Looking for a fun and easy snack for your goats? There are so many to choose from. You might find yourself thinking can goats eat celery? They might enjoy it as a crunchy snack.
As an owner, it’s up to you to be aware of what foods your goats can and can’t consume. Celery has long been known as a healthy food for humans, so it’s no surprise that you may want to feed it to your four-legged friend. Before doing so though you need to know just how good or bad celery is for your goat.
Keep on reading to find out all the details on feeding your goats celery in a safe way.
Can Goats Eat Celery
Yes, goats can eat celery as a treat. In fact, your goat can eat every part of the celery plant without having any ill effects occur, making it one of the safer plants to feed them out there.
You can choose to let them eat the stalks or leafy top, either way nothing bad will happen. Just keep in mind that celery doesn’t give them all the nutrients they need.
To keep them healthy, you will need to limit just how much celery they are taking in their bodies. Even healthy vegetables can cause problems when given in large doses.
How to Feed Your Goats Celery
You should feed your goat no more than 20% of their diet in treats and this includes celery.
Before you go throwing in a whole stalk though, you're going to want to rinse the plant off as it’s likely that pesticides were used in growing it. Once you have thoroughly washed the celery off, begin cutting it up into small bite-sized chunks for your goat to snack on.
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If you have bought celery sticks, you may still want to cut them up depending on how long they are to avoid any choking potential. Goats can get overzealous when eating, which can lead to choking. The best prevention is to prepare their food in a safe manner, especially if it’s a treat they get excited over.
You should also look out for any signs of mold or rotting on the celery. Giving your goat bad food can cause them to get sick and even lead to a costly vet bill once everything is said and done.
Celery contains several vitamins that are good for your goat (source: WebMD). Celery has Vitamin A, which helps to keep the immune system up and running.
It also contains Vitamin C, which helps with tissue repair, and Vitamin K, a vitamin that helps the blood to clot when there is an injury. You will also find folate in celery which helps with the formation of red blood cells, and potassium which helps with tissue health.
Celery is also rich in water but does have a large amount of sodium in comparison to other vegetables. This makes it all the more important to sparingly feed this treat to your goat.
If a goat happens to eat too much celery, they will likely end up with an upset stomach. If they continue to eat too much of the plant, then they can have a deficiency in the nutrients they need as celery isn’t a natural food for goats. While it is rich in fiber, it’s not going to replace their hay.
As with any food, if this is your first time giving your goat celery, monitor them closely and start with a small portion. Once your goat is cleared and decides they like the snack, you can begin giving them larger portions to snack on.
FAQ
What vegetables can goats not eat?
Goats should avoid vegetables that aren’t ripe like tomatoes as they have toxins. You will also want to avoid kale, which is another poisonous plant, even though you might have heard about how good it is for humans.
If you are going to feed your goat a new treat, do some research or check with a vet before giving it to them. There is both a large list of foods that goats can and can’t have.
Can goats eat celery leaves?
Yes, the leaves of the celery plant are perfectly safe for your goat to consume. Even if your goat went into your garden and ate your celery up, you wouldn’t have much to worry about other than an upset stomach that they will naturally get from unbalancing their regular diet.
Can goats eat celery juice?
Yes, goats can eat celery juice. If you blend up the celery yourself, then giving the juice to your goat shouldn’t be a problem. You should avoid giving them store-bought celery juice though, as there is a high chance that other ingredients that may be harmful to your goat have been added into the drink to better flavor or preserve it.
Can Goats Eat Celery sticks?
Yes, your goat can eat chopped-up celery sticks. Just make sure you wash them off before giving them the treat. If you have bought pre-prepped celery sticks at the store, you may still want to do a bit of trimming to make them bite-sized and wash them off just to ensure that they are healthy for your goat to consume.
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