When it comes to goats, there’s a popular idea that they will and can eat virtually anything.
Certainly, in comparison to grazing a pasture like cows or sheep, goats do sample a much wider variety of foods.
I was chatting with a friend the other day about the phenomenon, and we were comparing strange things our goats had eaten or tried to eat over the years.
But it got me wondering about why exactly goats feed the way they do, so I decided to look into the question.
Why do goats eat everything?
Well, the simplest answer is that they are, as I said, browsing animals rather than grazing animals. They will have a chew on almost anything that shows even the barest resemblance to plant matter because they like to try everything, and are very fond of fiber, trace amounts of which can even be found in clothing.
Now, it is not of course true that goats will eat literally anything.
They do have their limits, and their digestive systems are not capable of breaking down anything.
What do goats like to eat?
If your goat has started to be a nuisance with trying to eat things, it’s worth considering what the best diet is for your goat.
A goat’s diet should be at least half made up of forage, that is, hay, grass, or alfalfa.
Though they are browsers rather than grazers, they still have a lot of the same dietary needs as grazers.
Around 2 to 4 pounds of hay or grass a day is a good rule of thumb.
Adding grain feed to their diet can provide them with vital proteins and vitamins.
This must be carefully regulated however, as it is easy to overfeed grains which can lead to a number of health issues.
Foraging will always make up the cornerstone of their diet.
They are also very fond of kitchen and food waste.
They can struggle sometimes with egg shells, but in general they will do a very good job of clearing compost and is a good opportunity to give them some nice treats.
Bread or certain kinds of dried fruit can be good. As you will see, however, you must be careful of what’s in there.
Ultimately, hay is the main source of nutrients for goats.
They need long, fibrous plant matter to underpin their diet.
If you provide a good balance of the things mentioned here, your goat should feel less inclined to try and eat your clothes.
What can goats not eat?
Despite their reputation, most goat owners would agree they can actually even be quite picky.
There are a number of things you should be very careful of getting into your goat’s diet as they can be toxic.
Avocados, a very popular breakfast fruit, contain a toxin called persin which goats are not able to break down as we are.
Avocados can be fatal for goats when eaten.
If you are feeding your goats compost, you must be sure there isn’t any avocado in there.
Chocolate, equally, contains an alkaloid called theobromine which can be very dangerous if not fatal for goats.
It can take a very high quantity to cause noticeable problems, but it should nonetheless be removed from their diet.
Plant foods high in oxalates should be avoided.
This includes things like kale, spinach, beets and rhubarb.
Most plants have oxalates in them, but you must be careful of how much is present.
Excess oxalates in a goat’s diet can lead to urinary stones and other health problems.
There are a number of plants which can be toxic to goats, which you should ensure are not hiding anywhere on their foraging ground.
The list is quite long, but things like azaleas, holly trees, lilacs and lily of the valley can all pose a number of issues for goats.
So, these are the most common things goat owners are advised to avoid in their goat’s diet.
How do I stop my goat from eating everything?
So, with all that in mind, the first step in convincing your goat not to eat everything is providing it the best diet you can.
If it has a good foraging ground available to it, it shouldn’t feel the need to eat things you don’t want it to.
That said, one of the main problems people often have with goats is that they eat all of their garden flowers and plants.
They will hoover up entire plant beds, even of species of plants which are supposed to repel goats and deer.
The simple fact is that if your goats have access to your garden, they are going to eat your plants, unless you only grow plants that goats don’t like.
Even then, the mood may eventually take them and they will decide to eat the flowerbed.
The only real way you can prevent this is by fencing your goats in.
Physically separating them from the flowers and your garden is the only sure way of stopping them.
There are other things you can try.
Deer repellent sprays can sometimes work in putting your goats off your plants.
Again, though, this is far from guaranteed to work.
They might simply ignore it.
There are also motion sensor sprinklers you can set up which would spray your goat if it got near your flowers.
Goats usually don’t like water very much, and will take shelter when it rains.
So, a sprinkler security system might convince them to stay away, though, again, this is not a guarantee.
Try a few things out and see how your goats react.
So, to wrap up, goats eat ‘everything’ because they are natural browsers, curious animals who like to try virtually anything that looks like food.
If they have all the nutrients they need in their diet, then it shouldn’t cause so much of a problem, if you don’t let them in to your house.
The main problem is goats destroying flower gardens, which they will given the slightest chance.
Goats are connoisseurs of a great variety of edible material, but ultimately, they do not truly eat everything, just a lot of things that might seem strange to us.