I eat eggs every day for breakfast and, one day while making breakfast, I got curious about the types of animals that are able to eat eggs.
It got me thinking, would it be safe to feed eggs to goats?
Eggs are not inherently toxic to goats and it is possible for them to eat them.
This does, however, raise questions such as, are eggs harmful to goats? Are there any nutritional benefits of feeding eggs to your goats? and how should you prepare eggs for your goats?
Let’s get into it!
Why would goats eat eggs?
Goats will eat eggs for a couple of reasons.
If you have multiple forms of livestock living together in the same area it is common for them to eat each other’s food and interact with each other.
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This is true for goats and chickens.
If your goats and chickens live in the same area, then it is possible for your goats to sometimes eat their eggs.
For the most part your goats will ignore the eggs and eat the chicken feed, however, but it is still possible for them to chomp on the eggs.
(You should never let your goat eat chicken feed by the way as this can make them very sick!)
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Goats will also eat eggs if given it directly by their owners.
When farmers or homeowners have excess eggs, it is common for them to give it to their livestock and pets.
It is common to give eggs to pigs and dogs, but goats are also included in this as well, as both livestock and pets.
Are eggs harmful to goats?
While goats are able to eat eggs, there are some potential dangers that could arise from them consuming them.
Goats are herbivores and their stomachs are set up in a specific way to accommodate mainly grass-based and plant-based foods.
You should, therefore, be wary when feeding them meat or any type of protein that isn’t plant-based.
This, of course, also includes eggs.
Eggs can also be dangerous for your goats if they have gone rotten or ‘bad’.
Rotten eggs can contain salmonella and other harmful toxins.
A salmonella infection will result in diarrhea and vomiting and can be very harmful to the health of your goat.
To avoid this, don’t feed your goat eggs too regularly, never feed them cracked eggs, and, if you believe that your eggs have potentially gone bad, cook them thoroughly as this will kill the salmonella.
Most goats will avoid eating eggs altogether and tend to turn their noses up at them.
For the ones that do eat them, however, it is important to limit the amount that they eat and ensure that they never consume rotten or ‘bad’ eggs as this is extremely bad for them.
What nutritional value do eggs have for goats?
Eggs are very common foods and are praised for their versatility and nutritional values.
One egg, while only having about 77 calories, has 6 grams of high-quality proteins and 5 grams of high-quality fats.
It also contains a lot of beneficial vitamins and minerals such as iron, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin B, Calcium, Zinc, and phosphorus.
While a lot of goats won’t eat eggs, for the ones that do, there are a lot of benefits that can be gained from them.
As mentioned above, however, you should be mindful when feeding eggs to your goats.
Proteins and fats
As mentioned, eggs contain high-quality proteins and fats which is beneficial to your goats as it improves their digestion and assists with their digestive health and comfort.
It is also important for the growth and maintenance of muscles in their body and positively impacts their overall health.
Calcium
Calcium is extremely important for the health, development, and maintenance of your goat’s bones and teeth.
It also works to support normal muscle function and helps the body to produce energy.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is an essential mineral, and it is extremely important to consume foods that contain it.
When it comes to your goats, phosphorus is important for the filtering of waste and the repairing of cells and tissue.
It is important for the health and strength of your goat’s bones and works to improve energy levels.
Iron
Iron is a very important mineral that is essential for the transport of oxygen in red blood cells.
Consuming enough iron will help with fatigue and is very important for the functioning of your goat’s immune system and overall immune health.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a vital vitamin and can be very beneficial to your goats.
It is a fat-soluble vitamin and positively impacts your goat’s vision, as well as improving its immune system and organs such as kidneys and lungs.
Consuming vitamin A also helps to reduce the risk of your goat developing cataracts.
Vitamin B
There are many different types of B vitamins, but they are all water-soluble and are mainly gained through your diet.
Vitamin B helps improve energy levels, improves metabolism, is an antioxidant, and helps with cell growth and repair.
Vitamin B, therefore, is an important vitamin that should be included in your goat’s diets in one way or another.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is an essential vitamin for the health of your goat’s bone metabolism.
This helps protect their bones from fractures and keeps their bones strong and healthy.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that can be acquired from the sun and through certain foods.
Vitamin D facilitates normal immune system function and helps with the absorption of calcium and phosphorus.
Vitamin D is beneficial to your goats as it is important for the proper development of teeth and bones and also helps to fight disease.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E has many benefits that can positively impact the health and wellbeing of your goat.
It is an antioxidant, which helps to protect your cells, and helps to maintain healthy eyes and protect against diseases.
How should you prepare eggs for your goat?
Eggs are a very versatile food and, as a result, can be prepared in many different ways.
When it comes to giving them to your goats this is also true.
Raw eggs
The main way that goats consume eggs is raw.
This is because they tend to eat the eggs of the livestock around them (if they like eating eggs at all) such as chickens.
When giving your goat raw eggs it is essential that they are not rotten or ‘bad’ as this could be very dangerous for you goat and negatively impact their health.
Boiled eggs
Goats are able to eat boiled eggs and it is actually a great way to give them eggs.
Simply hard boil the eggs and then give one to them once it has cooled.
Poached eggs
We wouldn’t recommend giving your goat poached eggs.
The texture and consistency will not be appealing for your goats and it will be difficult to feed it to them.
Scrambled eggs
Goats are able to eat scrambled eggs.
When scrambling the eggs, however, don’t add in anything extra to them.
Keep it simple!
Due to the small size of scrambled eggs it might be a good idea to feed it to them alongside another food to make it easier to eat.
Egg shells
Goats are able to eat eggshells and normally eat the egg whole, shell and all, when eating the eggs of other livestock.
Another way to prepare eggshells for your goat is to crush/grind them down into a powder and adding it into their feed.
Which goats can eat eggs?
Eggs are edible for all goats so technically all goats can eat it.
Whether wild goats or goats kept as pets such as pygmy goats, they are all able to eat eggs as long as they are not rotten.
The better question is whether they would want to.
Most goats tend to avoid eggs and opt instead for fruits or vegetables if they are looking for a treat or a quick snack.
Goats are able to eat eggs, but we wouldn’t recommend feeding it to them.
Eggs are potentially very harmful to your goats, goats aren’t designed to eat this type of food, and there are much better foods available that can be used as treats.
If your goats like eating eggs however, then there are different ways to prepare it for them and you should ensure that you aren’t feeding it to them in large quantities or too frequently.
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