Can Goats Eat Dahlias?

Can Goats Eat Dahlias? (Answered!)

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Yes, goats can eat dahlias. They are not toxic or poisonous and won’t cause your goat any harm. That said, they’re also not exactly nutritionally rich, so there’s not much benefit to going out of your way to feed them dahlias. They’re okay as forage.

 

So, while the answer is that dahlias are safe for goats, there’s also very little to be said for letting them eat dahlias.

Dahlias are display flowers more than anything, and though your goats will enjoy destroying any flowerbed they find, there’s limited nutritional value in doing so.

Let’s look further into this.

Can Goats Eat Dahlias?

 

Are dahlias good for goats?

In a few ways, yes, dahlias are good for goats.

They’re attractive, pretty and vibrant flowers, for one thing, and this is sure to pique your goat’s interest.

Goats are natural ruminants and foragers, meaning they like to explore a wide range of foods in their territory.

The value of having many things to find on a pasture is really great for them, and can keep them enriched and entertained as well as fed.

So, if you have dahlias growing wild on your pasture, you don’t need to worry about your goats getting to them.

They will make short work of them, if they feel like trying it.

There are a couple of nutritional benefits to speak of, as well.

Primarily, like any plant, flowers are a good source of fiber for your goat’s diet.

Fiber is really the backbone of a goat’s diet and helps everything move smoothly through its gut.

They can never really have too much fiber.

Flowers will also contain some trace minerals and vitamins, although not really enough to make a significant impact on your goat’s diet.

That said, though, dahlias are never going to be enough on their own.

So, they should be eating dahlias on top of a good variety of other forage, or hay if they don’t have a big enough pasture.

As with any food, though, there are always important caveats to consider.

Let’s look at the disadvantages of dahlias in your goat’s diet.

 

Are dahlias bad for goats?

Dahlias aren’t inherently bad for goats. They aren’t poisonous or dangerous, and they won’t cause them any harm in this way.

However, too much of anything can always end up being problematic.

Dahlias are fairly simple, so it would take a great deal to cause any serious issues, but you should nonetheless keep it in mind.

The other issue, though, is whether your goats end up not getting the nutrition they need elsewhere in their diets because they are overfeeding on dahlias.

As I said, the value of dahlias is really as forage, as something for your goats to get excited about finding.

There’s not much nutritional benefit to speak of.

Nonetheless, they can still get full from eating too many dahlias.

Then, they won’t have the appetite for the rest of their food and may end up lacking the vitamins and minerals they need to be healthy.

Copper, for instance, is vital in a goat’s diet, copper deficiencies are common in goats.

Make sure they are not overeating dahlias, and are getting the nutrition they need from their hay, fruits and vegetables, or other forage.

 

Can goats eat dahlia flowers?

There are, of course, multiple parts of the dahlia plant—so which are safe?

The flowers, the most attractive part, are totally safe.

You’ll be glad to hear this, since, again, this is what will attract your goats to the flowers.

You might think goats are colorblind, but they are actually quite capable of spotting colorful flowers.

The flowers contain a lot of the fiber and the trace nutrients.

But, again, they’re really best just as something exciting to find on the pasture.

What about the stems?

 

Can goats eat dahlia stems?

Yes, goats can eat dahlia stems.

The stems are another good source of fiber, and your goat will most likely eat the flowers and the stems together without really realizing it.

They will simply eat the whole thing in one go, in most cases.

The stems are simple plant matter, and good as forage with a bit of fiber, but otherwise not particularly beneficial, nutritionally speaking.

They would need a lot to get the fiber necessary.  

 

Can goats eat dahlia leaves?

Yes, goats can eat dahlia leaves, and depending on the particular plant, this may be what they end up eating most of.

Some dahlias have larger amounts of flowers than others, and some are practically bushy.

If you have a dahlia plant with a lot of leaves, then your goat will certainly enjoy eating them.

Again, though, they’re good as forage, and a lot of leaves can even provide a good amount of nutrition.

Beyond that, though, they’re not particularly beneficial.

So, any part of the plant is safe for your goats, and there is even a bit of benefit in terms of forage value and fiber.

Overall, though, there’s not a great deal to be said for giving your goats dahlias.

They will eat them if they find them, but if you’d prefer to have your flowerbed intact, then you can give them other foods to keep them busy.

 

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