid; however, that isn’t the only time a goat will feed on toxic plant life so it’s important to know what can goats not eat.
What Is Poisonous To Goats?
There are many plants that are toxic or outright poisonous to goats, that’s important that we know as goat owners when it comes to what can goats not eat. Some of these are azaleas, China berries, sumac, dog fennel, bracken fern, curly dock, eastern baccharis, honeysuckle, nightshades, pokeweed, red root pigweed, black cherry, Virginia creeper, and crotalaria
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Will Goats Eat Things That Are Bad For Them?
Yes, goats will eat things that are bad for them. Goats are naturally curious and try to sample everything that catches their fancy, from fence posts to dangerous things like hay ties and everything in between. It’s our job to know what can goats not eat and ensure that those things are out of their reach.
What Foods Can Goats Not Eat?
Amongst the list of things on our list of what can goats not eat is several food items that you should avoid feeding your goats:
- Avocado
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Black Tea (or anything else with Caffeine)
- Onions
- Elderberry
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Brussel sprouts
- Turnips
- Kale
- Potatoes
- Do not feed green, immature fruits or leaves, vines or roots of any nightshade vegetable, such as eggplant, tomatillo, pepper, or tomatoes
- Rhubarb
- Unpitied stone fruit (such a peaches, plums, cherries)
- Meat of any kind
Can Goats Eat Pickles?
When it comes to what can goats not eat pickles in small amounts should be safe for your goats. You don’t want to feed a huge amount of treats or food scraps to your goats because it’s important that they have a balanced diet.
Can Goats Eat Peanut Butter?
Yes, goats can eat peanut butter and in many cases really love it. For the most part the texture of the peanut butter does not matter to them, they will eat either crunch or creamy. This is a great treat for your goats but as with everything moderation is key. Which makes peanut butter not on our list of what goats can not eat.
Can Goats Eat Tomatoes?
Tomatoes are a nightshade vegetable, so you need to be extremely careful if your plan on feeding these to your goats. Tomatoes are on our list of what goats can not eat, I would avoid feeding it to them all together but at the very least do not feed green, immature fruits or leaves, vines and roots to your goats.
Can Goats Eat Kale?
Goats can eat kale, in fact goats tend to really love kale and kale is good for them! However, kale should only be fed to them as treats in small quantities. Eating too much kale, either in large quantities or frequently, will cause accumulation of oxalates and may potentially cause health problems to the goat. Kale is not on our ist of what goats can not eat.
Can Goats Eat Onions?
Though their are benefits of consuming onions it’s typically not recommended for goats to consume onions on a regular basis. Onions can be harmful to goats if fed in large doses. So it’s one of those items you need to be aware of when it comes to what can goats not eat.
Are Bananas Bad For Goats?
Bananas are safe for your goats and a great treat for them! Our goats are obsessed with bananas but as with everything else it must be fed in moderation to your goats. Bananas re not on our list of what goats can not eat.
Can Goats Eat Bread?
Yes goats can eat bread, but you should avoid feeding them too much bread. But all together bread is safe for your goats so it is not on our list of what can goats not eat.
Can Goats Eat Potatoes?
Some goats will eat potatoes by themselves, so according to some potatoes can be concluded as safe for goats. Goats should never be fed green potatoes, peels or potato eyes. This is another one that we choose to avoid and you should be aware of what can goats not eat.
Can Goats Eat Oranges?
Yes, goats can eat orange peels, so they are not on our list of what can goats not eat. Our goats really love orange peels. They have an excellent digestive system that easily breaks down the peels. Plus an orange peel contains more Vitamin C than the fruit itself, which is healthy for the goat. While they are safe you still need to fed them sparingly to your goats.
Can Goats Eat Cucumbers?
Goats can eat cucumbers, and really tend to love them! It’s best to chop them before feeding them to your goats to prevent them from choking. Cucumbers and pickles are not on our list of what can goats not eat, however cucumbers should be fed to your goats in moderation like anything else to ensure they are getting a balanced diet.
What Trees Can Goats Not Eat?
There are also some trees that can be toxic or poisonous to goats that you should know when learning what can goats not eat:
- Cherry Trees (black cherry, wild cherry etc.)
- Peach Trees
- Plumb Trees
- Yew
- Boxwood
- Carolina Allspice
- Oleander
- Black Locust
- Buckeye
- Chokecherry
- Elderberry
- Laurel
What Flowers Can Goats Not Eat?
When learning about what can goats not eats you also need to think about your flower beds (especially if they will be near your goat pens). There are also quite a few flowers and landscaping plants that you need to be aware of.
- Azaleas
- Oleanders
- Rhododendrons
- Delphinium
- Lily-of-the-valley
- Larkspur
- Wild Hydrangea
- Celandine
- Poppy
- Bleeding Heart
- Carolina Jessamine
- Lupine
Other Landscaping Plants Goats Should Not Eat
On our list of what can goats not eat is also common items you may find in your landscaping or garden beds.
- Black Cohosh
- Bloodroot
- Fumewort
- Hellebore
- Corn Cockle
- Ivy
- Milkweed
- White Snakeroot
- Lantana
- Sneezeweed
- St. John’s Wort
- Wolfsbane/Monkshood Dutchman’s Breeches/Staggerweed
- Parsnips
Grasses And Weeds Goats Can Not Eat
Another thing you need to know when it comes to what can goats not eat is grasses. Not just plants, flowers or trees can be problematic when it comes to your goats, you should also know what grasses goats can not eat to ensure that these aren’t in your pasture:
- Johnson Grass
- Sorghum
- Sudan grass
- Velvet grass
- Buckwheat Rape/Rapeseed
- Nightshade
- Poison Hemlock
- Rattleweed
- Horsenettle
- Indian Poke
- Jimson weed
- Death Camas
- Water Hemlock
Plants That Can Be Toxic To Goats
These plants aren’t likely to cause a severe reaction in your goats but they can still make them very uncomfortable and as a goat owner you should be aware of these when it comes to what goats can not eat:
Now that you know what goats can not eat, here are some things goats can eat!
