Can Goats Eat Dandelions?

Can Goats Eat Dandelions? (Answered!)

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Yes, dandelions are perfectly safe for goats! In fact, dandelions make great forage food for all sort sorts of animals both wild and domestic. In the spring and fall, depending on where you live, dandelions are likely to be so plentiful that it might be hard to stop your goats eating them.

 

So, you certainly have nothing to worry about if your goats got into some dandelions.

If your goats have a good pasture, they will most likely love eating dandelions for the whole time they’re in bloom.

Blooming from early spring until the beginning of fall, these little plants go from yellow flowers to those white seed parachutes that everyone loves to blow around.

At any point, your goat will love dandelions, although the bright yellow flowers are likely to look more appealing than the seeds.

That said, goats are notoriously picky, despite their reputation for eating anything; your goats might simply not like dandelions.

After all, the yellow flowers might even put them in mind of other, similar-looking flowers that aren’t healthy for them at all, like daffodils.

Can Goats Eat Dandelions?

 

Are dandelions safe for goats?

You may have heard when you were first setting up your goat herd about the number of common garden plants which are potentially toxic, even fatal, to goats.

We’ll look at a few of those later, but daffodils are entirely safe for goats in any form.

Most commonly, they’ll enjoy roaming around the pasture in the spring pulling them up.

Foraging is one of the most important sources of nutrition for goats, so when the dandelions start showing up after a long winter, they will be really happy to see them.

Further, dandelions grow everywhere (they are weeds after all), so your goats will come to recognize them as an old favorite.

Even humans eat dandelions in the form of dandelion greens.

I’ve tried braised dandelion greens made at home as a side and they’re delicious!

If you end up with any leftovers after cooking dandelion greens, your goats will love these too—although be careful of what you cooked them in.

Even residual oils could be harmful to your goat if you feed them too much.

Finally, as I mentioned, both the yellow flower and the white seed pods are perfectly safe, too.

If your goats do show interest in dandelions, they’re more likely to do so when they’re flowering yellow.

 

What weeds and plants are toxic for goats?

Despite the safety of dandelions, and goat’s reputation for eating anything, there is no shortage of common garden plants that are toxic and even fatal to goats.

It’s almost impossible to provide an exhaustive list (there are many, many species of plants!), so the best thing to do is try and identify any plants growing on your property.

There are many ways you can make this job easier nowadays.

There are a large number of common plants, shrubs and bushes that contain alkaloids which are dangerous for goats.

Some more common examples include rattle weed, horse nettle, wild parsnip, hemlock, nightshade and common poppies.

Of course, the list does go on and there are many more.

This preliminary list gives you an idea of the kind of families of plants that might cause problems for your goats.

On the other hand, there are many plants that contain cyanogen, another substance that can be deadly for goats.

These include very common plants like rhododendron, hydrangea, ivy, buckeye and sorghum.

These families are the main ones you want to look out for.

Other harmful substances found in common plants include saponin in things like coffee weed and soapwort and resin in things like fir (or Christmas) trees.

In general, goats are quite hardy and have good enough instincts that if their usual diet is fulfilling enough, they won’t bother with things that would cause them harm.

There’s always the possibility, though, so it’s best to be very careful of what your goat has access to.

 

What are the benefits of dandelions for goats?

Dandelions aren’t just a great treat after the winter months, they contain a number of healthy vitamins and minerals that keep goats at their healthiest.

They’re rich in a whole host of vitamins like A, C, K, E and B.

Dandelions, being plants, are also highly fibrous.

A goat’s diet should be primarily fibrous matter, since hay should constitute most of what they eat.

Fresh plants are also a great source of fiber, and dandelions are no different.

The fiber in dandelions will help with goat’s digestion.

Dandelions also contain high concentrations of minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium.

All of these will keep your goat happy and healthy and strong throughout its life.

Like anything, it’s probably best to ration the amount you let them have.

If they eat too much, they could become overnourished and have some problems.

All in all, though, dandelions make a great treat for your goat, whether they find them as forage or if you bring them freshly cooked greens.

Dandelions are full of vitamins and minerals which will help keep your goat healthy for its whole life, and also act as a great enriching activity when they can hunt for the newly sprouted flowers in the spring after a long, cold winter.

 

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