Can Goats Eat Bananas, Unripe Bananas or Banana Peels?

Goats are treat lovers. Treats are a fantastic method to help goats relocate to a new paddock or distract them while health checks are carried out. However, not all treats are suitable for goats. That’s why goat raisers have frequently asked “Can goats eat bananas?”.

If you are having the same question, you have come to the right place. Our article will give you a detailed answer about this matter.

Can goats eat bananas?

Bananas are tasty fruits that goats can eat in moderation. Bananas are rich in fiber, potassium, vitamin C & B6 which are important for the development of your goats.

Unfamiliar foods, such as bananas, can make goats a little choosy. This isn’t to say that goats can’t eat them or the food is bad for them.

Feeding bananas to your goats one fruit a day or as an occasional treat is far healthier than other processed treats available on the market.

Read more: Can Goats Eat Pumpkins?

Can goats eat unripe bananas?

Unripe or green bananas are safe for goats to eat. However, unripe bananas are harder than ripe ones. Therefore, you should cut the unripe bananas into small pieces so that the goats won’t choke from eating them.

After they get used to eating green bananas, you don’t have to chop the fruits up anymore. The goats can now eat the bananas on their own.

Can goats eat banana peels?

Banana skins are edible for goats. Although goats are technically capable of eating banana peels, this part of bananas may not be the preference for a lot of them.

If you want to give banana peels to your goats as a treat, you should slice them up so the goats can devour the peels easily.

The small bits can help goats avoid choking and may also make the peels more enticing to them. You might even add hay or grain to make the treat more appealing.

Read our related article, Can Chickens Eat Bananas Peels? Find out if chickens can eat bananas and their peels!

Can goats eat banana leaves?

Goats enjoy eating banana leaves and typically prefer tougher forage to basic grass. If they can reach banana leaves, it’s likely that they will devour them.

Consider putting fences around the tree or transferring the goats to a separate enclosure if you don’t want your goats eating banana leaves.

If they enjoy the leaves, they will go to great lengths to gain access to them and consume them all.

Can goats eat banana trees?

If you give your goats a banana trunk (also known as banana stems or banana trunks), they will shred and eat it, which will make them feel happy for hours. 

Additionally, banana stems can also be a great food source for cattle, pigs, chickens. So, don’t waste them.

Can goats eat banana male flowers?

Many goats love foraging the banana male flowers which are below a bunch of banana fruits.

So, do not throw away banana male flowers because goats and pigs can consume them. You can cut these flowers into chunks so the goats can eat them.

Can goats eat banana chips?

In general, goats can eat chips made from bananas and other dried fruits. 

However, these chips should only be considered as treats and not main meals since eating too many chips can upset the goats’ belly and make them refuse to eat staple food.

You can make homemade banana chips if you follow the below steps:

• You should choose ripe but firm bananas.
• Peel a banana and cut it into small slices. To avoid browning, soak the slices in a mixture of lemon juice & water for 10 minutes.
• Drain and dehydrate them until they are completely dry.
• If you’re using an oven, spread them out on baking sheets. And remember only put them in one layer.
• Bake them in the oven at 215 degrees Fahrenheit for a maximum of 90 minutes.
• Bake for another 30 minutes after flipping the slices.

Nevertheless, baby goats should not eat banana chips because they are hard, which can lead to them choking on the chips. In addition, the kids need nutritious food to grow, so you should delay feeding banana chips to them.

Did you know: Can Goats Swim?

Things to keep in mind

By now, it’s pretty clear that the answer to the question “Will goats eat bananas?” is yes. However, there are some simple tips for you to follow to maintain your goats’ safety and health when eating banana treats.

Any treats should be offered in moderation whether to goats or other livestock. Bananas are not an exception, no matter how many nutrients they have.

This implies that the number of daily treats you provide for your goats should be kept to a minimum so that their regular diet is not disrupted. The maximum amount of bananas per goat a day should be one.

To help goats chew easier, remember to always peel bananas for them. And to avoid choking, chop the bananas into little and easy-to-chew pieces. This will also give them the impression that they are receiving multiple treats rather than just one enormous treat.

In case you’re not hand-feeding banana treats to your goats, place these treats in a trough to prevent dirt and debris off of them.

If you feed banana trucks or leaves, remember to check whether they are fresh, clean, and free of chemicals & pesticides. As for banana chips, they should be plain and without sugar, salt, and other seasonings.

Read more: Homemade Goats Feed Recipes

Final words 

For goat owners who have been asking “Are bananas OK for goats?”, we hope that you have found the answer you’re looking for from our article.

Goats can eat different parts of banana trees as treats. But you should follow the tips that we have provided to guarantee your goats’ health and safety when consuming banana treats.