Can Goats Eat Bananas?

Bananas are healthy diets for many animals including goats, but can goats eat bananas?. They are rich in fiber, potassium, vitamins, and many other healthy nutrients that are beneficial to a goat. Considering their natural state, this treat is far healthier than many processed treats produced for goats. However, are they really a suitable choice for goats? Let’s find out in this article.

Yes. Goats can eat bananas in moderation. Bananas are healthy diets that your goats can take for their well-being. Whether it is served as treats or served between meals, you can give goats some bananas to consume. Although your goats may be a little picky when served these treats at first, that doesn’t mean they can’t consume them. Prepare the bananas in different ways and watch them consume them.

However, if you are just feeding them for the first time, you may have to consider some tips and monitor your goats so that they won’t choke on these treats. Besides, you have to take some precautions when feeding your goats to avert issues.

Do Goats Enjoy Eating Bananas?

Just like their normal diets, goats enjoy eating bananas. They are healthy treats that contain vital nutrients for the goat’s wellbeing. Whether the bananas are ripe or unripe, they take any of them with ease. When you are feeding them with the unripe ones for the first time, ensure that you cut them into smaller pieces. This process is necessary due to the bananas’ hardness. Cutting them into small pieces makes it easy for consumption and digestion. After they have gotten used to the unripe bananas, you may not need to cut them any longer. As long as you don’t make these treats their normal diets, goats will keep enjoying them as part of their meal.

Why Should You Feed your Goats some Bananas?

Bananas are healthy fruits for your goats. If fed moderately, they provide nutritional values that contribute to your goat’s health status. This research reveals a list of the nutritional values given to your goats through a 100 grams banana.

Source: USDA FoodData Central

Now that we have an understanding of the nutritional values of bananas, here is a list of how these nutrients provide vital benefits for your goats.

• Vitamin A is a vital nutrient that supports eyesight – prevents some goats’ eye diseases and helps their reproductive system as well.
• Vitamin C and E are good antioxidants that strengthen the immune system and promote growth.
• Calcium is essential to support your goat’s bones. Besides, it is beneficial to other health issues such as muscle contractions, enzyme activities, and the cardiovascular system.
• The rich fibers in bananas ensure the proper functioning of the goat’s digestive tract and regulate its bowel movements.
• The iron present in Bananas can help in producing red blood cells which reduces their risk of becoming vulnerable to anemia.
• Bananas contain low-fat that doesn’t allow your goat to gain extra weight.

Are Bananas Good to Serve as a Treat?

Bananas are healthy choices that can make a good treat. If you do not want to serve them plain bananas or just chop it up for them, you can incorporate some treat ideas into their diets. Here are some examples of these treat ideas for your goats.

●     Dried Banana Chips

Before you start, ensure the bananas are ripe and firm. Then, you can start by cutting the peeled bananas into thin slices. Soak these thin pieces for ten minutes in lemon juice and add some water to prevent the banana from getting brown.  Afterward, drain the content and lay the bananas in a dehydrator to get dried. If you intend to use an oven for drying, you can place the bananas on a baking sheet. Bake them at 215 degrees for about 90 minutes. When getting brown, you can club and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

●     Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Get a bowl and mix 1 cup of dry oatmeal and raw wheat germ, 2 cups of raisin bran, and about 1 or 2 chopped pieces of banana. In another bowl, you can mix 1 cup of molasses and 1 cup of applesauce together. When the dried content is mixed thoroughly, then you can add the molasses and applesauce. Continue mixing until it forms a cookie dough. Once you have gotten the dough, roll them into small pieces. Place the pieces on a greased baking pan and bake at 300 degrees for about 30 minutes. When baked, you can feed them to your goats.

●     Mashed Bananas

Get some soft-ripened bananas that can be mashed with ease. If they are hard to slice, you can marsh them instead with a fork or potato marsh. If they are not marshes properly, you can use food processors instead. Garnish them with some vegetables and serve them in a food bowl.

●     Mix with Hay

You can chop the bananas into small pieces and mix them with hay or any other regular food you serve your goats. You can also add the peels for them to enjoy.

Are Banana Peels Safe for Goats to Eat?

Goats enjoy banana peels and love to munch on them. The peels are nutritious and enriched with Vitamin B, some minerals, and some fibers. Studies have proven how beneficial they are to goats. In fact, these peels can replace other feeds when preserved appropriately. They can be converted into livestock feeds to enrich the goats with benefitting nutrients.

Can Goats Eat Banana Leaves?

Goats love to consume leaves, especially either forage. This includes banana leaves that are within their space. As a result, they can consume these leaves to their satisfaction. If you don’t want them to consume all these leaves at once, you can consider fencing the tree or enclosing them in a different space. With this, they won’t be able to eat the banana leaves all at once.

Are Bananas Safe for Young or Baby Goats?

The answer to this is yes. Bananas are safe for young goats. You can start by feeding them with ripe bananas to aid digestion. Besides, you can chop it into small pieces to make it easier for them to consume. In other situations, you can convert the bananas into delicacies for them to munch on. However, ensure that you do not replace the treat with a normal diet.

Preparing Bananas for your Goats

To prepare bananas for your goats, you can start by peeling the bananas off their skins to make it easier for the goats to consume. Afterward, chop the bananas into smaller pieces so that they won’t choke on them. Then, you can place the chopped pieces into a trough or feeding pan to keep dirt away. Also, if you like to feed them from your hands, you can go ahead with it. What is important is that you serve the bananas to them as treats instead of leaving large pieces to consume.

Feeding Bananas to Goats in Moderation

When feeding your goats these treats, ensure that you serve them in moderation. Irrespective of how nutritious a treat is, serving them in excesses may lead to digestive problems for the goats. As a result, you have to limit the number of treats you feed your goats. You can we’ve them one banana per day to keep things under control. Also, ensure that the bananas are not served daily. Instead, you can serve them once in a while and change the routine of their diets. You can do this by giving them different meals each day.

Can Bananas Replace a Goat’s Daily Food Intake?

No. Bananas should not replace a goat’s daily food intake. Goats are naturally herbivores. That is, they consume plants. Replacing their natural diets with daily treats can become unhealthy choices for them. If served daily, goats may begin to have health and behavioral issues which may not be good for the owner. Hence, severe them once in a while to change the taste.

Alternative Fruits to Feed your Goats

Aside from bananas, there are some other fruits you can serve your goats. These fruits are highly beneficial and provide several nutrients to the goat’s body. You can also include these treats in their regular meal to make a balanced diet. Examples of these fruits include watermelon, pears, peaches, carrots, grapes, and so on. Besides, you can serve them some vegetables such as spinach, celery, squash, lettuce, pumpkins, zucchini, and so on. When serving these treats, ensure that you chop them into small pieces to avoid choking.

Conclusion

Bananas are healthy choices for your goats. Serve them these delicacies to change their meal once in a while and enjoy a special treat.