Oats (Avena sativa) are one of the most common human and livestock foods available. Think oatmeal, rolled oats, oatstraw, and milky oats: all of these forms of oats are highly nutritious for the body and can offer great health benefits.
So, Can Goats Eat Oats
Yes, without a doubt, your goats can eat oats! Oats are a safe, nontoxic food option for your goats that are high in fibers (10.4g per 100g serving) and other nutrients.
Remember, a goat requires about 80% of its diet to be dense, fibrous plant material in order to maintain gut health and overall health!
This is exactly why we offer our goats unlimited amounts of hay, a very fibrous and nutritious food for them, supplemented with nutritious oats and greens, as well as snacks and treats of goat-safe veggies, fruits, and herbs.
One such goat-safe veggie is asparagus. Learn more about offering your goats this foodstuff in our post Can Goats Eat Asparagus?
We have found that giving our goats oats as part of their daily and weekly diet is a great way to support their long term health and happiness.
Health Benefits: Oats For Goats
Oats have long been known to be a calming and mild food that is good for the digestive system and balancing in their nutritional content.
For goats especially, a daily dose of oats can be a great way to supplement their diet in the winter months, when fresh, green plant fiber foods aren’t readily available.
Oats Are Densely Nutritious
Oats contain more crude protein than other grain, beneficial and important fatty acids, and a whole host of essential minerals and vitamins, including:
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Zinc
- Biotin
- Copper
- Folate
- Selenium
Oats Contain Easily Digestible Nutrients
The carbohydrates, proteins, and fibers available in whole grain rolled oats are easy for your goat’s ruminant, four-stomach digestive system to metabolize and pass in measured amounts.
It is worth mentioning now that steel cut or rolled oats offer the most dense and best nutrients to your goats. We do not recommend offering your goats processed, pre-cooked, quick-cooking, or instant oats. These oat food forms have much less nutritional value!
Note: Goats can also eat the entire oat-plant or oat-straw if harvested!
Oats Support Healthy Coats
Oats have been incorporated into hair care products for years, due to certain proteins, such as globulins and avenin, found within which are small enough to bind to dry or brittle hairs to moisten and strengthen them.
As such, ingesting oats can greatly boost the softness, shine, and strength of your goats’ coats, especially if coat regrowth is needed after a disease or injury.
Oats Increase Meat Quality In Goats
Studies have found that a mixture of oat and alfalfa hay for goats positively influences the antioxidant activity and overall quality of goat meat by supporting and strengthening their gut microbiota.
In addition, an oat-hay mixture offered to goats can significantly improve their overall growth performance!
Oats Support Lactating Nanny Goats
Because of oat’s dense protein and fat content, offering lactating nannies oats is a great way to support milk production.
Remember, lactating nannies require much more protein than not, about 16% minimum. With 13.5g of protein per serving, oats are a great way to ensure your lactating goats receive that protein!
How Much Oats Do You Feed Goats
Regardless of the health benefits oats offer your goats, it is essential to remember that high fiber hay and a foraged diet should be their primary food sources.
Too many oats will result in nutritional imbalances, potential weight loss (yes, this can happen even if goats eat lots of protein!), and a failing immune system.
This is why we practice offering ½ to 1 cup of whole rolled oats to our goats daily. We do not even offer oats to our goats every day during the warmer months, when their outdoor paddock is filled with densely nutritious forage, but will occasionally mix a cup in for them. However, we practice always supplementing their winter diet with oats!
Can Pregnant Goats Have Oats
Yes, oats are safe and beneficial for pregnant goats.
Just like lactating goats, pregnant goats require a bit more protein and energy, with almost a 50% recorded increase in protein requirements alone!
Rolled oats are a great, nutritious way to support your pregnant goats throughout their 150 day gestation period.
Can Baby Goats Eat Oats
Yes, any goat that is either fully weaned or mostly weaned can eat oats in moderation without issues.
We define mostly weaned as receiving more than two thirds of its daily nutrition from foodstuffs other than mother’s milk.
Frequently Asked Questions Related To Can Goats Have Oats
What Grains Are Bad For Goats?
Grains in general are harder for goats to digest and aren’t part of their natural diet.
Corn especially is harmful to their complex digestive system, and any grain (including oats) that is offered to them in access can significantly damage their gut microbiome and result in unhealthy weight gain, bad eating habits, and teeth damage.
What Is The Best Goat Diet?
Here at Hobby Farm Heaven, we do our best to provide our goats with a natural and nutrient dense diet. This looks like unlimited amounts of highly fibrous hay, open pasture for foraging, and supplemental foods and treats such as oats, veggies, fruits, and herbs.
We believe this is a great way to provide a healthy, diverse, and nutrient rich diet for our goats.
Final Thoughts On Can Goats Eat Oats
Steel cut or rolled oats are great options as dietary supplements for your goats.
Oats support the overall health of your goat in multiple ways thanks to the fibers, proteins, healthy fats, and other essential nutrients they contain.
Finally, the real key to offering your goats oats is to practice moderation: ½ cup to 1 cup of oats a day is more than enough for any single goat.
Slightly higher portions are okay for pregnant or lactating nannies, but otherwise encourage your goats to forage and enjoy highly fibrous hay!