Can Goats Eat Peas?

Can Goats Eat Peas? (Answered!)

by

Peas are totally safe for goats. They make a tasty and nutritious snack that your goats will love. That said, you always need to keep moderation in mind—too many can quickly become a problem for them. Once or twice a week, at most, as a treat.

 

If you have leftovers from the kitchen or maybe you are just wondering if you can give your goats their very own peas as a treat, it’s always best to be cautious when feeding something new to your four-legged friends.

You don’t have to worry about your goats suffering any ill health effects from eating peas.

You do still have to be careful about exactly how often they eat peas, and in what quantities.

Let’s find out more about this.

Can Goats Eat Peas?

Are peas good for goats?

Yes, they are, in a variety of ways.

For one thing, your goats are almost certain to love them.

Never underestimate the importance of having a good range of treats that your goats really enjoy eating—it will do wonders for their health and their mood.

Peas are great for this.

Beyond that, though, there are a great many nutritional benefits to speak of.

Peas are an excellent source of fiber, for one thing.

Fiber is one of the most important parts of a goat’s diet, aiding healthy digestion and helping the rest of their diet move smoothly through their gut.

There are many other healthy nutrients to speak of present in peas.

They are a great source of protein, which helps your goats maintain strong muscles and bones.

They’re also rich in a variety of important vitamins.

These include vitamins A, K, and C. These serve many functions in many areas of the body, but most importantly, they act as antioxidants.

These prevent oxidative damage to the cells which forms when free radicals are not kept in check by antioxidants.

Finally, peas are a fantastic source of many essential minerals.

These include thiamine, folate, manganese, iron and phosphorous.

Again, all of these different minerals do many different things for the body, from helping transport oxygen around the body, to regulating the fluid in cells.

Peas, then, are clearly very nutrient rich—so are there any drawbacks?

 

Are peas bad for goats?

As with any nutrient-rich food, your goats are only ultimately going to need a rather small amount to get the nutrients they need.

So, while peas are not bad for goats inherently, and won’t cause any specific issues in moderation, that moderation is the most important thing.

If you feed them too much, they will quickly become over-nourished.

They won’t have anything to do with the excess nutrients, and they will end up simply being stored as fat. As great as peas are, too much of anything will quickly become a bad thing.

Feed your goats peas once or twice a week, at most, in small amounts.

Swap them out for other treats during the rest of the week, to keep them from getting bored and make sure they get the best range of nutrients.

But there’s more than one way to prepare peas.

 

Can goats eat cooked peas?

They can, but it’s probably not the ideal way to give them peas.

Cooked food in general is not really the best option for them.

It depends largely on how they were cooked, though.

Boiled plain will be fine, but again, probably not better than just giving them raw.

But if they were cooked with any kinds of sauces, spices, oils, or anything like that, then it stands a good chance of being outright harmful to them.

If you’re unsure what’s been on them, don’t give your goats kitchen leftover peas.

 

Can goats eat raw peas?

Yes, they can, and this is the best way to feed them peas.

The diet you provide for them should be as close an approximation as possible to their diet in the wild.

Naturally, that wouldn’t include any cooked food.

Raw peas are far better for your goat and won’t have lost any of nutrition in the cooking process.

As I said, raw, generally speaking, is the best way to go whatever you’re feeding them.

Peas, though, usually come in quite a specific form—so can my goats eat frozen peas?

 

Can goats eat frozen peas?

No, you shouldn’t give your goat frozen peas.

They will cause all sorts of issues.

Few of them are likely to be serious, and in all likelihood, your goat will just ignore frozen peas and won’t eat them.

That said, they could, and this will cause significant pain in their stomach—as well as good old-fashioned brain freeze.

You can, however, thaw out frozen peas and give them to your goats that way.

This is completely safe.

However, it’s still a bit better to get them fresh peas where you can, as the freezing process will make them less palatable.

 

Peas make a great and healthy addition to any goat’s diet, then.

The key part is just making sure they get the right amounts.

Peas should only ever make up a very small part of their diet, and the rest should be made up of hay and/or forage.

As long as you’re able to strike the proper balance, peas can be a hugely beneficial addition to your goat’s menu.

 

More in Vegetables

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Leave a Comment