Goats are singular eaters, in many ways.
They enjoy a variety of things, but most of it comes down to plant matter.
Leaves, shrubs, bushes, trees, even bark—they do have that old reputation for being able to eat anything, though.
You may have wondered how far this goes, though, and whether they could share fish with you—so can they?
So, the simple answer is no then.
Your goats need not ever eat animal matter, including fish, of any kind.
They are herbivores and will not ever get any benefit out of eating meat.
Let’s find out more.
Is fish safe for goats?
No, it is not.
Fish is an animal matter that goats simply are not equipped to digest.
Firstly, there’s no benefit to giving them fish on any level.
Most carnivores and fish-eating species have specially adapted gut microbiomes.
These microbes help to digest meat and release energy into the animal’s body.
Goats, and indeed herbivores in general, lack this specialized gut biome.
Thus, they are completely unable to digest meat, and when they eat it, it will simply sit undigested in their gut.
I’ll get into the specific risks associated with this shortly.
Goats, for the most part, will know to avoid fish because they know it is not safe for them.
They should not have any impulse or desire to eat it, as long as they are plenty full from the rest of their diet.
The only conceivable way a goat might eat fish is if it were otherwise starving.
Goats might have a reputation for being able to eat anything, but the reality actually far precedes this.
They have diets that actually need to be pretty tightly controlled and monitored, and there is one clear group of organisms that goats exclusively feed on: plant matter.
Fish, obviously, is animal matter.
Not to mention the simple fact that they would obviously never be able to eat fish in the wild since this would involve catching fish.
If you’ve ever interacted with a goat, it’s probably quite clear to you they could never do this!
Is fish dangerous for goats?
So, let’s consider the tangible dangers of feeding fish to your goats.
The big problem is going to be with digestion.
As I mentioned, goats have no digestive apparatus for breaking down fish in their gut.
They possess no microbes or special bacteria which many carnivores do, which helps them break down the meat.
So, when a goat eats fish, that fish will sit undigested in their gut.
This will mean that anything else they eat will have difficulty getting through, and they may ultimately end up with diarrhea, stomach cramps, and even bloating.
All of these are very uncomfortable for goats.
Eating a large amount of fish could cause serious illness, though, and even death.
They will feel full, for one thing, even though they haven’t eaten anything of any actual nutritional value.
They will then have a nutritional deficit.
So, yes, fish is extremely dangerous for goats.
That said, there is a form of fish that is often fed to other farm animals, like cows and sheep—so can goats eat fish meal?
Can goats eat fish meal?
It’s certainly safer than eating fish, but it’s still not advisable.
There’s no benefit whatsoever over other, more common, and closely formulated goat feeds.
Fish meal was and is used experimentally with large populations of cows and sheep on farms, in attempts to increase certain outputs.
Ultimately, though, the results have shown that there is no special benefit to fish meal, and the effects on goats are even less well documented.
While fish meal might be better and more appropriate as feed than just fish, it’s still of little to no real benefit over other feeds.
Give your goats hay or let them forage a large pasture.
On top of that, give them a variety of fruits and vegetables as treats.
There’s no need to give them fish—they have plenty of other great foods they can enjoy.
Are goats carnivores?
No, goats are not carnivores.
They eat plant matter and plant matter alone.
They are prey animals, hunted in the wild by all sorts of predators.
They have no capacity to attack or bring down prey, and as we’ve clearly seen, do not possess the digestive apparatus to break it down.
Even their teeth are inappropriate for chewing meat.
Are goats omnivores?
No, they are not—goats are pure herbivores.
All they eat is plant matter.
Though you might have heard of them eating tin cans, they are just curious foragers, and like to eat a wide variety of foods.
This often means experimenting in interesting ways.
There is no other way of looking at it, then.
Goats cannot and should not ever eat fish under any circumstances.
It is extremely unhealthy for them, and contains no nutritional benefit whatsoever.
Your goats are obligate herbivores, meaning they can only, and should only, eat plant matter.
There is no reason to feed them fish, and there are countless options for tasty treats you can give them without feeding them fish.
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