Can Goats Eat Cilantro?

Goats are probably the only dairy animals who love eating kitchen scrap. Whether it’s fruit/vegetable peels or cilantro, they do not mind eating anything. Most fruits and vegetables that goats find in the scrap are safe. 

Even if goats do not get to eat them from the scrap, they get to eat them as a treat. Cilantro is the one member of the herb family that is hardly offered as a meal or treat. Does that mean goats can not eat Cilantro? It’s not safe?

Yes, goats can eat Cilantro as a treat. Feeding it as a meal would not be a good idea. If you do not want your goats to suffer from any life-threatening issues, let grasses and grains be the main source of nutrients.

Yes, goats have a soft corner for all the herbs and grasses. They happen to love Cilantro as well. The goats love Cilantro to the point that if you refuse to feed they would not mind snatching it from your hands.

Cilantro is safe if it is fed in moderation. Feeding it as a meal frequently is not a good idea.

Cilantro should not be consumed in large quantities because it breaks down the flavorless compound that gives milk-white color. Moreover, if the feed-in moderation rule is neglected, the flavor might not remain the same. 

If you are planning to add Cilantro to the goat’s diet, try adding calcium-rich grains (oats and corn) to balance things out.

The dairy goat breeds should not be eating Cilantro, as it gets the milk tinted. The rest of the cases can eat Cilantro; even the pregnant and lactating goats.

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Cilantro is all rewarding, it contains several crucial nutrients. However, it contains a good amount of calcium, potassium, manganese, vitamin A, C, and K.

Calcium is a crucial mineral that goats need for the healthy functioning of various operations. To be more specific, calcium is mainly required for better structural and bone strength. Bananas for goats are also a good source of calcium.

Besides that, calcium helps with blood clotting, muscle contraction, membrane permeability, enzyme activity, and healthy nerve and cardiovascular function. Feed Strawberries to goats as an alternative to calcium.

Potassium is also one of the few minerals that goats need in abundance. Cilantro being rich in potassium helps in preventing potassium deficiency.

Moreover, it plays an important role in maintaining the correct fluid balance and keeping the metabolism sound and healthy. Learn Can you feed Asparagus to goats?

Manganese is not any less important. The goats demand manganese for a variety of reasons as well; mainly for normal skeletal development and the nervous and muscular system. Feed pumpkins to goats as an alternative source.

All the grazing goats fulfill their vitamin A needs from grasses and other green feeds. However, the domestic ones have to meet the demands through other sources.

To fulfill the vitamin A needs, Cilantro is a fine option. This rewarding vitamin helps goats with normal epithelium, or skin, development, and vision.

Surprisingly, goats can produce vitamin C themselves. They do not need any additional vitamin C-rich food to boost overall health.

However, a little amount of vitamin C helps with tissue growth and maintenance, amelioration of oxidative stress, and immune regulation.

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Vitamin K is every animal’s need, goats are no different case. This rewarding vitamin is required for the synthesis of the proteins involved in the blood clotting mechanism.

Since Cilantro contains almost all needed nutrients, feeding it once a week would not harm the poor animal. It would rather make a healthy treat. 

In brief, yes goats can eat Cilantro. Cilantro does not harm the goats going through the lactation or pregnancy stage. However, feeding it to the dairy goats is not a fine idea. It is one rewarding herb that can be fed as a treat; in moderation.

If Cilantro is not fed in moderation, it breaks down the flavorless compound that gives milk-white color.

Moreover, it has also been observed cilantro messes with the milk flavor as well. Cilantro is all enriching if it is fed as a treat. It contains calcium, potassium, manganese, vitamin A, C, and K that goats need for their health and wellness.

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