What Fruits Can Goats Eat?

What Fruits Can Goats Eat? (Find Out!)

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Goats can eat virtually all fruits, except avocados. The only variety I would caution against is citrus fruits. The acidity can upset their rumen and cause discomfort and digestive pain. Apart from that, though, there are really no fruits goats can’t have—just find the ones your goats like! Just keep moderation in mind.

 

So, as long as you avoid avocados and citrus fruit, you can really give your goat just about any fruit.

Fruits make up an important, if small, part of a goat’s diet, so you always need to keep moderation in mind.

They shouldn’t eat too much.

Let’s look further into this.

What Fruits Can Goats Eat?

What are goats’ favorite fruit?

The answer is that it is, unfortunately, going to depend on your particular goat.

Goats are highly individual and will prefer a wide array of things.

The trick is going to be taking the time to give your goats a wide variety of fruits over time and seeing what they seem to enjoy the most.

That said, goats often enjoy apples, bananas, watermelon, pears, peaches, grapes, and papaya.

They like things they can crunch on, like apples, but also softer, mushier things like bananas.

They love virtually all fruit, and you’ll eventually find the one your goat loves.

Even when you have found their favorite, though, you should still only feed them this one fruit in moderation.

They still need good balance and variety in their diets, so you’ll need to find a handful of fruits that they seem to enjoy a lot.

Even then, you should still strictly moderate all fruit in their diet.

Their hay, forage or grain should take up around 75% of their diet.

The remaining should be a variety of snacks and treats, including fruit, vegetables, nuts and legumes.

Fruit in particular is typically quite high in sugar, so they should not have too much of it.

As I said, there are very few fruits that are off the menu.

However, it is important to be well aware of what those are so as not to run into any accidents.

Let’s take a look at those fruits.

 

What fruit should goats not have?

There are a couple of clear exceptions and some that are more up to your own discretion.

As I mentioned, avocado is one you should certainly avoid.

They contain high concentrations of a compound called persin, which is toxic to ruminants.

Don’t assume that things are safe for your goats because they are safe for you.

The other group I would advise against is citrus fruits.

As you’ll know, citrus fruits are highly acidic, and they don’t agree with a lot of human stomachs.

Goats in general will have their rumen upset by citrus fruits.

So, ideally, you should avoid oranges, lemon, lime, grapefruit, and any other citrus.

Finally, some fruits, like cherries, contain stones with concentrations of cyanide.

Though this may sound scary, the concentrations are extremely low.

That said, it is still best practice to pit the cherries before you let your goats have them.

If you’re worried, you can just avoid it completely.

There are plenty of other options.

 

Can goats eat tropical fruit?

Tropical fruit is quite a broad category, which doesn’t necessarily tell us much about the fruit itself beyond the climate in which it grows.

Many fruits are tropical and have hugely varying qualities.

Many tropical fruits are citrus fruits, and they should be avoided, as I mentioned.

Coconuts are perhaps the quintessential tropical fruit, since we think of palm trees.

They are perfectly safe for goats, though you’ll have to prepare them first—they’ll have trouble breaking them open.

Other fruits like mango, papaya, and kiwi are perfectly safe for them.

Moderation, though, is still important, as tropical fruits especially tend to be very high in sugar.

 

Can goats eat stone fruit?

As I mentioned earlier, some stone fruits have trace amounts of cyanide in their pits.

Cherries, for instance, you may want to avoid, or at the very least be sure to pit them.

Other than that, though, most stone fruits are perfectly safe—plums, and peaches, are all completely safe for your goat.

There’s always a small choking risk, so remove the stone if you are concerned about that or have smaller goats.

 

Can goats eat melons?

Yes, goats love melons of pretty much any kind!

Watermelon always goes down a treat with goats, especially on a hot day.

Cantaloupes are also a great option, as are honeydew melons.

Indeed, virtually any melon you can get your hands on will be good for them.

Again, ideally, you’ll probably want to cut the melon up a bit for them to make it easier to get at.

Beyond that, though, they’re perfectly fine for your goats in moderation.

So, with a couple of key exceptions, and always keeping moderation in mind, goats can eat virtually any fruit you can think of.

Whatever you feed them, make sure it represents only a small part of their diet.

It should be an occasional treat and nothing more, to keep them happy, and healthy, and maintain a good balance in their diet.

 

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