Can Cows Eat Eggs? Is it OK?

Everybody knows that cows are herbivores, right? And that an herbivorous animal is one that eats solely plant matter…

They don’t eat mostly plant matter and a little animal protein: they eat only plants. Simple enough, but when you stop to consider the various types of feed and other foods that are sometimes given to cows, it stands to reason that animal ingredients might be in them, right?

And how about something that isn’t strictly meat, like an egg? Can cows eat eggs and is it safe for them?

No, cows shouldn’t eat eggs. Their digestive system is not made to process the animal proteins in eggs. Raw eggs are a significant source of bacteria that can be harmful to them, too.

I know there are plenty of stories out there about people feeding eggs to their cows or, supposedly, tales of cows liking any eggs that they manage to get but that doesn’t mean it’s okay or a good idea!

In short, don’t give your cows eggs. I’ll tell you more about why you shouldn’t in the rest of this article.

Cows are Herbivores, Not Carnivores or Omnivores

The bottom line is that cows are herbivores. Herbivores eat plant matter. To be perfectly clear, cows are not omnivores and they certainly aren’t carnivores. Carnivores eat basically just meat, while omnivores, as you might have deduced, can eat both plant and animal matter.

Don’t be deluded into thinking that cows are omnivores just because you might have seen an occasional video or sworn testimony about them eating an egg, a bug, or something like that.

Biologically, a cow’s digestive system is optimized for processing plants, mostly greenery, and it’s a lengthy, involved process at that.

It consists of swallowing, partial digestion, regurgitation, more chewing and then swallowing again for subsequent reprocessing to extract as many nutrients as possible.

Although cows might be able to digest eggs- at least partially or some components of an egg- they can’t digest all of it and that is going to cause problems.

Would a Cow Ever Eat an Egg?

Now I want to make it clear that cows might, every now and then, eat something that they technically aren’t capable of…

I’ve seen cows scarf down slugs, grasshoppers, and other stuff that wasn’t a part of their diet before. I don’t doubt that some people have watched their cows gladly eat whole eggs before.

The thing is, animals are ultimately opportunists and operate on instinct. If something seems edible, and it’s there, they might as well try to eat it. This is basically a remnant of their ancient instinct from when they were wild, where picky animals often wind up as dead animals.

But we have to be smarter than that. Just because our cows might gladly eat eggs, and I even like the taste, it just doesn’t mean they are good for them, and we shouldn’t facilitate their eating of them.

Do Cows Like Eating Them?

As a rule, no, though as mentioned above it’s not unheard of that cows will scarf down an egg if they get a chance or are very hungry. Likewise, it’s even conceivable that they could develop a taste for cooked eggs if their owners make it a habit of feeding them.

Are Eggs Nutritious for Cattle?

No. This is not to say that eggs aren’t nutritious themselves; they definitely are, but cows cannot properly digest them to access all of those nutrients.

Eggs are absolutely crammed with protein, healthy fats, and a huge assortment of vitamins and minerals. All of these things are good for cows, make no mistake, but they are only beneficial to them if they are digestible.

Eggs, broadly, are not digestible and so are not healthy for cows. This isn’t even considering the negative consequences that are likely to arise if they do eat them…

Can Cows Eat Raw Eggs?

No. Raw eggs aren’t any better or more digestible for cows. However, they are significantly more likely to make cows sick since they can harbor dangerous bacteria.

Can Cows Eat Cooked Eggs?

No. Cooking eggs makes them marginally more digestible for cows, but this is nowhere near enough to make them a viable source of nutrition. Don’t waste your time, and don’t even try.

Can Cows Eat Pickled Eggs?

Absolutely not. Turns out it’s possible to make eggs even worse for cows, and you can do so by pickling them. Pickling eggs makes them saltier and even more prone to upset the delicate digestive system of your animals. Don’t even think about it!

Can Cows Eat Instant Eggs?

Nope. Instant eggs, whether they are in flake or powder form, are still bad news for cows. And because they tend to fluff up and stick together when they are rehydrated, they are prone to causing serious digestive problems and are prone to upsetting their rumen. Very bad news!

Can Eating Eggs Cause Health Issues for Cows?

Definitely. The simple fact is that eggs are predominantly indigestible by cows. This means that, aside from being unable to extract nutrients and calories from them, they are very likely to:

• ❌ give cows diarrhea,
• ❌ cause a loss of appetite,
• ❌ bloating,
• ❌ a major upset in the pH balance of the rumen,
• ❌ or a destructive disruption of the gut flora– the tiny microorganisms that help cows process food.

All of these outcomes are bad, and some of them can even be life-threatening. Trying to feed your cows eggs and then losing their appetite and losing out on calories and nutrients that they need and can get from other foods.

Disrupting the gut flora means that even if they do eat a few eggs, they might not be able to properly process them, and you’re probably already well acquainted with the harm that diarrhea can cause.

Trying to feed your cow’s eggs because you think it’s cute, because they will like it, or because someone on the internet told you it was okay is only ever going to result in harm, most likely. At best, it won’t hurt your cows, but it’ll do nothing for them either…

Can You Give Eggs to Cows in an Emergency?

We are getting out into edge cases here, but if your cows are absolutely desperate for food you might try to feed them a couple of eggs just to tide them over. Again, it’s never a good idea and I don’t encourage the practice.

And this question is mostly theoretical anyway since it’s difficult to imagine a set of circumstances where you or your cows would have access to eggs but not to better kinds of food.

Are Eggs Safe for Calves?

No, not at all, and they’re actually far more harmful to calves than to adults.

The reason why is twofold: first, calves have an even more sensitive digestive system that is far more prone to upset from substandard, harmful, or novel foods.

Eggs actually fit into all these categories at once and are highly likely to cause major illness in the poor little thing. If they get diarrhea at this vulnerable stage of life, they are likely to dehydrate rapidly, suffer from electrolyte shock, and potentially die. Not good!

The other issue is that calves grow quickly and must have their nutritional needs, concerning calories and micronutrients, met if they are going to develop properly and thrive.

If a calf just gets an upset stomach or a disrupted rumen from eating eggs is going to be missing out on meals that it really can’t afford to miss. In short, again, don’t even think about feeding calves eggs.