Can Goats Eat Pineapple?

Goats are curious animals that are happy to taste just about any food item they can get their mouths around. It’s not surprising that they will love you when you give them treats, so it's important to know what foods are safe for them. If you love pineapple and have it around the house, you may wonder, can goats eat pineapple?

Goats are herbivores and love nothing more than to receive tasty plants like pineapple as a treat. Before you go feeding your goat fruit, though, there are quite a few things you need to know. If you feed your goat too much of a good thing, they can get sick, and there are some fruits that are potentially toxic to goats.

Can Goats Eat Pineapple 

Yes, goats can safely eat pineapple without you having to worry. Pineapple contains a lot of healthy vitamins and minerals for your goats.

Keep in mind that while goats can eat oranges, goats eat blueberries and goats can eat watermelon, these fruits, like pineapples, have a high sugar content compared to your goat's normal diet. To keep their stomach from getting upset, be sure to never feed your goat more than 20% of their diet in treats, especially when it comes to fruit.

While it’s unlikely that most goat owners are growing a pineapple tree, if you are in an area where you can grow one and your goat eats a pineapple, you don’t need to worry unless it wasn’t ripe.

Can Goats Eat Pineapple Rind? 

Yes, goats can eat pineapple rind. As long as you make sure to clean the rind to get pesticides off, you can feed it to your goat. Generally, though, a goat's favorite part of the pineapple will be the flesh.

Also, make sure the spikes on the rind aren't too big or hard as it might injure their mouths.

Can Goats Eat Pineapple Tops? 

Yes, goats can eat pineapple tops. The top of the pineapple won’t give your goat a lot of nutrients, but it is perfectly safe to eat.

Can Goats Eat Pineapple Juice? 

Yes and no, if you buy the pineapple juice from the store, there is a high chance it’s full of sugar and has tons of additives that can be harmful to your goat's body. If you want your goat to have pineapple juice, then it’s best you make it for them yourself, so you know that it is 100% safe for goat consumption.

Can Goats Eat Canned Pineapple? 

No, goats cannot eat canned pineapple. The general answer is no. This is because canned pineapple usually has additives and preservatives. Many types of canned pineapple are made for human consumption and used as dessert toppings.

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How to Feed Your Goats Pineapple 

Before you give your goat pineapple, there are a few things that you should do. For starters, you need to make sure to thoroughly wash off the outer part of the pineapple if you are going to feed it to your goat.

Make sure to thoroughly check the pineapple for signs of rot both on the inside and the outside. Once you have verified that the pineapple is fresh and free from mold, you can begin to cut it up.

Pineapples are larger fruits, so you will want to cut them up into small bite-sized pieces for your goat to eat. This ensures that your goat won’t have a chance of choking when they start chowing down on the pineapple.

If you are giving them the rind, this rule applies even more as it is the harder outer shell of the pineapple and much more of a choking risk to your goat than the flesh is.

If you have picked up pineapple from a grocery store, whether frozen or in a can, be cautious. These usually have additives and preservatives added in that will upset your goat’s stomach.

Likewise, you will want to avoid giving your goat pineapple that came out of a dessert (like pineapple upside down cake) as they are high in sugar. Unless you got your pineapple from the produce aisle, it’s probably best to skip giving it to your goat.

Pineapples do contain several different vitamins that are great for your goat's body. Here is a list of the vitamins and minerals that are in pineapples:

• Vitamin C: an antioxidant that among other things helps a healthy immune system.
• Vitamin B6: Helps with keeping the immune and nervous systems healthy, as well as brain development.
• Thiamin: This helps your goat's body absorb energy from the nutrients they ingest.
• Niacin: Helps to lower cholesterol and helps with brain function.
• Folate: Helps your goat’s cells to grow and their red blood cells to form.
• Potassium: Helps to keep tissues healthy.
• Iron: A component needed for hemoglobin.
• Vitamin D: Helps to provide a boost to your goat’s immune system.
• Copper: Helps to connect your goat’s tissues, gives them energy and helps with blood vessels.
• Magnesium: Helps with nerve and muscle functions in your goat's body.
• Riboflavin: Helps coenzymes form.

As you can see from the list above, Pineapples can be extremely healthy when given to your goat as treats. You should make sure that no treats, including pineapples, exceed more than 20% of your goat's diet.

If you feed your goat too much pineapple, then they will have too much sugar in their body and suffer from nutrition deficiencies.

While rare, goats can have allergies, so you should be cautious when providing them with a new treat. Only give your goat a small piece of pineapple to start with and closely watch them to ensure they don’t have an allergic reaction.

Once you have verified that it’s safe, you can feed your goat a larger serving of pineapple. Keep in mind that goats younger than six weeks of age shouldn’t be fed pineapple. Baby goats have specific nutritional needs that need to be met and are still developing their teeth.

FAQ 

Can goats eat unripe pineapple?

No goats shouldn't eat unripe pineapple. Unripe fruits, in general, can be dangerous for your goat to eat as they are much more likely to contain toxins. If the pineapple you bought is unripe, do not feed it to your goat.

Can baby goats eat pineapple?

Goats that are younger than six weeks of age should not be consuming pineapple or any other treats. Baby goats have nutritional needs that are met by milk and may not be able to safely chew up the pineapple if their teeth haven’t developed far enough, making pineapple and other solid foods a huge choking risk.