Can Goats Have eggplant

Toxic Or Not: Can Goats Have Eggplant?

Here at Hobby Farm Heaven, we love to offer our nannies and billies healthy fruits and veggies as dietary and seasonal supplements. 

But it can be tricky to know which foodstuffs are safe for goats, especially as some human favorites are dangerous to livestock! 

And when it comes to eggplant, the answer isn’t black and white. Yes, goats can safely eat eggplant fruits, but not all parts of the eggplant plant are safe for your goats to munch on, nor are large quantities of eggplant a good idea. 

Without a doubt, you must take caution when thinking about this purple fruit for your goats. 

Can Animals Eat Raw Eggplant

Eggplant (Solanum melongena) is a member of the Nightshade plant family, which is notorious for containing toxins. 

However, a number of common foods are from this family, including tomatoes and potatoes and of course eggplant. 

If nightshades are known for being toxic, why are some nightshade fruit plants edible? 

Some nightshade fruits are edible because there is a key difference in toxin presence and/or concentration in different parts of the plant, especially between the fruit and green parts. 

As such, animals (including us humans) can eat raw eggplant because, as the Permaculture Research Institute states, the quantity of the natural toxin solanine found in a mature eggplant fruit is so minute that it truly poses no threat!

One would have to eat upwards of 13 eggplants a day to experience negative effects. And the effects are severe: eating large quantities of eggplant can cause serious gastrointestinal and neurological issues that can lead to death. 

Finally, all green parts of the eggplant plant itself ARE toxic. Thats right, while the fruit is okay to eat, the green parts must NEVER be ingested. 

Eggplant For Goats: Nutritional Information

Eggplant contains a number of beneficial plant compounds called flavonoids thanks to their dark skin color and natural composition. All of these can be powerful health boosters for goats, such as: 

  • An anthocyanin flavonoid called nasunin which promotes neural health
  • Chlorogenic acid which is a natural antiviral and antibacterial
  • Quercetin which is a natural anti-inflammatory 

In addition, eggplants contain a whole host of vitamins and minerals, including goat-specific essentials such as zinc, copper, and vitamins A, E and K (which are the vitamins that goats cannot synthesize in their rumen and must eat!). 

In addition, eggplant offers 92g of water per 100g serving; this makes it a great summer day treat for your goats. 

However, eggplant isn’t filled with lots of fundamental, dense nutrients. For example, 100g of raw eggplant only contains: 

  • 0.98g of Protein
  • 3.00g of Fiber
  • 0.18g of Fat

This is important to understand, as eggplant can never and should never take the place of high fiber hay or the coarse, fibrous foodstuff that your goats forage. 

Remember, an adult goat requires 12-35% in foraged nutrients and 86-92% in hay and concentrates. And a goat’s four stomach digestive system demands high fibers. 

Overall, offering more than 1-2 handfuls of eggplant to your goats at one time is never a good idea. 

How To Offer Goats Eggplant

We know some goat farmers who never offer their goats this fruit, and that is a decision you can make. But we have offered our goats small amounts of eggplant for years and none have ever experienced a harmful side effect. 

This is how we offer our goats eggplant: 

  • Before giving your goats eggplant, be sure to wash the fruit well to remove any residual dirt, grime, or pesticides. 
  • Then, we often slice the fruit into thick, round pieces and toss them to our goats or place them in a feed bucket with hay. 

We have found that the slices make it easier for our goats to enjoy the snack, as whole eggplant rolls on the ground quite easily and can be hard to get a good bite of! 

Can Goats Eat Cooked Eggplant

While cooking eggplant efficiently diminishes its solanine contents, it also naturally alterns the nutritional contents and chemical composition of the fruit. 

Cooked eggplant can therefore be harder for your goats to digest and won’t be as nutritious. We do not recommend offering your goats cooked eggplant. 

Toxicity Warning: Don’t Feed Goats Eggplant Leaves or Stems!

As stated, All green parts of the eggplant plant should NOT be offered to your goats or livestock because they are toxic.  

Why are the green parts of an eggplant toxic?

Because all leaves and stems of the eggplant plant contain more concentrated amounts of the natural toxic compound solanine, which protects the plant as it grows but is notorious for causing serious and even deadly gastrointestinal and neurological damage if ingested by animals. 

Can Goats Eat Eggplant Leaves, Stems and Flowers

We highly recommend against offering any green part of the eggplant plant to your goats. 

Do not allow your goats to nibble greens in your garden if you are growing eggplants. They are at high risk of toxic effects if eggplant greens are ingested due to the high solanine levels within the plant. 

Treats For Goats: What Should You Not Give Goats

Any vegetable or fruit that contains high amounts of toxic plant compounds should never be offered to your goats as a treat.  

This includes poisonous plants like garlic, onion, unripe pineapple, and the pits of apples, cherries, and peaches. 

Browse our goat post archive for more information on these dangerous plants. 

Can Goats Eat Zucchini?

Yes, zucchini is a very safe and nontoxic treat and snack option for your goats. 

Learn more about the nutritional benefits zucchini offers in our post on Zucchini For Goats

Can Goats Eat Squash?

Yes, goats can eat squash! 

Squash is a great seasonal treat for your goats. And if you have a bunch of gourds and don’t know what to do with them, goats can eat gourds!

Learn more about the myths and truths of the nightshade plant family from this quick informational video! 

Final Thoughts On If Goats Can Have Eggplant

We enjoy offering our goats a diet based on high fiber foods, supplemented with tasty and healthy fruit and veggie treats.

Eggplant can be one such fruit, although due to the toxins it naturally contains, you must be aware how much and how often you offer this purple fruit to your goats. 

Remember, the amount of toxic solanine within one eggplant won’t threaten your goats, but if they eat the green parts of the plant they are in serious risk of stomach and neurological damage! 

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