Like many other ruminants, goats love to chew. But their curiosity and desire to constantly nibble can put them in danger, especially if they have access to foodstuffs that are toxic!
Thankfully, when it comes to peach fruit, you don’t have to worry. Goats can eat peach fruit without issues. However, there are a few serious precautions to take with the peach tree and the pit of the peach fruit itself, as these may lead to disaster for your goats if ingested!
In this post we will cover just why having your goats around peach trees often is not good for their overall health, so read on!
Peaches for Goats: Nutrition and Benefits
Peaches are one of our family’s favorites. My youngest son especially loves the soft, juicy and sweet fruits.
He will often offer half of a peach to our goats while he enjoys one himself, which is a practice I have encouraged him to do.
Why do we feed peaches to our goats?
Because peaches are goat-safe fruit treats that can boost the energy levels and overall health of your trip if offered in moderation.
One raw peach can offer your goat the following nutrients:
- 88.3g of water
- 0.91g of protein
- 1.5g of fiber
- 8.39g of sugar
In addition, peaches contain a host of vitamins and more than 9 minerals, many of which are essential macronutrients for goats such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium.
The high water quantity and digestible vitamins and minerals make peaches a great summer treat for you goats.
However, note that the very low fiber and high sugar qualities of these fruits means that if they are eaten in excess, your goats can suffer from rumen bacterial upsets that can cause bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.
A bloated, swollen rumen will be visibly pushing out of your goat’s upper left side.
Goats’ digestive systems function best off of rough, fibrous plant matter. This tough, foraged foodstuff is avoided by most other livestock, but a goat’s four stomach ruminant system has become very efficient at harvesting the nutrients needed from this roughage.
This is why we never offer our goats more than 1 peach a day during peach season. Sticking to just one peach has helped our nannies enjoy the sweet treat while ensuring they still ingest lots of high fibers to avoid gut imbalances or backed up digestive systems!
Proactive Care Is The Best Care
The most effective way we have managed to avoid painful bloating and gastrointestinal issues in our goats is to be proactive about what and how much treat foods we offer them. For example, limiting them to one peach a day.
We also always make sure our goats have access to high quality hay, which is an extremely high fiber food that they love!
How To Prepare Peaches For Goats
We always wash fruits and veggies before offering them to our goats, even if they were home grown and not store bought.
Washing all fruits and veggies before giving them to your goats is important because it will help remove any residual dirt, grime, food wax, insects, and pesticides.
Goats can have peach peels, so there is no need to peel the peach fruit for your trip.
However, it is key to remove the peach pit before giving the fruit to your goats.
The pit of the peach fruit is large and can have sharp ends. It is a serious choking hazard for your goats and can injure their mouth easily.
But most importantly, the pit of the peach contains poison that, if ingested in large amounts, can kill your goat.
The Dangers of Peaches: Peach Pits And Peach Trees
Before offering our goats peach fruit, we always and without exception remove the pit.
Peach pits, like many other seeds of the fruit trees in the rose plant family, contain a harmful compound called amygdalin (Vitamin B-17).
Amygdalin breaks down into poisonous hydrogen cyanide when ingested. This may ring a bell for you, as we often learn as kids to never eat apple seeds nor peach pits.
The same goes for goats, don’t let them naw or chew peach pits!
Read more on apple seeds’ toxicity to goats in our post Can Goats Have Apples.
Prussic Acid In Peach Trees
Peach trees can contain prussic acid, the result of a cyanide ion binding with other enzymes when crushed and chewed. Prussic acid quickly prohibits the body from being able to use oxygen and can easily kill animals if ingested in high amounts.
The Virginia Cooperative extension shares some important information regarding prussic acid in fruit trees:
- Wilted leaves from peach trees (and other cherry trees) contain high amounts of prussic acid and should never be offered to goats.
- Drought, frost or storm stressed plants contain higher amounts of prussic acid and should always be avoided.
Note the instances when it is okay to offer this plant material:
- New regrowth from a drought or storm event after 2-3 weeks is usually quite low in prussic acid.
- Dried leaves do not contain the harmful compound and can be eaten without worry.
Note that members of the sorghum plant family also contain this acid, a reminder to be aware of what plants are growing in your goats’ pasture!
Are Peach Leaves Toxic To Goats
It is better to be safe than sorry and avoid offering your goats the leaves of peach trees.
While a few mouthfuls of dried leaves won’t cause any issues, one to many green leaves could result in a painful death for your goat.
We do not recommend giving your goats access to peach trees, leaves, twigs, or bark.
Frequently Asked Questions Related To Can Goats Have Peaches
Can Goats Eat Raw Peaches?
Yes, raw and uncooked peaches are the best option for your goats.
While goats are technically able to digest some complex foods, we never offer them processed foods or cooked foods with peaches in them (such as peach breads or desserts).
We like to keep our goats’ diets as raw and 100% plant based as possible as this supports their natural and healthy digestion and growth.
Can Goats Have Canned Peaches?
Canned peaches are often heated and contain added sugars or syrups. For these reasons, we never recommend offering these super sweet forms of peaches to your livestock. You’d just be asking for digestive problems!
Final Thoughts On Can Goats Eat Peaches
Peach fruits are a safe and delicious treat option for your nannies and billies. Just be sure to offer it in moderation, remove the pit, and avoid other parts of the peach tree!
And if you’re wondering about other fruits that your goat can eat, especially those without any hidden toxins, read our post on Blueberries For Goats, we are sure you’ll find it helpful!