You may think cheese would be a tasty, rich treat for your homestead or pet goats, but think again!
Can goats have cheese? No, Goats cannot eat cheese. If ingested, cheeses can cause serious digestive stress and damage to goats.
This isn’t to say an extra curious goat won’t try to nibble and taste nearby cheeses, which is why it is very important as a goat owner to ensure your trip does not have access to this dairy-based foodstuff.
Although sometimes sourced from a goat, goats should not eat cheese!
What Is Cheese
In order to understand why cheese is off limits to goats, we must look at what cheese is.
Cheese is a food consisting of the coagulated, and compressed and ripened curd of milk separated from the whey.
Cheese is 100% a dairy product. It is a food that is based on manipulation of the raw state of milk (it can be made from milk of just about any mammal).
Cheese naturally undergoes a fermentation process that causes the sugars found in milk, called lactose, to change into lactate, an organic acid.
In addition, the formation of cheese preserves the high protein content of the milk and solidifies all those nutrients in an easily stored way!
Cheeses are generally high in protein, fats, and calcium.
Can Goats Eat Cheeese? Can Goats Eat Dairy Products?
The only time in the life of a goat when it can and, indeed is required, to ingest dairy is when it is a baby. Baby goats are called kids!
Why can baby goats eat dairy, but mature adults cannot?
Because all mammals are born with the ability to synthesize a specific enzyme: lactase.
Lactase breaks down the lactose sugars of the mother’s milk and allows the baby to benefit from the high protein, fats, and other nutrients of milk during a most crucial time in their lives.
However, as time passes and the young mammal grows, they start to lose the ability to synthesize lactase and will naturally turn to other foodstuffs for energy and sustinance.
Baby Goats Cannot Eat Cheese
Just because baby goats can digest dairy, doesn’t mean they should ever be offered cheese.
The milk in cheese undergoes quite extensive chemical and physical property changes and is essentially a foreign and indigestible foodstuff for any aged goat.
Our Guide To The Best Goat Diet
This is exactly the reason why weaned, mature goats require high amounts of coarse, high fiber foods to keep their metabolism running and their four stomach digestive systems happy.
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:
- Blueberry 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.
The only low-in-fiber foodstuff you should offer your goats should be 100% plant based and natural, such as goat-safe fruits, veggies, and herbs.
Read more on how to best feed your goats on our post: How Much Do Goats Eat Per Day?
Why Is Cheese Bad For Goats
There are a number of serious risks that goats face if they ingest cheese of any type at any time of their life, immature kid or mature adult.
Cheese Blocks Proper Digestion In Goats
The many saturated fats in cheese can literally block your goats digestive system.
This is because the fats can coat and bind to fiber and protein molecules in the rumen and prohibit proper fermentation and passing of these particles.
This would result in bloating, constipation, and intense pain.
Cheeses Are Low In Fiber
Cheese is not a high fiber food. In fact, they contain more fats and proteins than fibers. This makes them yummy for us humans but less than ideal for goats.
Cheese is the absolute wrong foodstuff to offer high-fiber-obligate goats!
Cheese Can Cause Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE or Mad Cow Disease) is a neurological disease that is not well understood, but that can affect goats, cows, and sheep if a harmful protein (sourced from the animal’s by-product itself, aka cheese) is ingested.
If your goats ingest cheese from an infected cow or goat, they can contract BSE.
What Should You Not Feed Your Goats
In addition to cheese, there are certain other foods that should never be offered to goats.
Some of these include:
- Onion
- unripe pineapple
- Certain variations of green beans
- Pits of peaches and other fruits in the rose plant family.
Animal products are also a no-go for your goats. This means any meat or foodstuff with meat in them, including dog food and cat food.
Finally, other homestead or hobby farm animal feeds must be kept away from your goats, especially chicken feed, as this can highly upset your goat’s rumen!
Frequently Asked Questions Related To Can Goats Eat Cheese
Can Goats Have Yogurt?
No, yogurt is a processed dairy food that is unsafe for goats to ingest. Never offer your goats yogurt.
Can You Feed Goats Goat Cheese?
No, goats cannot eat goat cheese.
Even though it is made from goat milk, all cheeses undergo significant chemical and physical property changes in the curing process and are unfit for ingestion by goats, both kids and adults.
Can Goats Eat Cheese Puffs?
No, do not offer your goats cheese puffs. Cheese puffs are not a raw, plant-based food and are not healthy for your goats at all.
If you want to offer your goat a treat, take a look at our posts archive for information on veggies, herbs, and fruits that are goat safe!
Final Thoughts On Can Goats Have Cheese
The only time in a goat’s life when it can safely ingest diary is when it is an immature kid nursing on its mother’s milk.
Even then, only the raw and unprocessed milk from its mother is suited for ingestion.
Any other type of dairy product, wether eaten as an immature kid or as a weaned adult, is never appropriate to offer your goats.
So, keep all the cheeses on your own breakfast, lunch, and dinner table and opt instead for green, fibrous, and 100% plant material foodstuff for your goats!