Cauliflower should make up only a small part of your goat’s diet, and in fact is best thought of as a treat.
Your goats will, most likely, love cauliflower.
But you must remember to keep in moderation as cauliflower is so rich in nutrients that it is quite easy to overfeed cauliflower.
All that considered, let’s look at the benefits of cauliflower.
What are the benefits of cauliflower for goats?
Cauliflower, as I mentioned, is rich in a lot of nutrients that are essential to a goat’s diet.
The broad stroke rule of thumb with fresh vegetables is that they should always be only a small part of your goat’s diet.
The diet should be about 75% dry hay, like grass hay, alfalfa hay or legume hay.
That said, they will need a certain amount of fresh fruit and veg in their diet (though not necessarily the whole remaining 25%).
Goats are natural browsers, and will want to spend time roaming around looking for food.
It’s best to keep as much variation as possible in the remaining part of their diet, both for health reasons and just to stop them from getting bored.
Consider this part of the diet the ‘treat’ section.
This is where cauliflower will fit in, and it is not short on health benefits.
First of all, it’s a fantastic source of fiber. Goats need a lot of fiber in their diets, being natural browsers.
They’ll get most of it from their hay, but some additional fiber from cauliflower will be a bonus.
It’s also rich in a number of vitamins like C, K, B6 and B9, all of which are beneficial for your goats.
Phytochemicals and antioxidants are vital in protecting not just individuals but your entire herd from disease.
When one of your goats gets sick, there’s a good chance it can spread to the others, either because it’s transmissible or because they got it from the same thing.
Cauliflower is rich in these substances, and so will not only make a great, healthy treat for your goat but it will also protect it from disease.
Cauliflower is rich in a long list of minerals that your goats will need for daily sustenance and that promote healthy growth.
Some are calcium, iron, sodium and small amounts of healthy sugars.
In smaller quantities cauliflower also contains manganese, phosphorous and potassium, all of which are really healthy for your goat.
Cauliflower is great especially for young goats and milking goats.
Both kids and milking does will need a slightly higher concentration of nutrients in their food to make sure they grow properly and to gain back the energy lost producing milk.
The list could go on.
Cauliflower is packed with tons of vital nutrients and minerals that promote healthy lifestyles for goats.
Again, the important thing to remember is moderation.
Cauliflower may be incredibly rich in all these nutrients, but that’s all the more reason to be careful; you will need to limit what you give them, or they might gorge themselves and get sick.
They should only ever eat small amounts of cauliflower.
Can goats eat cauliflower leaves?
Cauliflower leaves are also safe for your goat.
They can eat the whole thing without a problem, and will probably enjoy all of it.
Indeed, the leaves are more like what they might find browsing in the wild and so they might go for those first.
Goats love all kinds of leafy greens like spinach, and cauliflower leaves are no different from this.
What greens can goats eat?
You might be wondering what other greens goats can eat alongside the cauliflower.
As I said, it’s important they only occasionally get cauliflower.
The truth is, goats can and will eat pretty much any vegetable.
The only thing you really need to avoid is cooked potatoes, as they contain toxins goats’ digestive systems are not set up to deal with.
Kale, also, contains high quantities of oxalate, which can be harmful to goats in the quantities present in kale.
Spinach is another great treat for your goat.
It’s quite similar to kale, though it does have a much lower oxalate content.
Your goats will love spinach, and it does make a great treat: again, though, you must remember moderation.
Too much will cause problems for your goat.
Lettuce is a great treat as well and really safe.
It’s high in water content too which makes it great for hydration.
Other greens your goat is likely to enjoy include rocket and broccoli.
Most green vegetables are a safe, healthy treat for your goat.
So, cauliflower is rich in benefits for your goats.
It’s packed with all sorts of nutrients that are essential for your goats at all stages of their lives, whether they’re juvenile and still growing, full grown and even milking.
Doing this research has made me more fully appreciate cauliflower for my own health, and I think I’ll be cooking with it a lot more now!
More in Vegetables
- Can Goats Eat Asparagus?
- Can Goats Eat Bamboo?
- Can Goats Eat Basil?
- Can Goats Eat Bok Choy?
- Can Goats Eat Broccoli?
- Can Goats Eat Brussel Sprouts?
- Can Goats Eat Cabbage?
- Can Goats Eat Carrots?
- Can Goats Eat Cauliflower?
- Can Goats Eat Celery?
- Can Goats Eat Garlic?
- Can Goats Eat Green Beans?
- Can Goats Eat Kale?
- Can Goats Eat Leeks?
- Can Goats Eat Lentils?
- Can Goats Eat Lettuce?
- Can Goats Eat Mushrooms?
- Can Goats Eat Parsley?
- Can Goats Eat Parsnips?
- Can Goats Eat Peas?
- Can Goats Eat Potato Peels?
- Can Goats Eat Potatoes?
- Can Goats Eat Radishes?
- Can Goats Eat Rhubarb?
- Can Goats Eat Soybeans?
- Can Goats Eat Spinach?
- Can Goats Eat Sweet Potatoes?
- Can Goats Eat Swiss Chard?
- Can Goats Eat Turnips?
- Can Goats Eat Watercress?
- What Vegetables Can Goats Eat?