Can Goats Eat Eggplant? (Are They Safe?)

Unfortunately, eggplant is part of the nightshade family which is toxic to goats. It’s not a good idea to give eggplant to your goats. Eggplant when consumed could cause any number of gastrointestinal problems, pain and, in serious case, even death. You should not feed eggplant to your goats.

Goats may have a reputation for eating anything they can get their hands on, but they’re actually a lot pickier than you might guess.

If your goats are foragers, and they are properly fed, anything in the nightshade family that they found in the wild would not be palatable to them and they would avoid it.

So, eggplant is a no go.

What else is in the nightshade family that you should avoid feeding your goat?

Contents

What foods are bad for goats?

There are not that many foods which are toxic to goats as far as fruits and vegetables.

There are enough to cause concern, though, and you should be aware of them.

Any time you want to feed your goat something new, you should do your research first.

Nightshade vegetables could cause vomiting, poor appetite, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

If they get too much of it, the damage could well be permanent, though death is rare.

The problem is an alkaloid present called solanine, which is an insecticide the plant forms naturally while it’s growing.

Can goats eat tomatoes?

Any variation of a tomato or tomato product belongs to the nightshade family and should be avoided.

Tomatillos are include in this.

Fruits are not very commonly problem foods for goats (yes, that’s right, tomatoes are fruits) but these nightshade fruits certainly are.

Can goats eat potatoes?

Most types of potato also fall into the nightshade family.

White and red potatoes can cause the same issues as other nightshade foods and should be avoided.

They are very tough and hard, in any case, and your goat would likely have trouble chewing them up.

Sweet potatoes, on the other hand, are not part of the nightshade family and are in general safe for goats to eat.

The same problem remains that they are very tough, so if you were going to feed them to your goats, they would need to be chopped up first.

Your goats could choke otherwise.

Can goats eat peppers?

Any and all peppers unfortunately fall into the nightshade family and are not safe for your goats.

Bell peppers, jalapenos, chili peppers are all unsafe for your goat and should be avoided.

Were it not even for the nightshade, your goats still probably wouldn’t handle the spiciness very well.

So, don’t give your goats your leftover Mexican food.

Can goats eat red spices?

Though you’re probably not thinking of just giving servings of spices to your goats, if you are feeding them kitchen scraps you will need to think about what precisely is on those scraps.

There are a number of red spices which fall into the nightshade family and are therefore dangerous for goats.

Curry powder, chili powder, cayenne powder and paprika are all part of the nightshade family and will cause inflammatory issues.

Unsurprisingly, the spices derived from the peppers are just as problematic as the peppers themselves.

Can goats eat pimentos?

Pimentos, you might be surprised to learn, are actually another kind of pepper and fall firmly in the nightshade family.

They are not safe for your goats and should be avoided.

What can goats not eat?

So, the nightshade family in general should be avoided.

There are a few things that fall outside of this classification that can still cause a lot of problems for goats.

One of the most commonly known is avocado.

Avocado contains a fungicidal toxin called persin, which can be fatal for goats.

Our digestive systems are equipped to digest the toxin, but goats are not. Avocado should definitely be avoided for your goats.

This includes fruit, leaves and seeds.

Most leafy greens are fine for your goat, but kale contains excessive quantities of oxalates, which can cause urinary stones and other problems for your goats.

Spinach is usually okay as its lower in oxalates, but you should still start off in small quantities and see how your goat reacts.

They should also avoid chocolate.

Chocolate contains another harmful substance known as theobromine, a bitter alkaloid of the cacao plant which also makes its way into chocolate.

In small quantities your goat will not have much trouble with chocolate, but for safest results you should eliminate it entirely from their diet.

There are many common garden plants which are also toxic to goats, like holly trees, lilacs, and lily of the valley.

You should be aware of what your goats have access to as, though they will normally avoid anything toxic, you still ought to be careful of what they can get to.

So, eggplant is definitely off the menu for goats, as is everything in the nightshade family.

Though goats are known for their ability to eat anything, there is actually a lot of common foods out there that are toxic to goats.

Be very careful of what you feed them if it’s coming out of your kitchen.