Can Goats Eat Watermelon and Cantaloupe?

Goats absolutely love being treated to a variety of food. However, it is often difficult for a goat owner to find the appropriate nutritious treats for the goat. But do you know how some fruits that we love to eat can be a great treat choice for a goat too? The best part is that such fruits are grown straight from the ground. So, it will be easy for you to plant them if you have a garden too.

Now, if you have already searched about suitable fruits for goats and now are wondering if those fruits are ideal for your goat, this article is the perfect read for you. Here, you will get to know about the two main fruits that people often wonder about feeding to their goats. You will know if those two fruits are healthy for your goat and if you can continue feeding them to your goat. Those two fruits are watermelon and cantaloupe.

Here, in this article, we have tried to answer all questions that revolve around these two fruits being suitable for goats.

Can Goats Eat Watermelon?

To answer the question in simply one statement – yes, your goat can eat watermelon. Not only will it eat the watermelon, but there is a high chance that it will absolutely love the fruit too. The reason why watermelon is a decent choice for goats is it is a delectable fruit. Delectable fruits can be considered a safe treat for most of our caprine animals when fed in a limited amount.

Now, besides being a good treat, is a watermelon even healthy for goats, or do they just like the taste of it? Well, to answer that, you can be relieved since watermelon is not just delicious but super healthy for goats. With watermelon made up of 90% water or even more, it is an excellent choice for those hottest days of summer when you want to ensure your goats get sufficient fluid intake.

Nutritionally too, watermelon is pretty healthy, and here are some nutritional facts about watermelon that will ensure you of its goodness even more:

• Low in Sodium
• High in Vitamin C
• Has Fiber
• High in Vitamin A
• High in Potassium

Can Goats eat Watermelon Rind?

Humans usually prefer not to eat the watermelon rinds not because they’re inedible or not healthy but simply because they aren’t delicious to humans. However, it is often suggested to eat watermelon rinds since they contain a lot of vitamins and nutrients only if humans can stomach them.

Goats, too, usually skip the rinds and focus more on the flesh but only if they can help it. As the goat’s caretaker, you must remember that skins are way healthier than the flesh and hence more species -appropriate for the caprines. In an attempt to feed the rinds to your goat, try chopping them into smaller bite-sized pieces because the goats will try to ignore the skins if they are too big for their mouth.

One crucial reason besides the taste for humans not to eat the rinds is the fear of pesticides that are used while the watermelons are grown. This can also be a problem when feeding the peels to your goat; hence, it is highly suggested to wash the rinds properly before feeding them to your goat. On the safer side, try feeding the watermelon rinds only when you have grown them yourself so you are well aware of the synthetic chemicals you have used to prevent the fruit from pests, and you can then take suitable measures for the same.

Can Goats eat Watermelon Vines?

Humans strictly avoid the idea of eating vines. However, it is difficult to segregate them from the goats since they are right there in the wheelhouse for them. It is actually not the worry of feeding vines to the goats but the worry of chemicals and pesticides that are usually injected into the fruit within the farming process.

Again, just as with rinds, feeding the vines to goats is not suggested if you have not grown the watermelon yourself. If you still choose to provide them with the watermelon you have probably bought from the market, make sure you wash it thoroughly to get rid of all the chemicals that can hurt your dear goat. The simple rule is- if you can not eat it, your animal can not eat it either.

Can Goats eat Watermelon Flesh?

The reddish-pink part of the watermelon that even we humans like to eat the most is called the watermelon’s flesh. With goats forgetting to drink enough water in summer, watermelon flesh which is 90% water, is a great substitute. Any such food that is high in moisture content can prevent the goat from dehydration in the summer. So yes, watermelon flesh is perfectly good food for your goat to consume.

Preparing Watermelon for a Goat to Eat

There is a proper way a watermelon should be fed to a goat, and here are a few ways to ensure that way is followed:

Wash the Watermelon Thoroughly

As mentioned multiple times above, if you wish to feed watermelon rinds to your goat, you need to make sure they are thoroughly cleaned with no hint of any pesticides or toxins that farmers use during the growing process.

Remove the Seeds?

It is okay for a watermelon piece to have seeds in it, but it is better to limit the number of these seeds. It will not be the best idea if you are thinking about feeding the leftovers of watermelon rinds and seeds from your feast to a goat. Your chickens may love those seeds but not the goats.

You can never be sure of how many seeds are too many seeds. But you can carve out the piece that you think has way too many seeds and feed it to your barnyard fellow instead. Both your goats and other animals will be happy in the end.

Be on the Lookout

Like humans, animals can not be predicted to be allergic to something new food. If you are experimenting with a new treat for them, be on the lookout after you feed it. We are not saying this fruit is toxic or that there has ever been an accident of a goat having an allergic reaction to a watermelon, but it is your job as a caretaker to be around still when you have introduced a new food.

Can Goats eat Watermelon-Flavored Foods?

When it comes to processed, packed food, we do not even consider them healthy for humans, let alone animals. However, we humans choose to digress. Besides being aware of the fact that snacks provide very little nutrition in exchange for a variety of empty sugars and calories, we eat them. But, all the things mentioned in the sentence above are terrible for an animal.

Ofcourse, your goat will not die having eaten one packed food that your kid may have dropped in the ground, but this should not be done often and should not become a habit for your goat. Obesity and malnutrition will be the next thing for your goat if you feed it such food, and you will have no one but yourself to blame for that. Hence, it is wise to put these snacks way above in a cupboard that your goat can never reach.

Watermelon Treats Ideas for a Goat

Why do you have to keep it boring, like just offering the fruit directly to your goat? Why not think of other ways to provide watermelon nutrients to it? Like us, humans do not just settle on the fruit itself and always look for fruit salads, fruit juice, and more; goats may like that too. Here are a few watermelon treat ideas for your goat:

Watermelon Soup

You will be surprised to know that what we call watermelon soup here is chopping the fruit into small chunks for the goat. Just make sure you use a feeder to feed it. But hey, wondering why watermelon soup, even though the treat starts with all the chunks? You will figure that out when you see the goat turning the pieces into a soupy mess pretty soon. For them, it is a mess; for you, it will be a pretty sight.

Watermelon Ice Cubes

As good as the watermelon ice cubes are for your face, they are for the goats too. Especially the hot summer days will get easier for your goat if you freeze its share of watermelon chunks and slices. It will be easy for them to thaw but once frozen, they will be a very cool treat for a sensory experience for your goats.

Watermelon Mash-up

Let us get a bit creative for our lovely goats and make them a watermelon mash-up this time. It basically means not just keeping it to the watermelons but adding some more healthy and safe fruits for your goat. You can go for zucchini, oats, carrots, or anything that is considered a safe food for goats. Mix them all and serve. However, always keep in mind that moderation is the key for these small and lovely animals.

Things to Remember When Feeding Watermelon to Goats

We know we have established that all parts of watermelon besides the seeds are healthy for goats, but there are still some things one must remember while using watermelon as a regular treat for their goat. Here is a list of a few of such things:

Moderation is the Key

We can not stress this one enough. Everything is good when done in moderation. With goats, not just the watermelon but all treats should be fed in moderation. Especially when the goat likes them, it may demand more, and it is your job not to give in to that. The problem with feeding such favorite foods too much is that they then become a treat, and the goats start avoiding their typical nutritious food.

Wash the Skins

We have said this earlier as well, but it is definitely a thing that can be mentioned twice for your goat’s safety. Please remember that every farmer protects their crops with synthetic chemicals and pesticides. Even if you have grown the watermelon yourself, running it under the water and getting rid of any debris or dirt will not harm you. Washing the skins is a small and easy step and yet an essential one.

Only Fresh Watermelon for Your Goat!

A watermelon you will not prefer to eat, your goat will not either. A watermelon should be served to the goat when it is still fresh. If you have still gotten a lot of watermelons which is too much to be fed all at once, consider freezing the extra instead of breaking the moderation rule or keeping them out. This will save you money and your goat’s health since the watermelons will remain fresh in the freezer, and you can feed them any other time to your goat. A rotting or moldy watermelon is hence a big no!

Some Fun Facts About Watermelon

Now that you have read so much about watermelons, why not some more fun facts about them that might even help you one way or the other?

• When you plant watermelons, it will take three months to grow fully.
• People love to carve watermelons just like they do with pumpkins. There are even watermelon carving contests in some areas every once in a while.
• Watermelons come from the family of squash, pumpkins, and cucumbers.

Is Cantaloupe Healthy for Goats?

All people who have had goats or still do know that goats are intelligent and curious animals that love to eat. They are one of the best herbivores who would be just as happy with some leaves and grass as a meal. However, we often wonder what other things we can offer to our dear animals that they might like to eat. For goats, some people think about feeding them a cantaloupe.

If you, too, are wondering if a cantaloupe can be offered to goats, the answer is yes. Cantaloupes are a refreshing and juicy treat for a goat. Besides being a delicious treat, cantaloupe is also very healthy for goats, and below are the nutritional benefits of a cantaloupe:

• Vitamin A from a cantaloupe maintains a goat’s skin health while also promoting healthy eyesight. It also takes care of the goat’s reproductive, digestive, and respiratory tract linings. You can also consider your goats safe from all respiratory infections with enough Vitamin A, as Vitamin A helps keep the respiratory tract intact.

• Vitamin K helps with blood coagulation in goats, and its deficiency can lead to significant bleeding, even from the smallest of injuries and wounds in goats.

• Phosphorus is a vital constituent of a goat’s genetic materials, and enzymes similarly help goats’ energy metabolism. If suffering from a deficiency of Phosphorus, a goat’s growth can be stunted, which can make them look unthrifty.

• For the synthesis of protein in goats’ bodies, Zinc is indispensable. It also helps with stress management in goats.

• Vitamin E and C deliver antioxidants to goats that help them fight the body’s free radicals, protecting their cells from consequent oxidative harm. Especially for young goats, Vitamin E is vital since it helps with muscle growth.

• As with humans, Calcium is equally essential for goats to strengthen their bones. It also supports nervous functions, muscle contraction, and enzyme activity. Lactating goats, in particular, require a much higher amount of Calcium in their body.

• Magnesium in Cantaloupes helps with the goats’ metabolism of fats and carbohydrates that they consume. Iron is essential since it is crucial in transporting oxygen to the goat’s blood. A lack of iron can make goats vulnerable to Anemia.

• Goats can become overweight even with the smallest of errors in their diet. Cantaloupe is a great way to ensure it does not happen to your goat since it is low in calories with high water content at the same time. The water content will help with the hydration of your goats, and low calories will prevent unnecessary weight -gain.

• Cantaloupe, like watermelon, is almost 90% water, so it is a great way to keep your goats hydrated during the summer.

Can a Goat eat Cantaloupe Rind or Skin?

As we all have seen, the rind of a cantaloupe is orange in color, a little buffy, and has a lot of net-like ridges all over it. Humans find the taste of these rinds unpalatable and hence often choose not to eat them, going straight for the flesh inside. However, goats can eat some of the things we consider inedible for ourselves, yet it is common for people to wonder if goats can eat cantaloupe rinds.

As much as it has been noticed over time, goats do not like cantaloupe rind since they, too, don’t find it tasty. For your goat, you can go ahead and see if it likes the cantaloupe rind, but if it does not, do not be surprised.

If your goat likes cantaloupe rind, be aware of its indentations since they can be an easy source of bacteria and dirt for the goats. Hence, always wash the cantaloupe rind thoroughly before feeding it to the goat to get rid of anything that may be harmful to them.

Are Cantaloupe Seeds Safe for Goats?

Now, we have talked about cantaloupe flesh and rind, but what about the cantaloupe seeds? Are they safe for your goat?

As we see melon or sunflower seeds to be extremely healthy for us, the light orange seeds in cantaloupe are equally beneficial for us. Cantaloupe seeds are rich in fiber and protein with high levels of antioxidants. The seeds also have diuretic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Even for humans, cantaloupe seeds can be a crunchy and mild treat that we can eat oven-roasted, raw, and dried.

Having said that about the benefits of cantaloupe seeds for humans, can goats eat them too? The answer would be yes. There is no harm in feeding some cantaloupe seeds to your goat every now and then. Moreover, since the seeds are extremely small, they will never pose a choking threat to goats. However, unlike yourself, feed raw seeds to your goat and not the cooked ones since goats have a hard time digesting cooked food.

Are Stems and Leaves of Cantaloupe an Edible Product for Goats? 

Many goat owners prefer to grow cantaloupes in their own gardens to be safe from all the chemicals people use for farming. And since we know goats are a fan of browsing around the farm munching on all the leaves and stems they can find, people often wonder if the cantaloupe stems and leaves are safe for goats. To answer that, yes, they are safe for your goat. So, you can let your goat munch on these as much as they want. However, if they are doing it too often, spoiling your cantaloupe all the time, you can try fencing to prevent that.

Things to Remember While Feeding Cantaloupe to Goats

Although cantaloupes are harmless fruits for goats, and you do not need to prepare them much to feed, there are still some things to remember before you do it:

• Like any other fruit, cantaloupes too should be fed to goats at a gradual pace and not suddenly. This is because the digestive tracts of goats do not accept sudden changes well. Sudden changes can hence cause bloating in goats.

• Although we humans prefer cooked cantaloupe seeds over raw ones, it is not a good idea for goats. As mentioned above too, goats have a hard time processing cooked food since their stomachs are not prepared for cooked food. Also, do not serve packed store-bought cantaloupe seeds to your goats but always serve the seeds fresh along with the flesh of the cantaloupe.

• You can opt for frozen cantaloupes in the summer since they serve as an incredible treat for them.

• The freshness of cantaloupe goes the same as it did with watermelon. Do not serve a rotten cantaloupe to your goat since you would not eat it yourself. Your goat’s health is just as crucial to rotten food as yours; hence, they do not deserve it either.

• Choking is a common problem when serving food and especially fruits, to goats. Do not simply keep a cantaloupe in front of a goat for it to eat. Instead, chop the cantaloupe into small pieces so that it does not pose a choking danger for the goat.

• Like watermelon should never be the only fruit your goat eats, it is the same with the cantaloupe. Cantaloupe should also be served only 2-3 times a week as a treat to your goat. Adding more diversity to a goat’s diet is always a good idea.

• The first and foremost step is always washing the cantaloupe skin from the outside to eliminate all the pesticides, bacteria, or dirt on the surface. Now, cut the cantaloupe from one end and try scooping all the seeds out of it. You can use these seeds to replant or plant the cantaloupes or feed them to your livestock like chickens. Now, once you have removed all the seeds, chop the fruit into small pieces. Remember, the smaller the pieces, the safer they are for the goat.

How Much Cantaloupe can a Goat Eat?

For most goats, especially young ones, cantaloupe should be fed in moderation as a treat. Although it is safe for goats, cantaloupe containing high sugar levels can cause digestive issues for goats when fed in large quantities. Ideally, a goat should not be fed more than 2-3 cantaloupes in a day.  

What all Variants of Cantaloupe can You Offer to a Goat?

Serving a cantaloupe directly to a goat does not exactly sound like a treat, does it? So, here are a few different ideas than just serving it simply on a plate:

Fruit Cocktail

Do you remember how we talked about a watermelon mash-up a bit above in the article? Fruit cocktails are pretty much like that. Here, you chop up multiple fruits safe for goats and blend them all together to prepare a mini fruit cocktail for your goat. You can add bananas, peaches, pears, pumpkins, and melons.

Frozen Cantaloupe

You can always slice the cantaloupe into squares and balls and simply freeze it to serve to your goat. This is primarily a great treat idea during summers since it hydrates a goat’s body during all those hot days.

Cantaloupe Balls Covered with Oatmeal

After scooping the cantaloupe balls, you can always dip them in molasses and roll them in raw oatmeal. Let it dry and serve. But in moderation.

What are the Other Fruits You can Feed to a Goat?

While a goat’s diet majorly should contain fresh vegetables, water, and hay, it can enjoy occasional treats of fruits as well. However, it is often a puzzle about what fruits goats can eat. Here is a list of some fruits besides watermelon and cantaloupe that are perfectly safe for a goat:

Berries

Goats will enjoy berries like raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries. Berries also are a great source of antioxidants and vitamins that help boost a goat’s immune system. Always wash the berries properly to get rid of dirt and chemicals before feeding them to a goat. They can usually take an entire berry at once, but you can chop them into smaller pieces for a safer side.

Apples

Apples are not one to wonder about for a lot of goat owners since they must have already been feeding apples to goats. Apples, while being an excellent source of Vitamin C and A, contains fiber as well. Apples also take care of the low fat in goats since they are much low in sugar, even when compared to a watermelon or a cantaloupe. However, one thing one must be very careful about is removing the apple’s seeds before feeding it to a goat. Apple seeds have cyanide which is poisonous to goats and should never be fed to them.

What are Other Fruits that are not Good for Goats?

Here is a complete list of fruits and food that should not be fed to goats for varied reasons:

• Leftover meat scraps
• Citrus fruits since they upset the goat’s rumen
• Plants like larkspur, lupines, and boxwood
• Leaves from oak trees can cause kidney and liver issues in goats
• Azaleas
• Garlic, onion, caffeine, or chocolate

What Food is Toxic for Goats?

Many plants like Azaleas, sumac, bracken fern, china berries, and dog fennel are absolutely toxic for goats. You can also count honeysuckle, curly dock, and eastern Baccharis to be a part of that list.

How to Provide a Healthy Balanced Diet to Goats?

For a healthy goat, you must ensure its diet has the following:

Fiber

A high-fiber diet will ensure better digestive health for goats. Hay or pasture is the most accessible source of fiber for goats.

Vitamins and Minerals

Goats, like us humans, need vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. Some essential minerals and vitamins include selenium, manganese, vitamin A, and copper. Pasture grasses and supplements designed especially for goats can make sure they get all these vitamins and minerals.

Protein

Protein is essential for a goat for it to develop properly. Soybeans and legumes can be fed to a goat to ensure they get enough protein. Oats, barley, alfalfa, and other grain products would also make sure of that.

Water

Lastly, water is essential for all beings, and yet you must ensure that your goat always has access to fresh and clean water to stay hydrated.