Goats are one of the most popular farm animals around, but they don’t get the respect they deserve. Though they’re often referred to as garbage eaters, goats actually have more refined palates than you might think! In fact, it’s easy to offer your goats a balanced diet if you know what their favorite foods are. Read on to find out how you can make sure your goats are eating well and staying healthy!
Cabbage
Did you know that goats love cabbage? Of course, there’s a catch: The cabbage must be fermented. Goat-keepers say it’s similar to how we enjoy sauerkraut and pickles. Leave a head of cabbage out for a couple of days, and it will get bubbly (forget about leftovers at work!).
Iceberg Lettuce
Goat farmers aren’t full of hot air. There are plenty of rumors about what livestock eat. Some say goats eat anything and everything – including tin cans, shoes, anything plastic, and even their own hair! But really, they stick with more traditional goat fare like hay, fruit trees, and garden plants. Iceberg lettuce is another fan favorite (and you might be surprised why). Iceberg lettuce is nutrient-dense, inexpensive, and can be grown year-round in warmer regions. Goats love it because they can pack on pounds without overindulging on expensive feed. The fiber in the iceberg is also a perfect digestion aid for goats’ natural digestive enzymes.
Watermelon
While most might think of watermelon as a fruit, it’s actually an excellent food for goats. Watermelons are mostly made up of 92 percent water and 8 percent sugars, making them particularly appealing to hungry livestock. While that may seem like a waste for humans since watermelons can cost quite a bit more than your average melon, keeping goats on hand can give you an easy way to grow and cultivate your own produce without wasting anything. If you’re looking to save some cash in other areas of life by using resources around you—goats could be worth investing in if you have grazing land available.
Cucumbers
Don’t let goat owners fool you: not all of them love their pets as dearly as they seem. Your average farmer will go to great lengths to keep cucumbers on hand, but goats only like those old, brown, fuzzy ones at a feed mill or stockyard. So why would a farmer do that? A hungry goat isn’t going to waste any time picking out an ideal snack—it doesn’t care if it eats rotten food as long as it gets some nutrients in its belly. Cucumbers are cheap and plentiful, so many farmers who don’t want a ton of work feeding and watering all day will treat their goats with them.
Spinach
Goats love spinach. You can either grow it or buy it in bulk, which is much cheaper and healthier for them. You might want to look into a feed mill where you can pick up alfalfa pellets for your goats. These are especially good for young goats (the pellets themselves are small). You can get smaller portions, too, if that’s more convenient. Alfalfa’s full of essential nutrients like iron and protein—as well as calcium and magnesium—and goats need these nutrients even more than humans do! Bonus: not only will they help keep your animals healthy, they also taste great when mixed with other veggies like carrots or bell peppers in salads.
Bananas
Some people think goats are simply like garbage disposals, but they’re actually quite discerning when it comes to their food. Goats will eat small amounts of grass and hay, but most of their diet is comprised of fruits and vegetables from a feed mill. You may have heard that goats love bananas, but there are plenty of other foods that are easy for them to eat and help meet their nutritional needs, including sweet potatoes, squash, kale leaves, and citrus fruits (lemons). Oranges may be particularly beneficial since they’re high in fiber and vitamin C. Not only do these foods offer health benefits for your goats, they can also reduce stress on your wallet.
Strawberries
Fresh strawberries make a great snack for any goat. Keep in mind that goats love sugary things like fruits and veggies, so it’s important to keep some hay around as well. Goats are herbivores, so don’t feed them anything with high protein content (for example, meat or fish). Try giving your goats veggies like kale, lettuce, and carrots as well. Chances are good they’ll love them!
Carrots
To properly graze for both nutrition and calories, goats need hay. Carrots are a perfect source of vitamins and minerals, including beta-carotene and vitamin A. It’s good for them! Plus, carrots are cheap, easy to grow, and never go bad. In other words, you can harvest fresh carrots year-round from your own farm! They’re also low in calories which makes them perfect if you want to keep your goats lean while they’re getting ready for shearing or breeding season. You might be surprised at how much your goats enjoy them too; just think of how happy they’ll be when you hand feed some over as a treat next time you see them! Remember: it’s not just livestock that like carrots; humans do too!
Potatoes
Goats are natural-born foragers and love eating many types of plants. While some might think that goats would eat anything, in reality, they have their preferences. Goats in captivity have been observed eating potatoes, even though they aren’t always fond of them. Goat owners have noted that while their goats do eat potatoes, they prefer them in moderation and need other forms of fiber and nutrients as well.
Cauliflower
Goats love cauliflower! Whether it’s in their hay or free-fed, they prefer it over most other vegetables. While it’s less of a favorite than cabbage or broccoli, goats love raw cauliflower. Cauliflower is also high in iron and fiber.
Conclusion
Food is love and goats are no exception. Given they’re relatively intelligent animals, it might surprise you that there isn’t a whole lot of research on exactly what goats like to eat. While some people keep them as pets, most goat owners keep them as farm animals that supply milk, meat, and hides. While their diets vary widely depending on how they’re being used, here are three surprising foods goats actually enjoy eating
