Plums are a favorite fruit among us, and that’s no surprise.
It’s great to learn, also, that we can safely share them with our goats and that they come with lots of health benefits.
As I said, though, the really important thing is moderation. Don’t swap out the rest of their diet for plums.
Let’s look further into this.
Are plums good for goats?
Yes, in lots of ways!
First and foremost, goats are huge fans of the taste and of something so juicy and watery.
They will, almost certainly, go crazy for plums.
Plums are also a great source of fiber.
Even though a goat’s entire diet is essentially fiber, it never hurts to get more.
Fiber in a plum will help your goat’s digestive system on the whole, keeping everything moving smoothly and swiftly.
They are also rich in antioxidants, which prevent the formation of free radicals in your goat’s cells.
Free radicals can damage cells over time, and antioxidants prevent this damage.
Plums have also been shown to help with respiratory issues, by reducing inflammation, heart disease, high blood pressure and even strokes.
This is a combination of the minerals like potassium and the anti-inflammatory aspects of plums.
They can also reduce blood sugar in goats.
Overall, then, goats are packed with all sorts of great nutrients for your goat.
There’s no overstating that. However, the main caveat is simply the fact that they are so nutrient rich means careful moderation is really important.
Are plums bad for goats?
Inherently, no, plums are not bad for goats.
As I’ve just listed, there are countless great things about plums that will keep your goat happy as well as it simply loving the taste.
However, the important thing is where it fits into your goat’s diet as a whole.
A goat’s diet should be made up primarily of hay and forage—around 75% of its diet should be only this.
The rest should be a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, of which plums would then be a smaller part still.
The very fact that they are so nutrient rich means that you only need to give them a small amount before they’ve gotten all the benefit they need.
Any more and they may have trouble digesting it.
But plums don’t come in just one variety.
Can goats eat moyer plums?
Moyer plums are among the most popular and commonly available, so you’ll be glad to hear they’re totally safe for your goat.
They are rich in all the nutrients we looked at, as well as being readily available.
Moyer plums are a favorite choice for feeding goats plums because they are tasty, juicy, not too high in sugar, and very easy to find.
That said, there really is no variety of plum that is not safe for your goats—just always keep the same rules about moderation in mind.
Can goats eat plum pits?
The pit does pose a small choking hazard, but goats eat bigger things regularly, so your goat will probably have no trouble.
If you want to pit the plum, your goat won’t really miss the pit.
It’s not a part it will particularly enjoy.
That said, though, they are inherently totally safe and do not pose a threat of poison or toxicity.
They are just a minor choking hazard, so you may want to remove the pit before giving your goat a plum.
So, whatever the variety, whatever part of the plum, your goat will love it and will benefit from it health wise.
That said, it should still only ever occupy a very small part of your goat’s diet, only a small part of the 10-20% made up by fresh fruit and vegetables.
Simply because they are so nutrient rich, it doesn’t take long before over eating on plums becomes a big problem.
Enjoy one or two plums a week with your goat, and provide other snacks elsewhere.
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