Can Goats Eat Broccoli? (With Nutritional Value)

Ever got chickened out seeing goats eating broccoli? Well, as we treat animals as our kids so it’s fair to get concerned.

Broccoli is an edible green plant that belongs to the cabbage family called “Brassica”. Like cabbage, it contains a flowering head, stalk, and some leaves and all the said parts are edible. We eat broccoli to fulfill the food needs and to get the important nutrients organically. It is often fed to animals as well, whether goats are one of them or not, which would be revealed below.

In this article, we would be discussing whether goats can eat broccoli? If they can, do they like it? Is it safe? Why should you be feeding broccoli? What’s the right way of feeding broccoli? what vitamins and minerals does it have and what do they do for the said animal. Starting with the two most Googled questions;

Yes, Goats can eat broccoli like all other treats. If fed rightly broccoli would be a highly nutritional treat. It contains several important nutrients that goats need for their health and wellness. So, there is no harm in treating goats with broccoli occasionally. 

Yes, Goats like munching Broccoli just as much as they adore peaches, pears, bananas, grapes, carrots, lettuce, celery, squash, spinach, and pumpkins. As now you know goats can eat broccoli and they would enjoy eating the said vegetable, are these two reasons not valid enough to add broccoli to their diet?

Now that the two most Googled questions are answered, let’s engage ourselves in a meaningful discussion. 

As now you have been considering adding broccoli to your goat’s diet, you must know the reasons why exactly broccoli should be a part of your goat’s diet. The reasons are;

  • Nutrients; Broccoli should be a part of your goat’s diet for the sake of nutrients. Grass or hay alone can not supply all the needed nutrients so such nutrients can either be supplied by the vet-suggested supplements or by feeding fruits and vegetables. Since supplying nutrients through fruits and vegetables is the safest way so what’s the harm?
  • To satisfy the taste buds; Whoever thinks that goats are not a picky eater and they do not mind eating the same food every day, must know that this is not the case. Goats can not eat the same food every day, they must be rewarded occasionally to satisfy their taste buds.
  • To encourage eating; We all know how important food is for us and animals to function. Broccoli can be added to the meal to enhance the flavour and encourage eating.
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As we have mentioned in the first heading that broccoli would only be safe if it is being fed rightly. A lot of my reader might not know how the treats should be fed so here is the safest way;

  • The first thing you need to know that, like all fruits and vegetables, they should be fed in moderation. It can not be a substitute to the regular feed, the nutrients must mainly be consumed through the regular feed; hay, grasses, grains, and weeds, etc. 
  • Broccoli must be washed thoroughly as your goats should only be ingesting nutrients, not the chemicals that are sprayed to improve the production. 
  • It must be chopped to prevent choking. So, thoroughly wash the vegetables, chop them into pieces to make it safer and rewarding for the poor little creature. 

Let alone broccoli, all fruits and vegetables need to be fed in moderation but broccoli has got a specific reason.

Broccoli, as you judge the vegetable from its appearance, is a member of the cabbage family and it can not be digested easily.

So, feeding broccoli as a complete meal would be harmful, it would result in bloating or several digestive issues

It’s clear that broccoli is rewarding and risky at the same time. One strictly needs to follow the rules and be careful with the quantity. We have discussed the risks in detail now is the time to enlighten our readers with the rewards. 

Broccoli is nutritional in all senses as it contains all the important vitamins and minerals every living thing needs for its health and wellness. Broccoli is the main source of

  • Protein
  • Fiber
  • Iron
  • Potassium 
  • Calcium 
  • Selenium 
  • Magnesium 
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin C
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Now that you have got the list of vitamins and minerals broccoli have, let’s see what they do to that poor domestic animal. 

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Protein is just as needed by the goats as us. Let alone goats, all grazing animals require protein for tissue repair and growth.

Besides the basic function, protein do aid in obtaining a healthy weight, improving growth rate, and healthy reproduction and lactation functions. The lack of protein in the goat’s diet makes them malnutrition. (Source)

Fiber is an essential nutrient that ruminants(sheep, goats, and cattle) require to live a balanced life. This rewarding nutrient balances out the intestinal content and speeds up the transit time. In simple words, fiber is needed to keep the digestive system healthy. 

The grazing goats seldom get iron deficient but every 1 in 10 pet goats has to bear the consequences of iron deficiency.

It is not needed by the goats in abundance but the unavailability can become a cause of a deadly disease called Anemia. Iron plays an important role in transporting oxygen to the parts of the goat’s body.

Goats need a few vitamins and minerals to live healthily and potassium is one of them. Potassium does not just assist in healthy metabolic function it also improves muscle activity and nerve function. Moreover, it also plays a huge role in preventing cardiovascular disease.

Calcium is an important nutrient that is needed for healthier teeth and bones. Calcium and phosphorus both jointly bring rigidity and shape to the goat’s structure.

Selenium is generally not required by the grazing animals additionally as they are already consuming it through food. Broccoli is not high in selenium so feeding in moderation would not cause any problem. 

Magnesium is needed and desired for the healthy functioning of several important functions in the goat’s body. It is craved for the normal functioning of the nervous, muscular, and enzyme systems. Moreover, it also aids in skeletal development.

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Vitamin A may not be needed by the goats if they consume sufficient green feed. The goats that are surviving on poor feed need vitamin A for their vision and skin. The vitamin A deficiency, though it’s rare in goats, leads to diarrhea, reproduction, and respiratory problems. 

No living thing can survive on planet earth without vitamin C. This rewarding vitamin has got the reputation of improving tissue growth and immune regulation. 

Besides the discussed nutrients, broccoli contains a noticeable amount of folic acid, vitamin E, K, and B.

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The anti-oxidants broccoli is enriched with are; carotenoid, sulforaphane, kaempferol, quercetin, and Indole-3-carbinol. All these vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are equally essential for the growth, health, and wellness of humans and animals. As it’s hard to discuss each one in detail so only the major nutrients have been discussed in detail.

Other Treats for goats

Yes, goats can eat broccoli but in moderation as it belongs to the cabbage family that, when ingested in huge quantities, can cause intestinal issues. Broccoli is safe and healthy if it is being fed paired with the regular goat feed. Broccoli should be thoroughly washed and chopped as you do not want your goat to ingest chemicals or get choked.

It’s an important source of protein, fiber, iron, potassium, calcium, selenium, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C. You should feed broccoli to supply nutrients organically, to satisfy the taste buds, and to encourage eating.

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