Can goats eat pecans? Yes! Goats love pecans and will happily munch on the nuts and the leaves. As with most foods not designed for goat feed, pecans should be fed as a treat and in moderation.
Because pecans are primarily grown as an ornamental, they contain less tannin than other nuts like hickory and oak. However, if you feed your goats too many, they’re still likely to have runny poop.
Where Do Pecans Come From?
Pecans are the fruit of pecan trees that grow in many parts of North America. These trees are related to hickory and oak but produce nuts with much softer shells than their cousins.
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How Can I Give My Goats Pecans?
Smash them up with a hammer or nutcracker, then feed them whole or broken into pieces. Goats will also eat the leaves, which contain more nutrients than the pecans themselves.
Caution: Don’t feed your goats too many leaves at once; leafy greens like pecan leaves contain tannin that can upset your goat’s stomach if eaten in excess.
How Many Pecans Should I Feed My Goat?
A little bit! One or two pecan leaves and a few smashed pecans make a good treat, but that’s about it. Pecan trees can be found all over North America; check your local garden stores for the best deals.
Pecans are easy to find in most places, and goats love them! Go out and gather up some leaves and nuts if you want to reward your goats with a delicious little snack.
Can Goats Eat Pecan Leaves?
Yes! Goats love all parts of pecan trees and will happily munch on the leaves in addition to the nuts. Just make sure your goats don’t eat too many at once. Pecan leaves, for example, have a high amount of tannin and can cause digestive problems in goats if consumed in quantity.
Where Can I Find Pecan Leaves?
Pecan leaves are most readily available from live or cut-back pecan trees, but you might also find them chopped up and sold as mulch by garden stores. Of course, if you have a tree in your yard, you can always go pick some leaves yourself.
Can Goats Eat Pecan Shells?
Yes! Goats love roasted nuts and seeds. You can either roast all your pecans before giving them to your goats or give them broken pieces with the shell still on.
Pecan shells are one of the least nutritious parts of pecans, but goats should not be fed whole or unbroken pieces. Goats will eat pecan shells in small quantities without any problems.
Feeding Your Goats Pecans
Goats enjoy eating both pecans and pecan leaves. You can feed your goats a tiny bit of pecans or leaves as a treat, but remember to avoid feeding them large amounts of either because they contain tannin which is not good for their digestive systems.
Feeding Your Goats Pecan Leaves
Goats will eat all parts of the pecan tree and love the leaves in particular. Make sure that you don’t give your goats too much at once though; these leafy greens have an abundance of tannin and if consumed in high quantity can upset your goat’s stomachs.
Can Goats Survive on a Diet of Pecans?
Goats famously love to eat almost anything, but that doesn’t mean they should. Goats can’t survive on a diet of pecans alone, as they will miss out on much-needed nutrients. It’s important for a goat to have a varied and balanced diet.
Pecans are delicious for goats, but they should never consist of more than a tiny part of their diet. Remember to feed your goat ample hay and grain as well as fresh vegetables and fruit.
What are the Health Benefits of Pecans?
Pecans are rich in vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. They have high antioxidant content and may also prevent heart disease by reducing cholesterol levels.
Are Pecans Addictive?
Pecans contain trace amounts of morphine which means they can be mildly addictive for goats. This doesn’t mean you should never feed your goats pecans again. Just don’t feed them too many because they have an opiate effect on the goat’s brain.
Are Pecans Toxic to Goats?
Anything is toxic in a large enough dose. Pecans are not generally poisonous to goats but you should feed them only a small amount at a time as they contain trace amounts of morphine that can make the goat high if consumed in quantity.
Goats will eat pecans and pecan leaves; just remember that they don’t contain all the nutrients of other foods and shouldn’t be fed more than a tiny portion on occasion. Don’t let your goats choke on pieces of pecan shell, and watch out for overconsumption of tannin-heavy leaves like pecan trees’ own.
Can Goats Eat Green Pecans?
Goats will eat green pecans and love them. Green pecans are unripened fruit that can be harvested from the tree as soon as they start to fall off, or you can wait until the pecan fully matures and turns brown. The green ones are smaller but taste just as delicious; your goats will enjoy munching on these little treats either way.
What Other Nuts Can Goats Eat?
Goats will eat any nut, but make sure you don’t feed them too much of a good thing. Nuts have high caloric value and if eaten in excess can cause weight gain and even life-threatening digestive conditions.
Goats love to eat all sorts of nuts including pecans, but they should only be given as a treat or added to other foods so that they don’t get overloaded with fat and sugar.
Can Goats Eat Pecan Pie?
Pecan pie is delicious and made from the nutritious nuts we just discussed. Goats will eat pecan pie if you give it to them and it’s a good source of calcium and healthy fats, but again they should never be fed too much.
Desserts such as pecan pie contain a lot of sugar which is bad for health if consumed in excess. This goes for humans and goats alike; make sure you feed your goat a balanced diet of hay, grains, vegetables, and fruit before adding pecans or other sweet treats.
Can Goats Eat Pecans – Final Thoughts
In conclusion, while it’s generally safe to give your goats some pecans as an occasional snack, make sure you monitor their intake so they don’t get sick from eating too many. Your goats will thank you for the extra treat.
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