Goats are widely known for being willing to eat virtually anything.
Whether it’s tasty vegetation or the glue on the back of a label, they are curious creatures with a wide palette.
Hopefully, this clears up any confusion you might have had about the nature of a goat’s diet.
They are ruminants, meaning they eat forage of various kinds like plants, grass, and even tree bark, which they then digest multiple times.
They do not eat meat.
Let’s look further into this.
Are goats carnivorous?
No, they are not.
Goats cannot and should never eat meat, of any kind, in any quantity.
They are completely incapable of breaking it down and it will make them very sick if they eat it.
But more on that later.
Carnivores are any animals that eat primarily meat.
Obligate carnivores are animals which can eat meat, and only meat.
Most cats and big cats are obligate carnivores, eating only meat.
They may nibble on grass here and there, but this is more as self-medication, rather than for sustenance.
Dogs, wolves, and many other animals can have a mixed diet to an extent.
They eat primarily meat, but they can have some amounts of other things.
This is why many dog foods include vegetables but cat foods do not.
Goats, however, do not fit into this category at all.
They are not capable of eating any meat.
There are, obviously, vast differences between these animals, but in terms of pure digestion, what’s most notable is that carnivores have complex microbiomes in their gut to break down meat.
Goats have some degree of microbiome, but it is completely different.
Without these specialized gut biomes, goats would have no hope of digesting meat.
So, then, are goats herbivores, instead?
Are goats herbivorous?
Yes, goats are herbivorous.
They eat exclusively plant matter.
In the wild, goats will roam around large areas and forage for any kind of vegetation they can find.
They will most enjoy bushes, flowers, and leaves, but they will eat tougher things like tree bark and twigs if the mood takes them.
In any case, they are entirely herbivorous.
As I mentioned, this is what their digestive system is set up to accommodate.
They will pull vegetation from the environment, chew it up, and swallow it.
Once it’s been partially digested, they will regurgitate it, and continue chewing it more.
Ruminants, as animals which do this are called, are characterized by four separate stomach compartments for digesting their food.
Again, carnivores lack this, having a single stomach and digestive tract with microbes for digesting their meat.
So, yes, goats are herbivores, and there is no two ways about that.
Are goats omnivores?
No, strictly speaking, goats are not omnivores.
Omnivores are classified as those who can eat both plant and animal matter.
Human beings are probably the best examples—we can eat virtually anything, provided it is properly prepared.
Meat, plants, fungi, insects, algae—anything.
Goats are not omnivores because they cannot eat anything.
They can eat plant matter and plant matter alone.
There is no space in their diet for meat or animal matter of any kind, whether it’s cooked or not.
Goats can eat many kinds of fungi, but for classification purposes, this is mostly considered the same as plant matter.
Will goats eat anything?
No, despite their reputation, goats are actually quite picky eaters.
The common misconception comes from the enduring notion that goats are regularly seen eating tin cans.
As I mentioned, this comes from a misunderstanding of the fact that goats will, sometimes, try to eat the glue from the back of labels on tin cans.
But they will not eat metal, nor could they.
Goats need a pretty strict diet, mostly of hay and/or forage, and some fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes on the side.
They don’t need more than this, although they do, like most herbivores, need a lot of what they eat.
What happens if a goat eats meat?
It depends on how much exactly the goat eats, but the consequences could be quite bad.
Generally speaking, goats will leave meat alone, and will not try to eat it.
If for some reason, your goats have managed to get into some meat, though, you should take them to a vet immediately.
The meat will sit largely undigested in their gut, causing pain, cramps, vomiting, diarrhea—any number of serious, life-threatening issues.
Food poisoning is almost certain to occur in large quantities.
Again, though, instances of goats eating enough meat to make themselves sick are extremely rare.
So, while your goat cannot eat meat, you don’t really need to worry about it doing so.
It won’t do it on purpose, and it will be smart enough to know to avoid it.
In any case, goats are not carnivores, but are obligate herbivores.
They can eat plant matter and only plant matter, and so you should feed them accordingly.
They need hay, forage, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.