Can Goats Eat Scotch Broom? (Answered!)

 

As with anything, it’s important that you are careful of moderation when it comes to Scotch broom.

It is a fairly innocuous plant, but it should still be treated with care.

They should be getting good balance in their diet, and they won’t get that if they’re eating too much of any one thing—including Scotch broom.

Let’s look further into this.

 

Is Scotch broom good for goats?

Yes, in many ways!

For one thing, wild-growing weeds like Scotch broom are great for your goats as foraging opportunities.

Goats, unlike grazers like sheep and cattle, prefer to roam around and find a variety of things to eat.

This means they will seek interesting-looking plants.

If they have plenty to choose from, this is great for their diet and their enrichment.

But beyond that, Scotch broom does have some nutritional benefits to speak of.

Firstly, it’s a great source of fiber.

Fiber is one of the most important things in a goat’s diet, and they can really never get too much.

Scotch broom also has small amounts of some minerals, like copper, which are good for your goat’s wellbeing and bodily functions.

It is a pretty simple plant, so actual, concrete health benefits beyond the enrichment and the fiber in the plant are not really very numerous.

Nonetheless, as part of a balanced diet, Scotch broom can be really good for your goats’ health.

There are always caveats, though, so let’s look into it.

 

Is Scotch broom bad for goats?

No, not inherently.

Scotch broom is not dangerous, toxic, or poisonous, and poses no immediate danger to your goat.

Eating it will not be a problem for them.

The issues arise from a lack of balance.

You need to make sure that your goats are getting the requisite balance they need in their diets.

They can’t just eat scotch broom and nothing else.

As I said, even just in terms of their foraging, they are looking for good balance of foods.

They won’t get this from one plant, especially one as simple as Scotch broom.

There’s not really a great deal of benefits to going out of your way to provide them with Scotch broom.

If it’s growing on their pasture, great.

Otherwise, they can get all the same benefits from plenty of other plants and vegetation.

Make sure you are giving them hay, pellets, as well as treats like fresh fruit and veg on top of their foraging.

This gives the best choice and balance, keeping them both happy and healthy.

There are many parts to a Scotch broom plant, though—so are they all safe?

Let’s look into it.

 

Can goats eat Scotch broom flowers?

Yes, they can, and this is most likely what will attract the goats to the plant in the first place.

They have vibrant, yellow flowers, that stick out in an otherwise green landscape.

They are naturally drawn to bright flowers like this.

You’ll be glad to know, then, that the flowers of the Scotch broom are perfectly safe.

Again, they are probably best purely for the enrichment of finding something as visually interesting as these bright flowers.

Nutritionally speaking, there’s not a whole lot to say about the flowers.

They will have some fiber, and some trace minerals, but mostly it’s just fun for your goat to eat.

 

Can goats eat Scotch broom stems?

The stems are a richer source of fiber, and your goat will likely eat a good deal of stem without even realizing while eating the flowers.

Again, you’ll be glad to know that the stems are perfectly safe.

They don’t contain anything that is dangerous for your goats.

If you were going to give your goat any part of the plant, the stems are the most nutritious.

 

Can goats eat Scotch broom leaves?

Finally, of course, the leaves.

They are quite small and, again, more or less nutritionally void on their own except in large quantities.

Your goats will again mostly eat them without really noticing.

That said, as part of the whole experience, leaves are great for your goat!

 

So, as you can see, goats are perfectly fine to eat Scotch broom, and may even enjoy it a great deal.

If you have it growing naturally, it’s a great foraging opportunity for your goats and they will enjoy clearing it out.

It can get invasive, so it may even be that it grows back once your goats have stripped it back once.

Depending on your perspective, this could be a good or a bad thing!

In any case, remember that balance and moderation are always vital to their diet.

 

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