Can Goats Eat Potatoes? What You Need To Know

Potatoes are a common root vegetable that is enjoyed by humans all over the world. However, potatoes are part of the nightshade family. As a result, they come from a toxic plant. Because of this, a lot of people wonder whether they can feed potatoes to their goats.

Let’s take a look, shall we?

Can Goats Eat Potatoes?

Goats can eat potatoes. They do seem to enjoy them. However, it is important that goats eat potatoes in small quantities. They should never be part of a staple diet for goats.

You have to remember that potatoes are very nutritionally-dense, which is fantastic. However, they are also high in carbs and fiber, which is fantastic, to an extent. There is always a risk that eating too many potatoes can cause an upset stomach in some goats. It can certainly lead to a lot of pain for them.

The toxicity is always going to be a risk too. You can mitigate the risk of toxicity somewhat (more on that soon), but the health of your goats is still going to be a small risk.

So yes, goats can eat potatoes. You can feed your goats potatoes, but there are better things out there for a goat to eat if you want to give them a treat.

How Many Potatoes Can They Eat?

Honestly? We wouldn’t recommend that you give each goat more than a few small potatoes per week. Maybe 3-4 potatoes, maximum.

While you can probably give them potatoes every single day without any ill effect, we don’t really see the point in that.

As we said, there are better things to give your goats if you want to give them a treat.

If you are feeding potatoes to your goat for the first time, we do suggest that you keep an eye on them.

This way, you will be able to spot if they are in any distress from stomach pain, etc. They probably won’t be, but goats can have fairly sensitive stomachs. If they are distressed, then make sure that you never feed them potatoes again.

Can Goats Eat Raw Potatoes?

When feeding potatoes to goats, it is important to cook the potatoes first. This is because raw potatoes can contain harmful compounds that can make goats sick.

Cooked potatoes, on the other hand, are a nutritious and safe food for goats in small quantities.

How Do You Prepare Potatoes For Your Goats?

You should boil potatoes before you feed them to your goats. It cuts down on the risk of toxicity from the potatoes.

Before you even think about cooking the potatoes, make sure that you inspect them.

If there is any green on the potatoes, don’t feed that particular potato to the goats. Some people just cut the green section out, but we like to just not serve the potato. It reduces risk.

You can chop the potatoes up and add them to your goat’s feed. However, make sure that you remove the potatoes from the goat’s feed when they are done eating.

If you don’t, then it could start to rot and this will make your goats very sick.

Also read: Is it safe for goats to eat cabbage

Conclusion

Goats can eat potatoes, but we don’t really suggest that you feed them potatoes. This is because potatoes can cause bloating and stomach pain in some goats. There is always the risk of toxicity.

There are plenty of better foods out there if you are looking to give your goats a treat.