One of our family’s favorite fruits in the heat of summer is watery, red watermelon. We always grow a few in our hobby farm garden and often give a slice or two to some of our farm animals, including our goats, when we open one up.
That’s right, watermelon is safe for goats to consume. Unsurprisingly, this melon offers a ton of hydrating power along with some unique nutrients that make it an ideal summer treat or snack for you goats.
However, it almost goes without saying that watermelon does not and can not meet the basic dietary requirements of goats and should therefore never be offered as more than a treat.
Curious for more? Read on to learn more about the do’s and don’ts of feeding goats watermelon.
Watermelon: Nutritional Information
Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a fruit of the vining watermelon plant, which is part of the Cucurbit plant family. As such, it is closely related to other goat friendly foods such as cucumbers, pumpkins and the common gourd.
As with many of the cucurbit fruits, watermelon holds a lot of water in its sweet flesh: 91.4g of water per 100g serving, according to the USDA.
And despite how sweet watermelon sometimes tastes, it contains only about 6 grams of sugar per serving. This low sugar value is pretty significant when you think about the almost 17 grams of sugar present per serving of grapes!
In addition and to my surprise, this watery fruit offers almost all of the basic and essential nutrients, albite in very small (milligram or microgram) amounts:
- Calcium
- Iron
- Selenium
- Vitamin C
- Folate
- Beta-carotene
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Zinc
- Copper
- Manganese
Regardless of the quantity of nutrients, watermelon is wellknown for being an effectively cooling and soothing fruit and can support the body in reducing general inflammation and muscle tightness.
Benefits Of Watermelon As a Goat Treat
Watermelon naturally contains lycopene, a non-provitamin A carotenoid that causes the classic pink/red color of the watermelon flesh.
This pigment is also found in other red fruits such as tomatoes, and is notable in the research world due to its potential anti-cancer action.
Furthermore, the seeds of the watermelon fruit are rich in magnesium! Your goats will greatly benefit from eating the seeds thanks to magnesium’s essential role in energy production and nerve function.
For this reason we always offer our goats any extra watermelon seeds that we do not dry or roast for ourselves.
Can Goats Eat Watermelon Skin and Watermelon Rind
Yes, the rind of the watermelon is safe for goats to eat.
We encourage offering the white and green rind to your nannies and billies because it is the most fiber rich part of the fruit.
And because goats require a densely fibrous diet, ingesting the rind or skin of the watermelon fruit alongside the watery, sugary pulp will help their digestive system process this sweet treat.
Are All Watermelons Goat Safe
As natural foragers, goats are pretty picky about the foods they will eat.
They instinctively search out the best: the most ripe, the greenest, the biggest, etc. So, when it comes to offering them watermelon, your goats may not go in on a wilted, old fruit because they know it won’t be as sweet, watery, or nutritional!
Wilted and old watermelon can also harbor bacterias and fungi that can upset your goat’s complex, four-stomach digestive system, so we recommend composting any old or overripe watermelons rather than offering them to your goats.
Can Goats Eat Watermelon Seeds
Yes, as stated above one of the often unknown health benefits of watermelon is the magnesium within the seeds.
Magnesium is essential for goats as it directly supports skeletal development, muscular function, and nervous system function.
How To Offer Goats Watermelon
Your goats are gonna be excited about eating watermelon, ours always are!
To facilitate a safe and delicious snack time for them, we do the following:
- Wash the watermelon first. This will remove any residual pesticides, dirt, and grime from the fruit.
- Do not offer your goats whole watermelon. This will encourage rough behavior and may result in choking as they frantically try to gobble up as much of the whole as possible.
- Chop the watermelon into large cubes, no bigger than a closed fist. We’ve found that doing that allows us to create different piles of the treat that our goats can enjoy without too much overcrowding.
- Make sure to offer the rind along with the sweet pulp, as the fibers within the rind will assist your goats in their digestion.
The way this goat owner offers watermelon is pretty labor intensive, which is why we cut the fruit up before offering it to our goats!
Frequently Asked Questions Related To Can Goats Have Watermelon
Can Goats Eat Watermelon Vines and Leaves?
Yes, the vines and the leaves of the watermelon plant are also safe for goats to nibble on. Just be sure that the watermelon vines and leaves that your goats are eating are free from pest and herbicide sprays!
Can Goats Eat Fruit Scraps?
Yes, goats can eat fresh fruit scraps. This means that if you are enjoying fresh fruit yourself and want to share some with your goats, you can (after checking to make sure it is goat-safe that is!).
But if you have wilted, blackened or otherwise overripe fruit and want to get rid of it, you’re better off composting it than feeding these scraps to your goats. Overripe or gone-bad fruit isn’t healthy for goats and, because they are such picky eaters, they probably won’t ingest it anyway.
Can Goats Eat Grapes?
Yes, goats can technically eat grapes. However, as mentioned in this post, grapes are one of the most sugary fruits. As such, we actually opt NOT to offer our goats grapes as they can quickly cause gut bacterial imbalances, bloating, and encourage bad eating habits.
Final Thoughts On Can Goats Eat Watermelon
As a member of the edible Cucurbit plant family, watermelons are a great summer day snack or treat for your goats.
Remember, this watery and sweet fruit does not provide the high fibers that goats require to remain fit and healthy, and should only ever be offered to them as a treat.
However, offer watermelon to your goats in moderation (especially with the rind and the seeds!) can provide your nannies and billies with essential minerals.
So bring on the summer days and watermelon!