# Can goats eat these items?



## kiddoe (Oct 8, 2012)

I was given about 50 pounds of hubbard squash to cook for a community Thanksgiving meal. 

I was wondering if goats could be given the pulp inside (plus a few, not all, seeds that I didn't get out) of squash and pumpkins. I saw in a magazine that deer could eat pumpkin, which is why I was wondering. What about the cooked skins of the squash? They were only cooked in the oven or steamed with no seasonings or oils, just plain ol' water.

Also, I was given a large bag of quick cooking rolled oats. The bag is unopened but the expiration date was Feb 2012. Would this be safe for them to consume? And what about instant oatmeal with dried peaches and almonds?


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## LuvmyGoaties (Mar 9, 2010)

My goats LOVE pumpkin - I buy extras at Halloween just for them I also feed them the skin and pulp of squash when we eat it. Pumpkin seeds are supposed to be a natural wormer.


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## kiddoe (Oct 8, 2012)

LuvmyGoaties said:


> My goats LOVE pumpkin - I buy extras at Halloween just for them I also feed them the skin and pulp of squash when we eat it. Pumpkin seeds are supposed to be a natural wormer.


 Thats wonderful! Do you cook the pumpkin and squash or feed it raw. Can they eat it both ways?  Thank you for such a quick reply!


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## Used2bmimi (Oct 3, 2012)

My girls took a little while to realise that pumpkin was food, then I put it in the feeders....duh! Now they gobble the stuff up!


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

Mine will eat both pumpkin and squash they are both fine to feed.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Both of the oat products sound all right, as long as they don't appear spoiled. If the peach and almond one has sugar in it, I wouldn't feed too much at a time!


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## WillowGem (Aug 3, 2011)

Yes, both pumpkin and squash are okay!

I cut the top off a pie pumpkin, like you would when carving a jack o'lantern.
They got their little faces right in there, and cleaned that thing out. 
I gave them an acorn squash, cut in half, the other day, they seemed to like the pumpkin better though.


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## GTAllen (Jul 22, 2012)

My boer goats ate the the neighbors watermelons down to just a little piece of skin. The also at two large pumpkins the other day. I have not seen them suffer any ill effects from pumpkin, squash, or watermelon


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

I will be making a pumpkin pitstop tomorrow


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## Texas.girl (Dec 20, 2011)

My goats loved the spaghetti squash I grew and didn't want to eat. They loved it. 

I have a neighor in town who loves to decorate with pumpkins. So I bought her a really large pumpkin in October, but told her she has to give it back after Thanksgiving. My goats are going to have a feast then.


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## HerdQueen (Oct 15, 2012)

We put pumpkin out this year they were a little nervous but once they realized it was food they gobbled it up! Natural wormer and high in beta carotine which makes creamy white milk.


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## FarmerJen (Oct 18, 2012)

Ya know, I sure wish my goats knew what goats are supposed to eat! LOL I read about all these things goats "love", so I run out and try it. Mine wont touch beets, pumpkin, pea/bean vines, or pretty much anything else out of the garden! LOL They love their grape leaves and blackberry bushes... but other than that, they must be the pickiest goats in the world!


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## kiddoe (Oct 8, 2012)

Mine really liked the squash skins and guts. I had to hand feed it at first or they wouldn't have eaten it! I also gave them some of the oats. They were HAPPY!


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## kiddoe (Oct 8, 2012)

FarmerJen said:


> Ya know, I sure wish my goats knew what goats are supposed to eat! LOL I read about all these things goats "love", so I run out and try it. Mine wont touch beets, pumpkin, pea/bean vines, or pretty much anything else out of the garden! LOL They love their grape leaves and blackberry bushes... but other than that, they must be the pickiest goats in the world!


You should try rose bushes! Mine love those. They grow wild here (multi floral rose bushes) and are quite a pain in the neck. It's no fun when I go walking in the fields and woods. Those things grab a hold of me ( darn thorns)! HA!


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## Crazy 8 Farms (Feb 5, 2012)

I used to decorate for fall. Ya know with pumpkins and hay bales, flowers, the whole nine yards. Then my goats found it all!! Needless to say, I don't do that anymore unless I want to feed the goats. Lol!


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## Texas.girl (Dec 20, 2011)

FarmerJen said:


> Ya know, I sure wish my goats knew what goats are supposed to eat! LOL I read about all these things goats "love", so I run out and try it. Mine wont touch beets, pumpkin, pea/bean vines, or pretty much anything else out of the garden! LOL They love their grape leaves and blackberry bushes... but other than that, they must be the pickiest goats in the world!


I would keep offering different foods to your goats. Took my kids forever to figure out grain is yummy, not they gobble the grain down before they will take their bottles. Thing is they quickly decided Mountain Cedar tree needles (bitter and no wild animals will touch the stuff) is great and will run to those trees and start eating. Only alfalfa will convince them to go back to the pen. The other day I baked a butternut squash. Before baking I removed all the seeds and pulp and we gave it to our youngest 3 who fought over the stuff. I think sometimes it just takes some time to convince goats something is yummy.

I might add, when something I have given the goats goes uneaten, I then give it to the worms who are not picky at all. We are going to have some good compost come spring.


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## FarmerJen (Oct 18, 2012)

My chickens share the goat pen... so anything the goats don't eat, they will. I do have a worm bin too... but that's mostly for stuff I don't want to take out to the chickens (coffee grounds and such). But yeah... the goats wanted no part of squash, even hand-fed. They'll nibble on zucchini, but aren't too fond of that either. The 2yr old wont even TRY something until the 6yr old does. LOL 

They do like roses... though they don't LOVE them... but they'll eat all the leaves off eventually. The LOVE the leaves from my filbert trees, and eventually ate the leaves they could reach from the lilacs and butterfly bush too. Trying to find fast growing stuff I can plant in their pen that might be able to keep up with constant nibbling. Would love anyone's ideas. I'm zone 7.


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