Can Goats Eat Potato Peels?

Can Goats Eat Potato Peels? (Yummy!)

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Yes, potato peels are perfectly safe for goats. They can eat them no problem, and will enjoy potato peels as an occasional snack. They really shouldn’t be fed too much of it, as even though it’s not exactly nutritionally rich, it is still a somewhat complex carbohydrate for a goat.

 

So, feeding your goats the kitchen scrap potato peels from time to time poses no danger, and in fact is probably a good way of disposing of the peels while providing a treat for your goats.

Though I may be erring on the side of caution, I would still advise moderation with potato peels—goats are not bottomless pits for food waste.

Let’s look further into this.

Can Goats Eat Potato Peels?

 

Is potato peel good for goats?

In a couple of ways, yes.

For one thing, it will most certainly go down well with them.

You can’t underestimate the power that a varied diet has to a goat, and how much they will get out of eating a variety of foods.

Potato skin isn’t the most exciting thing, but it’s another new thing to add to the menu.

It will come with some degree of nutritional benefit, too.

It will be comprised mainly of fiber, which is the backbone of a goat’s diet.

Most of what they eat should be fiber—so they will always benefit from a bit extra.

Potato skins are more or less nutritionally void beyond this, though.

There will be traces of other minerals and vitamins, but not really enough to have a significant impact on their diet.

Potato skins are just a bit of extra fiber and a change up to the diet of a goat.

Don’t expect your goat to feel or look healthier after eating them!

But there are some caveats and potential risks.

 

Is potato peel bad for goats?

No, potato skins are not inherently bad for goats.

That said, there are a number of things you need to be careful of.

First of all, you need to be absolutely sure that the skin did not come from any underripe, green potatoes.

If the skin has any green on it at all, leave it alone and don’t give it to your goats.

The green substance can make your goat very ill.

So, don’t feed them underripe potato skins.

Furthermore, you shouldn’t overfeed them on potato peel, either.

Though it would take quite a lot to do any serious harm, it’s still very much a possibility.

Given the nutritional character of potato skins, you need to make sure the rest of their diet is getting them the nutrients they need.

Don’t expect to throw them kitchen scraps and for them to do just find on such a diet.

 

Can goats eat sweet potato peel?

Yes, sweet potato peel is just as safe as regular potato peel.

The answer to this question is basically the same.

There’s nothing dangerous about it, the goats will almost certainly still enjoy it—but there’s not much to speak of in terms of nutrition.

Also, it’s still a good idea not to overfeed them on sweet potato peel.

It might be a bit more palatable and enjoyable to them, but that’s about the only difference.

What about cooked or raw, then?

 

Can goats eat cooked potato skin?

Yes, they can, although you should be careful of everything the potatoes were cooked in.

If you have leftover potato skins, for example, that were cooked.

These are still fine to feed to your goat, but consider the impact of the added oil and any spices it was cooked in.

These could both be harmful to your goat, and it’s why I normally advise against feeding cooked anything.

Again, I might be erring on the side of caution, but I think for good reason.

 

Can goats eat raw potato peel?

Yes, raw potato peel is the way to go.

Usually, as I said, what most people do is keep the potato peel from after cooking and give that to the goats.

They will enjoy it most this way, since their bodies are used only to raw food—goats in the wild can’t cook things!

The diet that you give them should be the best approximation of what they might get in the wild.

Naturally, they would not have had cooked anything in the wild.

So, yes, raw potato peel is perfectly safe for goats, and is the preferred way to give them.

Potato peel is a really good and safe snack for your goats, then.

It’s not exactly a nutritional powerhouse, but they will appreciate the snack and it doesn’t stand any chance of doing them harm.

As I said, though, you shouldn’t really make it a regular part of their diet.

Though it might seem improbable, eating too much potato skin is a real possibility for a goat.

Don’t take that chance—just give them the occasional bits of potato peel.

 

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