The idea of goats eating acorns may seem strange, but in fact they are actually quite well suited to the task. After all, they’re natural grazers and eat many things humans don’t give them credit for.
It’s best to restrict their access to acorns because it can cause gastric distress or even death if too many are eaten. They should also be offered other food sources so that they don’t get too much fiber from just these trees. But when given proper care, this is a great way to deal with the aftermath of an oak tree infestation on your property!
Can goats eat acorn trees?
Acorn trees are an especially good fit for this situation because they feed on low-lying vegetation and won’t reach higher than your goats can comfortably reach to eat, unlike the other types of oak trees.
Can pregnant goats eat acorns?
They can, but you’ll want to be careful. Be sure that the acorns are well cooked or softened before feeding them to pregnant goats to prevent an upset stomach.
Can lactating goats eat acorns?
Lactating does should avoid eating any kind of nuts as they could cause an upset stomach and diarrhea in addition to a reduced milk supply.
Story Time
One day an old woman was walking her small herd of goats near a forest when they spotted something.
They looked up and saw the branches of an oak tree with lots of acorns.
But there was no way to get to them, for under the branches were great tall trees that would not be easy to climb.
Each goat picked one and went at it as hard as they could with their mouths but little by little the space between the leaves closed back up again leaving them frustrated and dissatisfied after eating few if any acorns.
As she watched this pointlessly irritating display, two squirrels came across each other on a branch and started talking: “Oh I’m so glad we found another oak today! I’m getting tired of eating the few acorns that get dropped by the others, I was just about to eat one more when it would have closed up.”
“Oh no!” said the other squirrel in a worried tone. “I don’t think there’s going to be enough for all of us then.”
And this got the old woman wondering…
“If they’re complaining about not having enough food well what do you think is going on with my goats? The tree must drop a lot of acorns from time to time giving them something to eat. But they always seem so hungry and frustrated after!”
She continued watching her goats trying their best but producing nothing, and she noticed how upset they seemed. They were obviously stressed out from trying so hard to get something when it seemed so close.
“Well I’ll be!” she laughed, getting up and calling them over. “If you want something enough, the feeling will actually cause it to be so! I know what we should do…”
She led her goats back home, put them in their pens and fed them the rest of their food for the day before taking a walk back to where they had seen the acorns. She looked up at the branches and thought to herself: “Hmm… If this really works like it seems it does, let there be acorns here.”
When she got home that evening she checked on her goats again; happy and full from eating all their food and with no empty stomachs or need to get up early in the morning for a snack. In fact, they were resting peacefully and comfortably, ready for another day of grazing.
