What Fruits Can Goats Eat?

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Are you looking for healthy treats for your goats? No doubt, goats eat a wide range of food including leaves, hay, and fruits. Do goats eat all kinds of fruits? What fruits can goats eat? Are there fruits that you should not give your goats? Keep on reading.

Here is an alphabetical list of common fruits that you can give to your goats as healthy treats:

Apples

Goats love apples. Goats can eat the skin and other parts of the apple. Apples are rich in and provide goats with carbohydrates, fibers, vitamins, and a few proteins. Carbohydrates are the major source of energy for goats.

Be careful when feeding apples to goats. You should cut the apples into smaller pieces so that your goats do not choke.

Also, giving goats little bits of apples prevents fermentation of the apples in the stomach of goats (which could cause bloats). Apples when given properly to goats are healthy treats.

Apricots

Apricots are healthy for your goats. Apricots are a good source of iron, vitamins A, E, and C. Apricots are low in calories and fat.

The skin of apricots provides your goats with fibers and other nutrients.

Do not give the seeds of apricots to your goats. Apricot seeds are inedible.

Bananas

Who does not love bananas? Just like you, goats love bananas. Bananas are not just delicious, they are very healthy for goats.

Bananas give your goats nutrients like vitamin B, C, fiber, and potassium. Goats also love banana peels. Banana peels are rich in potassium, vitamin B, and some fibers.

Blueberries

Goats always try to eat blueberries because the fruits are small and delicious. Blueberries have antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients for your goats.

Blueberries are safe for your goats. Blueberries should be given to your goats occasionally, not regularly. If goats eat blueberries in bulk, the fruits may digest slowly.

Carrots

Carrots are the favorite snacks of so many goats. Even though carrots are not fruits, they are healthy treats for your goats.

Carrots are rich in and provide your goats with carotene, vitamin A, B, and minerals like potassium. Your goats will thank you if you give them carrots regularly.

Grapes

Goats love grapes. Grapes are easy to chew and you do not have to worry about the seeds.

Grapes can provide your goats with carbohydrates, dietary fibers, a wide range of vitamins, and minerals. Goats can eat grapes whole.

Grapefruits

Your goats can eat every part of grapefruits, even the peels. Grapefruits like every other citrus fruit are rich in vitamin C. Grapefruits are also rich in folate and vitamin A.

You do not have to throw the peels of grapefruits away. Give your goats the peel of grapefruits and they will thank you.

Do not give too many grapefruits to goats. Grapefruit, like other citrus fruits, can increase the acidity of your goats’ stomach if your goats eat too much of it.

Honeydew Melon

Yes, goats can eat honeydew melons. Honeydews melons can give your goats extra carbohydrates for energy.

Honeydew melons also contain vitamin C and minerals like potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Honeydew melon seeds are not bad for goats but they may take longer to digest.

Kiwifruit

Kiwifruits are tasty treats for your goats. Goats love to eat the green flesh of kiwifruits.

Kiwifruits are packed with Vitamin E, C, K, fibers, and oxidants. You should give your goats kiwifruits to keep them healthy.

Mangoes

I love mangoes, you love mangoes, and goats also love mangoes. Mangoes are low in calories and rich in fibers.

Mangoes are great sources of vitamins and minerals for your goats. Goats love the peel of mangoes as well. Do not give the seed of mangoes to goats to prevent choking.

Oranges

These delicious citruses are rich in vitamin C. Oranges are safe and healthy for goats. Asides vitamin C, oranges provide your goats with folate, thiamine, and potassium.

You should stop throwing your orange peels away and start giving them to your goats.

Like other citrus fruits, oranges can increase the acidity level in the stomach of your goats. You should give oranges to goats occasionally, not regularly.

Peaches

These stone fruits can provide your goats with carbohydrates, vitamin A, C, dietary fibers, etc. Goats love peaches but you should be sure to remove the seed to prevent choking.

Pineapples

I love pineapples so much, but I wasn’t sure if I could give pineapples to my goats. Pineapples are not just delicious, they are nutritious.

Pineapples are packed with vitamin C, manganese, dietary fiber, and a wide range of minerals.

Goats can eat the peels of pineapples, so you do not have to throw them away.

Plums

Plum fruits are delicious, nutritious, and safe for your goats to eat. Plums are rich in vitamin C, K, A, dietary fibers, and a wide range of minerals.

Do not give the leaves and seeds of plums to goats as they may be unsafe. Goats can eat every other part of plums.

Raspberries

Goats love Raspberries. They can eat both the fruits and leaves of the plants. Raspberries are rich in vitamin C, K, manganese, dietary fibers, and a wide range of minerals.

Raspberries also have little amounts of proteins. Raspberries are healthy for goats, even pregnant goats can eat raspberries.

Strawberries

Strawberries are rich in vitamin C, K, manganese, folic acids, and other phytonutrients (nutrients from plants).

Goats love strawberries and will thank you if you give them this healthy treat. Be sure to cut the fruits into smaller parts to prevent choking.

Watermelon

For goats, no part of a watermelon is a waste. Goats can eat the flesh, rinds, vine, and even little amounts of watermelon seeds.

Watermelons are not just delicious, they are nutritious for your goats. Though watermelons are made mostly of water, they are rich in vitamins A, B, C, potassium, and other nutrients.

Do not give too many watermelon seeds to your goats because goats do not digest the seeds quickly.

3 Foods that are not safe for Goats

Below is a list of fruits that are unsafe for your goats. Do not feed the following fruits to your goats.

1. Avocados

Avocados contain a fungicidal toxin called persin. You can eat avocados because your stomach can easily dissolve this toxin.

Goats, however, are ruminants and do not have strong guts to dissolve persin. According to an expert vet, Dr. Jean Dodds, persin can kill goats and other ruminants if consumes. Do not give the fruits, leaves, or seeds of avocados to your goats.

2. Cherries

Do not let your goats eat any part of cherries; the fruits, seeds, leaves, etc. Goats can get cyanide poisoning when they eat the leaves or seeds of cherries.

Wilted cherry leaves are more toxic than fresh leaves. Do not give your goats cherries.

3. Potatoes

Potatoes are not fruits but you have to be aware of what eating potatoes can do to your goats. There is a debate around feeding potatoes. Many goats love potatoes while others do not.

Potatoes contain some amount of solanine which goats cannot handle as you can. If your goats eat potatoes, you should keep an eye on them and make sure that they are okay.

Final Thoughts

Goats are herbivorous animals, they are also ruminants. As herbivores, goats require a plant-based diet and should not be given proteins from animal sources (like meat and eggs). Regular dog and cat feeds should not be given to goats because such feeds are made with animal proteins.

If you give something new to your goats, be sure to keep an eye on the goats to make sure that they are okay. You should stop giving foods to goats if they show negative symptoms after eating such foods. You should also speak with your vet before giving new foods to your goats.

Be sure to give your goats healthy treats occasionally. Also, avoid giving poisonous fruits to your goats.