Can Goats Eat Blueberries?

Can Goats Eat Blueberries? (Answered!)

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Goats can eat blueberries, because they contain a lot of great nutrients and nothing that is toxic to goats. However, as with all fruits, blueberries should be served to goats in moderation. Blueberries can make a great treat for your goat to mix up the regular routine of grasses and hay.

 

Want to learn more about the specific benefits of blueberries and how to incorporate them in your goat’s diet?

Keep reading to find out.

Can Goats Eat Blueberries?

Why are blueberries good for goats?

In such a little berry, there are a wide array of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.

Blueberries contain vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin K, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, zinc, folate, copper, beta-carotene, folate, choline, vitamins A and E, and manganese.

That’s a long list!

But the beneficial ingredients of blueberries go on from there.

Blueberries also host a diverse range of anthocyanins and phenolic compounds, such as quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin, and chlorogenic acid.

It’s no wonder they’re touted as a cancer-fighting food for humans!

All of these components are healthy for goats as well as people.

Studies have shown that blueberries reduce DNA damage, which helps with healthy aging.

A goat’s lifespan is anywhere from 15-18 years.

Wouldn’t it be nice for your beloved goat to live closer to 18 years?

Studies have also shown that blueberries contribute to a healthy urinary tract.

While it’s common knowledge that cranberries can help prevent and treat urinary tract infections (UTIs), the same is actually true of blueberries.

Of course, making sure that your goat stays hydrated and clean will help prevent UTIs as well.

But a few blueberries can be an extra preventative measure.

Lastly, studies have shown that blueberries may reduce muscle damage after difficult activity.

Your goat probably isn’t going to the gym to lift weights or running any marathons.

But, if it happened to have a particularly strenuous day due to an animal attack or lots of frolicking with other goats, then a handful of blueberries may help it recover faster.

 

How can you feed blueberries to your goat?

Given their small size, a handful of blueberries is pretty easy for a goat to munch down within a few bites.

Since you don’t want your goat scarfing down too many blueberries, given that they do contain sugar, you’ll want to moderate your goat’s intake.

One way to do this is to feed them blueberries by hand.

Blueberries are an excellent treat, which will likely make your goat very happy.

It can deepen the bond between an owner and goat if you walk out to the pasture and hand feed your goat some blueberries every now and again.

Another option is to hide small handfuls of blueberries around the pasture.

This encourages the goat to hunt for them, which is a form of foraging.

Searching for the blueberries keeps your goat entertained, and gives them a nice little reward.

 

What if there’s a blueberry bush in your yard?

If you have a blueberry bush in the pasture with your goat, don’t worry about them overeating.

Nature will do the trick of moderation.

Once the goat eats all the berries on the bush, it will take time for them to grow back, thus slowing your goat’s food intake.

Interestingly, even the leaves of a blueberry bush are safe for goats to eat, so don’t worry if they’re over-zealous while munching on the blueberry bush.

There’s only one problem: they’ll probably eat all the blueberries before you get to them!

 

When are blueberries in season and where can you get them?

Blueberries are native to North America and they are harvested in the summer time between June and August.

During this time, they are easy to purchase in grocery stores, roadside farm stands, and farmer’s markets.

Many people also enjoy foraging for blueberries in public nature areas.

Ripe blueberries should be rich in color and firm in texture with a little give.

Unripe blueberries are lighter in color and firm to the touch, while overripe blueberries can be wrinkled and squish easily.

Unripe blueberries can be bitter or just lacking in flavor, while ripe blueberries are very sweet.

At the end of the day, your goat will probably be less picky about the blueberries than you will, but it’s still nice to give your goat high-quality fruit.

 

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