As tempting as it might be, then, to share cheese with your goats, it is definitely not in their best interests.
They will not get any real benefit out of it and may in fact become sick or unwell.
Let’s look further into this.
Is cheese safe for goats?
No, is the simple answer.
Cheese is not safe for goats and they shouldn’t eat it.
A goat’s diet should consist entirely of plant matter, of one form or another, and there’s no place in it for anything else.
They are herbivores and survive on a diet of hay, forage, and fruit and veg.
Cheese, obviously, does not fall into this category.
It’s highly processed and depending on the kind of cheese has the potential to contain a whole host of ingredients that are not good for your goats.
Fundamentally, though, it is a dairy product and thus is not safe for your goats to eat, even if you make it yourself and monitor everything that goes into it.
If you feed your goats cheese, they may well end up with stomach cramps, digestive troubles, even diarrhea, and serious pain.
It’s essentially nutritionally void for them, and their stomachs and digestive systems are just not equipped to break it down.
Dairy in the diet of any animal is generally not a good idea, for a variety of reasons—but fundamentally there are one or two things about it that make it a bad idea for your goats.
Let’s look into why exactly goats shouldn’t eat cheese.
Why can’t goats eat cheese?
The main reason goats shouldn’t eat cheese comes down to the presence of lactose.
Lactose is a special kind of sugar, which is only found in animal milk and, by extension, cheeses and other dairy products.
Since milk is produced for infants, they have a special enzyme in their gut that allows them to break the lactose down.
Baby goats suckling on their mother’s milk possess this enzyme.
Adult goats, however, do not.
The enzyme is lost in maturity when they begin eating solid foods.
The same is true of all mammals.
So, when you feed a goat cheese, there are going to be large quantities of lactose which they are unable to break down.
It will thus sit undigested in their gut, causing pain, cramps, and ultimately diarrhea.
This is not to mention all of the other ingredients you will find in store-bought cheese.
They are usually high in salt and other preservatives, which can be bad for your goats in large quantities.
Goats, simply put, are lactose intolerant.
They can’t eat cheese because they can’t digest it.
Can goats eat hard cheese?
No, goats cannot eat hard cheese.
While it is true that the lactose breaks down in some hard cheeses, you still have all the problems associated with the preservatives and other ingredients present.
Not to mention that it is still a dairy product that they are not equipped to break down, and thus it will remain nutritionally void for them.
Do not feed your goats hard cheese.
Can goats eat soft cheese?
Soft cheese is even worse than hard cheese.
Soft cheeses like mozzarella are the highest in lactose content, and thus will certainly give your goat a bad time if you let them have any.
You should avoid feeding your goats soft cheese for any reason.
Can goats eat goat cheese?
If you own goats, then there’s a good chance you might use their milk to make cheese.
Since this came from the goats themselves, you may be wondering whether it’s safe to feed this cheese back to them.
Unfortunately, the same problems still remain.
Goat cheese contains lactose and lacks any nutritional benefit for your goats.
Can goats eat vegan cheese?
You’d be correct in assuming that vegan cheese did not contain any lactose or dairy.
However, this still doesn’t make it good for goats.
They may not have the issues associated with lactose intolerance, but there’s still not likely to be anything present that’s of much value to the goat.
They are usually made of oils of one form or another and are again highly processed containing a lot of salt and other preservatives.
While they may not have any direct digestive problems as a result, there are still a number of risks involved as well as very little dietary benefit.
Don’t feed your goats vegan or lacto-free cheese.
So, if you want your goat to be as happy and healthy as possible, you should not feed it cheese.
Their diet should consist entirely of plant-based foods, and there is no place in it for dairy of any kind.
If they eat cheese, they will get very little nutritional benefit, and will end up with stomach pain, cramps, and even diarrhea.
Don’t let your goats eat cheese.
More in Dairy
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