Can Goats Eat Apples? All You Need to Know!

Do you want to know if the goats could eat apples? If you answered yes. Let’s talk about it right now.

Can goats eat apples? Goats can eat apples. They love to eat them. Just make sure that you slice the apples before giving them to your goats so that the goats can easily eat them without choking.

Let’s take a closer look at some additional information about this topic.

Are Apples Good for Goats?

Apples are good for goats. They are very safe and very healthy for them. In fact, they contain many nutritional elements that can help to their growth and development. These nutritional elements are fiber, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin K, manganese, vitamin E, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and vitamin B6.

Even though they are good for goats. Keep in mind that if you give them too much of it. There will also be bad effects on them. That’s why it is very important that you only give them a small amount only to avoid the bad effects, to happen.

Can Goats Eat Apple Seeds?

Yes, they can eat them based on my research that I found. My answer is contradicting to many people who say that they can’t eat them, and they are not good for them because they contain cyanide. It is true that they contain cyanide, and they are harmful to them. But the question is how many seeds do they need to eat that can be harmful to them?

The truth is, apple seeds contain a chemical compound known as amygdalin. When seeds are damaged or chewed, amygdalin decays to form hydrogen cyanide in a very tiny amount, which is acceptable.

If you analyze the situation if the goats eat only a small amount of apple seeds, there’s is no possibility that they can get cyanide poisoning, unless when the goats eat too much apple seeds that can create 5 pounds of hydrogen cyanide.

Can Goats Eat Apple Leaves?

Just like other edible leaves, goats can also eat them. In fact, many goat owners say that goats love to eat them. This means that goats can able to eat them without worry.

However, if you have baby goats that demands to eat them, you need to make sure that you give them small amounts only. Why? This is because their body is not capable of eating them too much.

Can Baby Goats Eat Apples?

It depends on the age of baby goats. Baby goats that are below the age of 2-3 months should not eat apples. Why? This is because baby goats of this age have a weak digestive system. Weak digestives means that they can’t digest solid foods compared to the grown ones. That’s why it is better to wait for them to get 2-3 months old.

The right thing you need to do is encourage them to take only their mother’s milk until they are 30 days old or equivalent to 1 month. Then, once that they are 30 days old or 1 month, you can slowly start giving them hay and grains in small quantities on that 1 month.

When they are now 2 months old, this is the right time that you can introduce apples to them to eat in small amounts only. But before giving them apples, make sure that you cut the apples into small pieces so that your baby goats will not get choked eating them.

Problems when Feeding Apples to Goats

• Choking is the most common problem when you are feeding apples to the goats. So, it is very important that you cut the apples into small pieces before feeding them to the goats.
• Goat chewing is another problem when you are feeding apples to the goats. Goats mouth is so small that it can be hard for them to eat big round apples. For this reason, sometimes goats don’t prefer to eat apples.
• Goats have different teeth arrangement. There are 24 molars and 8 incisors in the lower jawbone, and a dental pad in their upper jawbone. This could be a problem for them because they will have a hard time crushing the apples.
• If you feed too many apples to the goats, they sometimes ignore their main foods. This could be a problem, their usual diet will get unbalanced.

How to Serve Apples to Goats?

The first thing you need to do is to wash the apples thoroughly. This is very important in order to remove the dirt and the pesticide use.

Then, after that, cut them into small pieces. This is very important in order to help the goats eat them easily without choking.

After that you cut them into small pieces, you’re now ready to give them to your goats.

When giving apples to the goats for the first time, don’t forget to monitor them throughout the day, and if you have noticed that they have an allergy, you should immediately stop feeding them. Also, don’t forget that you must only give fresh apples and avoid giving rotten ones.

How Many Apples Can a Goat Eat Per Day?

There is no fixed amount of apples a goat can eat per day. But many goat owners recommend that 1 apple is enough per goat per day.

Final Thoughts

Goats can definitely eat apples, and they love to eat them. But don’t forget that when you’re feeding them, you need to wash the apples and cut them into small pieces so that goats can eat them.

Related Questions:

Can goats eat crab apples? Just like other types of apples, goats can also eat them. Why? This is because they are also safe to eat, and they are very healthy.

Can goats eat rotten apples? Goats can’t eat them. These apples are not safe for goats. They are prone to bacteria and worms. This is not good because if goats eat them, goats will get sick.

Can goats eat apple peels? Goats can eat apple peels. Apple peels are safe to eat by your goats. In fact, goats love to eat them.

Can goats drink apple juice? Goats can drink them as long as the apple juice is fresh.