Goats are one of the best hobby farm or homestead animals because they thrive on roughage and extra fibrous plant matter that other livestock or four legged friends such as cows and sheep may not eat.
Goats also enjoy common garden greens, including peas. Yes, your goats can eat peas safely. Peas and the pea plants are nontoxic and offer some great health benefits to your trip of goats, but they do come with a warning! Read below to learn all you need about garden peas for goats.
Peas For Goats: Nutritional Information
Peas are the fruits of the pea plant (Pisum sativum) that is native to Eurasia and has been cultivated for centuries. Peas are legumes, and share a common family with beans and lentils.
This hints at the dense nutritional value they offer, especially their high protein content, with 5.42g of protein per 100g according to the USDA FoodData Center.
This is one of the highest protein contents available from garden produce! Peas also boast a number of other nutritients, including some essential minerals:
Nutrient | Quantity per 100g Serving |
Water | 78.9 g |
Fiber | 5.70 g |
Sugars | 5.67 g |
Calcium | 25 mg |
Phosphorus | 108 mg |
Potassium | 244 mg |
Zinc | 1.24 mg |
Niacin | 2.09 mg |

But Are Peas Healthy For Goats
In measured quantities, yes, peas are healthy for goats.
But we must remember that a goat’s nutritional health is based on foraging and browsing on coarse, fiber dense plant materials (in contrast with grazing hobby farm animals who prefer fresh green grasses and more palatable vegetation).
The ruminant digestive system of goats has developed the unique ability to harvest nutrients from this roughage and now obligates the animal to eat this type of diet.
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This is why we offer our goats lots of hay, as hay is a perfect high fiber food that can continuously support healthy digestion and growth in goats!
Because of their high water and protein content and lack of toxic compounds, peas can be safely offered to your trip of goats as a treat or seasonal dietary supplement.
Warning: too much protein in a goat’s diet can cause serious ruminant diseases such as ruminal acidosis and laminitis (aka founder). As one of the most protein dense fruits, peas must be offered in measured amounts!

Can Goats Eat Peas Daily or Everyday
We wouldn’t go so far as to say that peas can be offered to your goats daily.
A healthy goat requires just about 7% crude protein intake in their diet and meat goats can intake just double of that, about 16% protein.
However, pregnant and lactation nannies do require more protein and dietary supplements, so they can receive pretty regular boosts of protein during this time without issue!
So really, depending on the feedstuff and pellets you are offering your goats, you may only want to feed nutritious peas once a week, or biweekly, to your goats; offering any pregnant or lactating nannies additional peas 1-2 times a week.
On our hobby farm, we keep the peas seasonal, offering our trips a bit every week while the peas are growing in our garden.
Crops Planted For Goats: Are Peas Okay For Goats
If you are growing lots of peas in your garden for your own family consumption, you may wonder if goats can safely eat the plant roughage and growth left behind after harvest.
Yes, pea foliage and plants are safe for goats to eat and we routinely allow our goats to forage this roughage after our garden harvesting is done.
The pea pods do not need to be removed or composted either, as pea pods are completely safe for goats to ingest.
What To Plant For Goats To Eat
When asking what plants are okay for goats to eat, it is important to realize the potentially harmful compounds in plants, including:
- Nitrates
- Tannins
Nitrates can be stored in a plant’s stems and leaves if growing conditions, soil quality/amendments are unbalanced, or temperature and precipitation causes local stress.
While peas are known to be very low nitrate fruits, goats are at risk of nitrate poisoning if they eat high nitrate foods; something to be considered as you decide where your trip can forage.
And while tannins can be a no-go for other hobby farm animals, high tannin plants can assist with ridding and preventing stomach worms in goats!
H3 Can Goats Eat Frozen Peas
Any frozen peas must first be thawed a bit before offering them to your trip of goats.
Freezing your garden peas is a great way to preserve them, but very hard frozen peas could damage your goats’ teeth.
Can Goats Have Dried Peas
Technically, goats can consume blended or ground dried peas with their pellets, and we have heard of some hobby farmers offering whole dried beans to their trip; although we have never done this and cannot speak on this practice.

What Can I Feed My Goat To Gain Weight?
Feeding your goat quality protein is a great way to help them gain weight, but be aware that an overload (more than ~16% of protein in their diet) can actually result in muscle and weight loss, as the goat’s system must divert energy into removing excess protein.
Healthy grains such as brown rice can also boost your goats weight if needed, but grains should never be a main part of their diet.
Frequently Asked Questions Related To Can Goats Have Peas
What Vegetables Can Goats Not Eat?
There are a number of toxic or dangerous vegetables that must not be offered to your goats, including potato vine and others mentioned by Cornell CALS.
Final Thoughts On Can Goats Eat Peas
Fresh, frozen or dried garden peas can be included in your goats’ diets as nutritious, plant based protein boosts; just remember that too much results in actual weight loss and other health issues due to an unbalanced diet.
While protein is important for goats, coarse fibrous cellulosic material is key!
Finally, peas are a great supplement for pregnant and lactating nannies, who require higher protein and nutrient supplements than other goats.