Whether you have extra cauliflower from your garden or a big sale at the grocery store you might want to know if you can share it with your goats. Before you just go take it out to your herd you'll want to ask yourself, can goats eat cauliflower?
Goats cannot eat just anything. There are certain foods that are toxic to them and other foods that while not toxic are not good to feed to them
Continue on to find out all the details about feeding cauliflower to your goats.
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Can Goats Eat Cauliflower
Yes, goats can eat cauliflower. In fact goats can eat raw, cooked, roasted and all parts of the cauliflower plant.
While goats can eat cauliflower without any issues, it is important to know that it should be a small part of their diet and fed only as a treat. In addition to the fact that all treats should only be fed in a 10 to 20% of the daily diet anyways, cauliflower contains glucosinolates which can cause goats some issues when eaten in excess.
In fact, all plants in the brassica family ( such as broccoli) contain these glucocinolates.
It has been shown that these glucosinolates when not fed in moderation can cause issues in livestock. Some of these issues include goiters, GI upset, decreased appetite as well as stunted growth.
Despite these potential issues, cauliflower is still a healthy and nutritious treat to feed your goats with many benefits.
Cauliflower is packed with a variety of different nutrients including vitamin c, vitamin k, iron, magnesium, potassium, and fiber. Is nutrients can provide a variety of health benefits including increased immune system function, improved digestive health, decreased inflammation, and even reduced risk of cancer.
In addition to these very nutrients, cauliflower is actually also high in water content. Which means that it can help to keep your goats hydrated. This is great to know especially in hot summers or when your goats are not wanting to drink as much water as they should.
Can Goats Eat Raw Cauliflower
Yes, goats can eat raw cauliflower. In fact, goats love to crunch on their treats and so raw cauliflower can be a good choice to feed them.
Just make sure if feeding raw cauliflower, that you make the pieces small enough that your goats do not choke on them.
Can Goats Eat Roasted Cauliflower?
Yes goats can eat roasted cauliflower. In fact goats can eat any type of cooked cauliflower including steamed, boiled, or baked.
One thing to remember though, is it if you're cooking the cauliflower you do not want to include any type of seasonings or other additives.
Can Goats Eat Cauliflower Plants?
Yes, goats can also eat cauliflower plants and leaves. So, if you have leftovers in your garden or if you're sneaky ghost just break into your garden it's okay if they get a hold of your cauliflower.
Additionally, there's no need to waste the leaves are stems on the cauliflower that you buy from the store, as you can feed this to your goats.
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How to Feed Your Goats Cauliflower
First, you want to make sure that your cauliflower is fresh ripe and doesn't have any mold or rot on it. Once you know that the cauliflower is okay to eat, you can start getting it prepared for your goats.
If you are feeding raw cauliflower, all you need to do is wash the cauliflower with water and then chop it up. Do make sure that you make the pieces of cauliflower small enough that the goats can shoot them without choking on them.
It is important to note that ghosts can be overzealous when eating treats so air on the side of smaller rather than larger. Especially until you know how your goats are going to react.
If you are feeding some version of cooked cauliflower then you again want to start by washing it. Once a cauliflower is washed you can go ahead and cook it in the manner that you want such as steaming, boiling, baking or roasting.
Been feeding cooked cauliflower, again, you want to make sure that the pieces are small enough that your goats don't choke. However cooked cauliflower is a lot softer than raw cauliflower and is less of a choking hazard.
as always, make sure to start with just a small amount of cauliflower to see how your goats do with it. Once you know that they both like the cauliflower and do well eating it you can start to feed them a little more over time. Again, it should only be fed as a treat not as a diet replacement.
Goat Eating FAQs
What vegetables can goats not eat?
There are some vegetables that goats cannot eat like kale. Additionally, while goats can eat tomatoes, they are on of many vegetable plants that goats can eat only the flesh or fruit of and not the vines or actual plant.
What vegetables can goat's eat?
Goats can and will eat an entire variety of different vegetables. They enjoy lots of different vegetables. Goats can eat broccoli, goats can eat asparagus, goats can eat lettuce and more.
If you are feeding vegetables to your goats as treats it's good to try to feed them a mix of different kinds so they get a variety of textures and nutrients added to their diet.
Overtime and with some trial and you will inevitably figure out which vegetables your goats like the best.
If you need more help keeping your goats healthy and well taken care of, check out the G.O.A.T. Herd Management System - worksheets, calculators, supply management and more to keep your goats in tip top shape while cutting down on time.
