Can Goats Eat Foxtail?

Can Goats Eat Foxtail? (Revealed!)

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Goats can eat foxtail only before the seeds develop on the plant. Barley grasses like foxtail often have barbed awns on the seeds, which can cause sores in the eyes, nose and mouth. They generally aren’t even that interested in it, so you’re best just removing it.

 

So, while goats can eat foxtail at certain points in the plant’s development, it’s overall not really a great idea for them to do so.

They run the risk of causing minor injuries on the seeds, and in any case, it’s not terribly nutritious to begin with.

Many goats will simply ignore it if they find it on their pasture.

Let’s look further into this.

Can Goats Eat Foxtail?

 

Is foxtail good for goats?

Not terribly, no, although it is not nutritionally void, either.

When they get it at the right time—i.e., before the seeds develop—then it is a lot like any other forage, really.

It’s a good source of fiber and they will get enrichment from wandering around and finding it in their pasture.

There are also some trace minerals and vitamins in foxtail, which can add to your goat’s diet.

There are plenty of better places to get these nutrients, though.

In various studies and observations, it has been noted that goats with an abundance of food elsewhere in their diets will largely ignore foxtail they can see on their pasture.

They just aren’t that interested in it.

So, there’s very little nutrition to speak of, and goats really aren’t that interested in foxtail to begin with.

But the problems associated with feeding foxtail to your goats don’t end there.

Let’s look at why it can be actively problematic.

 

Is foxtail bad for goats?

Foxtail isn’t inherently bad for goats.

It isn’t dangerous to their health in the sense that it is poisonous or toxic.

Eating it will not cause them immediate fatal harm.

That said, you should still be very careful about any foxtail that they have access to.

As I have mentioned, the problem is that foxtail is very different at different points in its development.

At certain points, usually once or twice a year, they will produce seeds on the stalks of their plants.

These seeds, as you will be able to see just by looking, are sharp and barbed.

These sharp seeds have long been the bane of dog owner’s existences, and the same goes for goats.

If they swallow these seeds, then the barbs can cause gastrointestinal damage as they are not properly broken down.

They can also cause sores around the mouth and eyes just from attempting to chew them up in their mouths.

While some goats may be better at handling these seeds than others, there’s really no benefit to taking the risk.

As I said, they are all but nutritionally void, good more for forage and enrichment, than as actual food.

When you introduce the danger of barbed seeds into this, it becomes clear that there are far better things you could be feeding them than foxtail.

 

Can goats eat foxtail stems?

The stems are probably the safer part of the plant—assuming that there are not, currently, seeds growing on them.

The stems are fibrous and may or may not look attractive and tasty to your goat.

There will be the most benefit to eating the stems.

Again, though, there’s nothing in foxtail stems that they couldn’t get elsewhere, in a safer package.

So, yes, goats can eat foxtail stems, but there’s no real reason to and a lot of reason not to do so.

 

Can goats eat foxtail seeds?

No, they can’t, and definitely should not.

If you’ve ever seen a blooming foxtail seed, then you’ll know exactly why.

They are incredibly sharp and covered in countless barbs, so you only have to imagine what that could do to your goat’s insides.

For the most part, your goats will almost certainly leave the seeds alone of their own accord.

They won’t try to eat it.

That said, many probably will, and the more goats you have, the higher the chance of this happening.

If you see foxtail on your homestead, whether blooming or not, you should get rid of it.

But how?

 

How do you get rid of foxtail?

Most of the time, all you need is a simple weeder of some kind.

Roundup is a great choice, as this will stop the plant from developing while protecting your lawn from damage.

So, as soon as you see foxtail developing on your homestead, hit it with some weeder.

So, while it may be safe at certain points of the plant’s maturity, there’s ultimately no real reason or advantage to feeding your goats foxtail.

If it happens to be growing on your pasture, the likelihood is that they will simply ignore it if there is better food available.

Given that, plus the fact that it really isn’t particularly nutritious for them and is potentially harmful, it’s overall not a good idea to try and get your goats to eat foxtail.

 

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