Despite their reputation for having iron stomachs there are plenty of food that you need to avoid feeding your goat. While vegetables and fruit may seem like a safe choice to feed your goat, not all of them are going to be safe. So what about plants that are known for being extremely healthy for humans, like asparagus? Can goats eat asparagus, or will it end up making them sick?
Goats are happy to eat any plant that they can get their mouths around. It’s not surprising that they will gleefully accept any type of treat you are trying to give them. So keep reading to see if asparagus is something your goats can handle.
Can Goats Eat Asparagus
Yes, goats can eat asparagus. It can be a nutritional treat when given in small amounts. In fact, if you find that your goat has made their way into your garden and eaten your asparagus crops, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about.
Remember that while it isn’t harmful in small amounts, giving a goat too much of any food outside of their regular diet will cause an upset stomach.
As with other veggie treats like celery, broccoli and lettuce, you should feed asparagus in moderation. Always measure out the treats that you are giving your goat each day to ensure that they don’t exceed 20% of their diet.
Can Goats Eat Asparagus Leaves
Yes, goats can eat asparagus leaves. In fact, goats can eat the whole asparagus plant. It does seem a bit common for goats to not enjoy eating this part as much as the main plant. Your mileage may vary when trying to figure out which part of the asparagus is your goat's favorite.
Can Goats Eat Canned Asparagus
Goats should not eat canned asparagus. You should avoid feeding your goat anything you buy from the grocery store in a can. If you look on the nutritional label, you will likely see salt, sugar, or preservatives listed.
These are harmful to goats and should be avoided at all costs. Even the cans that say all organic may use preservatives, so it may be best to avoid using canned vegetables as treats altogether.
Can Goats Eat Frozen Asparagus
Goats can eat frozen asparagus, if it doesn't have other added ingredients. You should be careful when feeding your goats any food you buy from the grocery store that isn’t fresh. Preservatives or salt are often added into frozen dishes, so you need to check the ingredients label before thawing the asparagus out and giving it to your goat.
Make sure to properly warm up the asparagus if it’s safe to share with your goat. They likely won’t appreciate biting into a partially frozen snack.
If you freeze your own asparagus, double check to make sure there is no freezer burn and that the vegetable is still good to eat.
Can Goats Eat Grilled Asparagus
Goats can eat grilled asparagus if it doesn't have other ingredients added to it. If you have grilled the asparagus yourself and haven’t added in any seasoning, including salt, then it should be safe to give to your goat.
You will also want to ensure that the cooking surface you are grilling on doesn’t have any residual charcoal that is going to cling to the asparagus. Don’t be surprised if they aren’t too keen on the taste, though. After all, grilled veggies aren’t natural parts of their diet.
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How to Feed Your Goats Asparagus
Before feeding your goat any asparagus, there are some rules that you need to know. For starters, never give your goat a vegetable that you haven’t personally grown without washing it off first. This ensures that all the harmful pesticides are washed off and don’t make their way into your goat's body.
Next, you should ensure that you don’t ever feed your goat more than 20% of their diet in treats.
You may want to cut the asparagus up into bite-size chunks depending on the stalks size. This ensures that your goat won’t have a chance to choke if they get a little too excited about treat time. Having smaller chunks also encourages your goat to eat slower and may make them think that they are getting more food than they really are.
If you are planning to boil or grill the asparagus, make sure not to add anything else in. Seasoning as simple as salt will upset your goat's stomach is not good for your goat’s body in general. Asparagus is not a vegetable that you need to cook to give to your goat, and they may not appreciate the change in taste.
Asparagus is a healthy treat rich in fiber, but it does not meet the everyday nutritional needs of a goat, and if fed in excess, will make them sick. Some benefit that they will receive from eating asparagus as a treat is a healthy boost of vitamins.
Asparagus has Vitamin A, which helps to boost the immune system, and Vitamin C, which helps protect cells from free radicals. This can be beneficial since goats spend a lot of time in the sun. Asparagus also has Vitamin K, which helps blood clot and which helps red blood cells form.
As with any new food, make sure to observe your goat closely after giving them the first piece of asparagus. Once you verify that your goat doesn’t have a negative reaction to the asparagus, you can give them a larger portion.
FAQ
Can baby goats eat asparagus?
Generally, you should avoid giving a baby goat any type of treats until they are between 6 to 8 weeks old. Before this point, they are still developing teeth and getting milk from their mom. You should also be working on getting them onto a normal diet before trying to feed them treats.
Once you have your baby goat eating solid foods, you can slowly start to introduce treats to their diet. Make sure to chop the asparagus up into tiny chunks to make sure there isn’t a choking risk, as baby goats may be even more excited over a treat than their parents.
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