Can Goats Eat Asparagus? Is Asparagus Safe For Goats?

Asparagus, a calorie packed vegetable and farmer often love to grow it near the farm. It certainly makes a good food for humans but can goats eat asparagus?

Goats can eat asparagus in moderate quantity when given along with other fodders. Asparagus is highly nutritious and powerhouse of vitamins for goats but should be fed sparingly along with other foodstuff to reap its nutritional benefits.

Generally, goats love eating asparagus but as a parent to goat we need to keep watch needs to control the amount they eats. asparagus in high amount is harmful the goats, so make a practice to offer asparagus as a snack rather than the full feed.

Infact, asparagus is one of the healthiest vegetables and is a good source of minerals, zinc, Magnesium, vitamins, iron and beta-carotene.

It has approximately 93% water and is low in calories as well as sodium.

Just like humans, goat need right kind of food that can meet the daily requirement of vitamins, nutrients minerals and water.

Goats are ruminant animals who can eat the food as much as possible and then digest it using their four compartment stomach. Generally they love to eat fressh grass and woody shrubs.

Goats are browsers versus grazers and mostly feed on leaves, soft shoots, fruits of high growing pants and shrubs. Forage is the primary source of feed for the goats but they can much on stem vegetables like asparagus.

Is Asparagus Bad for Goats?

In moderate quantity asparagus is safe for goats. It can be harmful only when goat only eat asparagus in large quantity. asparagus should be fed in safe amount along with other feed.

It is often observed that the asparagus can impact the smell and color of goats pee.

Certain chemicals like mercaptans & asparagusic acid in the asparagus breaks down in the urine which might be the one reason why uring smell like funny when goats eats asparagus.

The BMJ medical journal found that not all humans can smell the odor from the pee caused by asparagusic acid.

Apart from this, asparagus contain low amounts of toxins but since goats can tolerate that, it is safe to allow them to eat asparagus in moderate quantity.

Is Asparagus Poisonous to Goats?

asparagus is not poisonus to goats when fed in safe quantity along with other fodders, every goat owner should leran how much is safe for their goat.

Goats has high tolerance towards the several toxins. Though asparagus has some toxins, it does not have it in enough quantity that will cause toxicity in goats.

White Baby Goat Eating

Nutritional Benefits of asparagus for Goats

asparagus is one of the versatile and nutritionally well-balanced vegetable on the earth.

It is well-known for providing several health benfits to the humans but does it provides any health benefits to goats?

For goats, asparagus can be a good source of micro-nutrients. Asparagus can provides abudnace of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants to goats. It is low in clories and sodium and has more water along with the vitamins like A, C, E, K and B6.

Apart from the vitamins, asparagus can provide minerals like copper, folate, iron, potassium, manganese, copper, chromium, and beta-carotene.

asparagus provides folate & iron, which helps to enhance the production red blood cells in goats. This comes as a benefits in inbreeding and can help in healthy deverlopment of goats.

Folate (vitamin B9) and irons are necessary nutrients during the early stage of preganacy in goats.

Nutritional value of 90 grams of asparagus (source)

Calories20
Protein2.2 grams
Fat0.2 grams
Fiber1.8 grams
Vitamin C12% of the RDI
Vitamin A18% of the RDI
Vitamin K57% of the RDI
Folate34% of the RDI
Potassium6% of the RDI
Phosphorous5% of the RDI
Vitamin E7% of the RDI

Overall, asparagus is safe to goats in moderate quantity when fed with other fodders and provides several nutritional benefits.