Goats are known for being able to eat just about anything, but that doesn’t mean that everything is good for them. You would think that goats could eat kale with ease, right? They like leafy objects. But, is this true? Well, not exactly.
In fact, feeding your goats too much kale can actually be bad for their health. Let’s explain.
Can Goats Eat Kale?
Goats can eat kale in small quantities. There is absolutely no issue with that. There are plenty of nutrients in kale that goats can stand to benefit from. It should never be part of their main diet, but it is good as a little bit of a treat now and then.
However, you mustn’t give your goats too much in the way of kale. In fact, we would advise you to skip giving them kale altogether.
This is because kale has a compound known as glucosinolates in it. If your goat has too much of this in their diet, it can result in your goat suffering from anemia. You probably don’t need us to tell you that this is not a good thing.
This means that you should probably be taking a great deal of care if you plan on feeding your goats some kale, just to be 100% certain that they are fine. Basically, don’t feed it to them often.
How Much Kale Should You Give Your Goats?
We wouldn’t give them kale at all, to be honest. While there is nothing wrong with it in small quantities, there are better foods that they can have in their diet if you want them to have a treat.
That being said, if you are insistent on giving your goats some kale, then a handful or two per week should be fine. It won’t be enough to be toxic to them, but it should be enough to give them a treat.
Of course, because the risk of toxicity is still there, it is wise to keep an eye on your goats when you feed them kale.
If you notice anything along the lines of them being tired, or perhaps there is blood in their urine, then this could be a sign of anemia and you probably will need to call in a vet.
Preparing Kale For Your Goats
First things first, only ever feed your goats mature kale. Do not feed them young kale. Those compounds that can cause toxicity in goats tend to be much higher in young kale. You can only purchase mature kale from stores, so you should be fine on that front.
You need to wash the kale to get rid of any pesticides. You can then mix it up into their feed.
If you are feeling confident, then you may want to hand-feed it to them instead. Kale lends itself to hand feeding, but do take care. Goats can be pretty greedy when they taste something that they like!
Conclusion
When it comes to goats, there are a lot of different opinions on what the best diet is. Some people say that goats can eat anything, while others are more selective about what they feed their goats.
Kale is one food that often comes up in discussion.
While there is nothing wrong with goats eating kale in small quantities, there are certainly better options out there if you’re looking to give your goat a treat.
However, if you give them too much kale, it can cause toxicity in the goats.
It is up to you to determine whether it is worth the risk. if you believe it is, then do not feed the goat’s kale more than once or twice per week.
Lastly, you want to make sure that your goat is getting the best possible nutrition, and eating something that could potentially harm them is counter-productive.
With these simple tips in mind, you can feel confident that you’re giving your goat the best possible care.
Also read: Feeding lettuce to goats
