Many goat owners think it is a good idea to offer their ever hungry and chewing goats pantry and dinner table leftovers.
But when it comes to raising healthy and happy goats, we prefer to be very picky with the foreign food items we offer them; one of which is bread.
If you are wondering if goats can eat bread, the technical answer is: Yes, goats can digest small amounts of bread without issue. However, bread is not a natural food for them and should not be offered often.
In fact, we do NOT offer our goats bread, and will tell you why in this short post.
So read on below before you give your trip of goats any bread!
Is Bread Harmful to Goats
Bread is a baked food made from flour mixed with yeast and water. It is naturally dense with carbohydrates and some fiber, but doesn’t pack a strong punch when it comes to essential nutrients.
This can change a bit depending on the type of bread. For example, a seeded or sprouted wheat bread contains significantly more protein (13.2g to 9.43g) than a loaf of commercial white bread while also offering less carbohydrates.
Now, because it is a plant-based food, bread doesn’t contain any immediately toxic or dangerous ingredients for goats. For this reason, goats CAN digest small amounts of bread.
However, large amounts of bread, even of less processed loaves such as whole grain, seeded, or sprouted bread, will easily cause slow and problematic digestion, bloating of the rumen, and unhealthy weight gain for your goats.
Never Feed Goats Raw Dough
Raw bread dough contains active yeast bacterias that can unpleasantly affect the bacterial biome within your goat’s rumen, so never feed your goat raw dough!
Why We Don’t Feed Our Goats Bread
So if bread isn’t toxic to goats, and can provide them with some dense energy and basic nutrients, why not offer this food as a treat for goats?
Good question! We have decided not to feed our goats bread for a number of reasons, all of which we will go over now.
Breads Do Not Provide High Quality Grains
Goats’ natural dietary and nutritional needs obligate them to eat lots of coarse, fibrous plant materials.
These tough greens are what fuels the bacterial fermentation that occurs in their rumen and kickstarts efficient assimilation of necessary nutrients.
That said, goats can eat some grains.
However, the only time we ever offer grains to our goats is during an intensive feeding time during pregnancy, lactation, or throughout the cold winter months.
And the ground and baked grain content in breads is not of high enough quality to really benefit your goats nutritionally. And when we offer our goats grains, it is always in a raw, crude and most nutritious form.
Goats Are Natural Foragers And Browsers
As stated, goats’ digestive systems have evolved to metabolize coarse green plant foods.
They are naturally curious and may be quite picky eaters, using their foraging skills to pick only the best of what is available: the biggest buds, the driest leaves, the greenest shrubs, the crunchiest twigs etc.
Because of their curiosity, goats are sure to nibble at any bread you offer them happily, but we recognize here at Hobby Farm Heaven that the best food for our goats is that which they forage and browse themselves.
Too many foreign, human-intended foods quickly leads to obesity, bodily system and function imbalances, dangerous bloating, constipation and dehydration, and other long term health issues.
In addition, too many grains can specifically result in acidosis, or grain poisoning, in goats. Learn more about this serious condition here.
There Are Countless Raw And Nutritious Treats For Goats
Finally, we ever offer our goats bread because we find it completely unnecessary when there are countless raw and highly nutritious fruits, veggies, and herbs to offer them, for example:
- Mint for goats – it can help freshen their breath!
- Peaches or Apples – these sweet treats are a great way to reward well-behaved goats.
- Carrots as goat treats – our nannies love these crunchy and nutritious treats.
Can Baby Goats Eat Bread
No, never allow your baby goats, also called kids, that are still nursing to eat bread. A nursing kid’s digestive system is not capable of digesting a complex food such as bread and they will suffer serious and potentially fatal issues if bread is ingested.
Once your kid goats are either fully weaned or mostly weaned, they can start enjoying fruit, veggie, and herb treats in moderation.
We define mostly weaned as receiving more than two thirds of its daily nutrition from foodstuffs other than mother’s milk.
What Can Goats Eat: Our Guide To The Best Goat Diet
When thinking about what foods to offer your goats remember that mature goats require high amounts of coarse, high fiber food.
This looks like 12-35% in foraged nutrients and 86-92% in hays and concentrates.
Foraged nutrients are foodstuff found on their pasture, such as:
- Bushes
- Twigs
- Branches
- Leaves
- Fruits
- Shrubs
In addition, hay is one of the easiest, high quality forms of fiber to give your goats access to.
Note: We have never limited our goats’ hay intake; we allow them to completely self regulate. Read more on how to best feed your goats on our post: How Much Do Goats Eat Per Day?
Frequently Asked Questions Related To Can Goats Have Bread
Can Goats Eat Moldy Bread?
No, never feed any moldy foods, including moldy hay, to your goats. The bacterias and fungi growing in moldy food can cause serious illness to your goats if ingested.
Can Goats Eat Cheese?
No, cheese should never be offered to your nannies or billies; it is actually quite dangerous for goats.
We go over just why goats cannot eat cheese in our post on the subject, which you can read by clicking here.
For now, here is a great video with suggestions on how to feed your goats grain.
Final Thoughts On Can Goats Eat Bread
There we have it, now you know just why we have decided to never offer bread to our goats, and just why bread isn’t really a nutritionally dense option for goats.
We will post shortly on the best forms of grain for goats, as well as more on our own practices of offering our goats grains, so stay tuned!