Can Sheep Eat Strawberries?

Sheep, just like all animals, certainly wouldn’t turn down a tasty treat every now and then. In fact, we reckon that if you put a bowl full of fruit in front of your sheep, they would tuck into it like there is no tomorrow. But, is this a good thing? Are there some fruits that sheep can’t eat? In fact, more importantly, can sheep eat strawberries?

can sheep eat strawberries

After all, sheep are typically associated with grass, so it may seem strange to someone that they would enjoy something sweet like a strawberry.

Can Sheep Eat Strawberries?

Sheep can eat strawberries without any problems. 

We don’t think we have met a sheep that would turn down some strawberries. They love them.

It should be fine feeding a sheep some strawberries, as long as you don’t go overboard with it (more on that in a short while).

Strawberries do contain a few of the nutrients that your sheep should have in their diet, which is great. Although, do bear in mind that there is nothing in strawberries that they can’t get in much greater quantities with other foods in their diet.

The problem with strawberries is that they are high in sugar. Consuming too many of them has been known to give sheep some stomach issues, particularly if they are younger sheep.

There is also a risk, albeit a very small one, of sugar-triggering acidosis in sheep. If you own sheep, then you know that this can be a fatal condition.

However, that is something that you only really need to worry about if you are giving your sheep vast quantities of strawberries.

How Many Strawberries Can Sheep Eat?

We wouldn’t give a sheep more than 3-4 strawberries at a time, and we wouldn’t give them to the sheep more than 2-3 times per week.

It isn’t so much that the sheep wouldn’t be able to handle it, but we do like to leave some space in their diet for other treats that they can tuck into too.

This way, they will have a broader range of vitamins and minerals entering their system.

can you feed sheep strawberries

Remember, all sheep are different. When you give a sheep some strawberries for the first time, you should keep an eye on them.

Make notes on their behavior and their overall health. If there seems to be a major change, then avoid giving them strawberries in the future.

How To Prepare Strawberries For Your Sheep

You don’t have to do anything special with the strawberries if you want to feed them to your sheep. Washing them is enough. You should also remove the leaves. While sheep can stomach them, they have little to no benefit so we don’t see the point.

Your sheep can eat strawberries whole, but we like to chop them up, mostly because we don’t like the risk of a sheep choking.

You can hand feed the sheep the strawberries, or you can mix them into their feed.

Final Thoughts

Strawberries can be eaten by sheep, but they mustn’t overindulge. Too much sugar is never a good thing for a sheep, and you don’t want to run the risk of them eating so many strawberries that they can’t eat their normal food.

You should always introduce new foods slowly and in moderation to make sure your sheep don’t have any adverse reactions.

Finally, make sure your sheep are getting plenty of other healthy food as well.

Also read: Is corn safe for sheep

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