Rewarding your farm animals with some unusual but healthy treats is a kind gesture we all should start practicing. Goats are probably the only farm animal that gets as excited as humans when they see their favorite food being served.
Pasture comes first on the list of their favorite foods no doubt but raisins, greens, asparagus, chaffhaye carrots, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds aren’t the least loved treats.
There is a long list of unusual fruits and vegetables that are considered the healthiest for animals like goats. Strawberries are one of the rewarding fruits that quite a few livestock keepers present as a treat to the animals.
In this discussion today, we will be discussing how-to feed strawberries, the benefits, and the drawbacks of treating goats with strawberries. Wait a little, as we are starting with a basic most googled question,
Can goats eat strawberries? Yes, Like most of the vegetables and fruit treats, the goats can eat strawberries but not as a regular part of their diet in the strawberries season. Strawberries are a fine treat option if they are fed occasionally.
Goats aren’t picky eaters; they usually eat whatever they find on the plate. So, when something is pleasing the taste buds how can one think goats have another option.
When the strawberries season arrives, it is suggested to dedicate one or two days to strawberry treat(in moderation). Going above figure two can be dangerous so if you can not resist the face that goats make to get what they want, treat them twice a week otherwise once a week is enough.
Strawberry is no doubt not heavy on the goats’ jaws but still, it shouldn’t just be thrown into the goats’ feeding pot unchopped. Wash them thoroughly and cut them into small cubes to avoid the risk of choking.
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Bonus tip Not only strawberries but all fruits and vegetables should be given after chopping them off in small, easily chewable pieces.
The strawberry that is bought to feed the goats should just be taken out from the strawberry plant or it shouldn’t be rotten. The goat’s stomach is pretty sensitive so feeding the rotten vegetables or fruits can invite trouble.
According to webmd Strawberries are full of several important vitamins and minerals that are needed by humans and animals to live a stable healthy life. If you have decided to reward your goats with strawberries this season so you shouldn’t be feeding them with a half-knowledge. Let’s find out what vitamins and minerals strawberries have;
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K
- Fiber
- Folic acid
- Manganese
- Potassium
Strawberries are a great source of vitamin C after grapefruit, lemons, and oranges. Let alone humans, animals, and plants need vitamin C for their survival. This rewarding vitamin is also needed to strengthen their immune system.
The important widely known function of Vitamin K is that it works for the better functioning of the blood clotting mechanism. Vitamin K supplements are not desired by the goats as much as other vitamins and minerals they need but it’s okay for the goats to consume naturally in a small amount.
Fiber is an important macronutrient that not only goats but each female mammal on planet earth needs to surpass the critical stages of life; pregnancy and lactation period. Fiber is also required by the goats for adequate milk production.
Folic acid is another rewarding element of strawberries that helps the metabolism to work efficiently. The farm animals need an adequate amount of folic acid for DNA synthesis and red blood cell production.
Manganese deficiency is common in goats and gives it’s clues with a reluctant walk, deformed forelegs, and poor concentration rate. The importance of manganese can not be neglected as it leads to the stronger foundation of the goats’ body by playing a lead role in bone formation, enzyme functioning, and reproduction.
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Potassium plays an essential role in keeping the correct fluid balance in the body. Keeping the said function working fine, it also supports the metabolism for healthy functioning.
Now you know how beneficial strawberries can be if we start treating our goats occasionally. Goats generally don’t need anything additional to get the potassium, phosphorus, and calcium needed as they are already intaking it through the pasture.
Goats need selenium, zinc, copper, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, and some vitamins to live a balanced life. A lot of these vitamins and minerals are being consumed by the goats unknowingly.
The vitamins and minerals strawberries have are no doubt quite useful for that compacted body but it’s totally up to you, even if you don’t add strawberries they would still be fine, and feeding finely chopped strawberries would also not cause any harm.
Other treats for goats
You can feed some other vegetables and fruits to goats. Make sure treats are not a regular diet so always feed in a small amount. You can feed bananas to goat both peels and fruits but make sure it is free from dirt. We have discussed poison ivy and pine needles feeding to goats.
You should if they are willing to try. Goats are the kind of animals that love variety so if you are adding a new healthy treat to their routine I think that’s great. Feed a few strawberries first and see if they enjoy it or not( as some goats turn away their heads and refuse to eat because of the sore taste) you can feed more.
If your goats don’t like the taste I would suggest ditching the idea of forcing them to eat, as treats should be something that pleases the taste buds.
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Lastly, Do I treat my goats with strawberries or not?
I do treat some of my goats with strawberries occasionally and leave a few because they don’t like how strawberries taste.
Summing it all up in a few words, goats can eat strawberries, it’s healthy for them to have it once in a while. The strawberries should only be fed chopped otherwise they can choke the goats.
