So, Can Goats Eat Mango?

Goats shouldn’t have a diet with too much fruit in it, but there is no denying that fruit is nonetheless a valuable source of nutrition for them.

When fed sparingly to goats, all kinds of fruits can give them a good burst of energy, plenty of vitamins and minerals, and extra hydration.

Goats can even have many tropical fruits, ones you might not think of at first. How about mangoes? Can goats eat mangoes?

Yes, goats can eat mangoes, including skins. Like all fruits, goats should only have mangoes and moderation but they are highly nutritious, with a great selection of much-needed vitamins and minerals, including folate, vitamin C, copper, and potassium.

Mangos Are among the most popular and delectable tropical fruits that are now enjoyed worldwide.

There’s no reason your goats can’t have some also! Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about serving mangoes to goats.

Health Benefits of Mango for Goats

Mangoes are most renowned for their delectable sweetness and tantalizing aroma, but they also happen to be pretty healthy.

Mangoes contain a solid and wide range of vitamins and minerals that can benefit goats of all ages.

Mangoes contain a surprising amount of vitamin A equivalent and beta-carotene, perfect for eye health and the maintenance of nervous system cells.

The B vitamins, including B1, B2, B3, B5, and B6 are all used in various cellular processes throughout the body, while folate, one of the standout nutrients found in mangoes, helps with the production of new DNA.

Rounding out the vitamin component of mangoes is it vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin K. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant while vitamin K is a critical for helping the body absorb and utilize calcium.

But there’s more good news about mangoes when you look at the list of minerals that they have.

Mangoes have a little bit of calcium, a good amount of copper, a little bit of iron, magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus, but a decent amount of potassium. Mangoes also contain a little selenium and zinc.

Mangoes are also famously juicy, and are about 83% water by weight. Combined with the potassium and sugars in mangoes this can help goats better manage heat stress on hot days, and that makes mangoes a wonderful summertime treat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnE7joxPSKs

Can Goats Eat Mango Raw?

Yes, goats may eat mangoes raw and this is generally the best way to serve them to them.

Raw mangoes will maintain their nutritional profile, and they are soft and juicy enough that goats will not struggle to chew and swallow them.

Can Goats Eat Mango Skins?

Yes. Goes can safely eat mango skins, although some goats don’t like them very much.

Also, unlike humans, goats not seem to suffer any periodic allergic reactions to the oils found in mango skins so you don’t have to worry.

Can Goats Eat Mango Seeds?

Goats may eat mango seeds, but you are generally advised not to serve them unless they are chopped up or broken down somehow. Mango seeds are hard, tough, and fibrous, and could choke your goats.

However, there is nothing in the seed itself that is harmful, and goats can get a little nutrition out of them if they do eat them.

Can Goats Eat Mango Cooked?

Yes. Goats may safely eat cooked mango, although cooking will significantly reduce the vitamin and mineral amounts present in the fruit.

Never Feed Mango to Goats that Has Been Prepared with Harmful Ingredients

Since we’re talking about cooking, goat owners must never feed mango to their herd that has been prepared with or used as an ingredient in some food that they cannot have.

Things like salt, sugar, oils, and other highly caloric additions are all bad for goats. Mangoes themselves are often used in desserts and various sweet and savory dishes, including ones with meat, but goats should have none of them.

At best, the extra calories will cause goats to gain weight. That has problems of its own, but that is far from the worst outcome.

Harmful foods may cause serious digestive upset for goats, including vomiting and diarrhea but also more serious conditions such as inflammation of the intestines or even sodium poisoning.

You might have a favorite mango-related dish, but you shouldn’t serve it to your goats. If you are cooking mango, only give your goats fruit that has been cooked plain.

Beware of Pesticide on Grocery-bought Mangoes

Any mangoes that you purchase from the grocery store are highly likely to have been treated with pesticides from inception to harvesting, and the chemical residues from these pesticides can cause serious harm to your goats.

Although we have assurances from various government agencies that they are, supposedly, quite safe plenty of evidence to the contrary exists.

The accumulation of these chemicals in mammalian tissue over time has been associated with everything from cancer to reproductive defects and hormonal imbalance. None of it is good, and I know you don’t want your goats to suffer like that.

Therefore, it is in your best interest to always purchase organic and pesticide-free certified varieties of mangoes whenever you can, assuming you aren’t growing them yourself.

In any case, always thoroughly wash mangoes before serving them to your goats, or make it a point to peel them and discard the peels entirely.

How Often Can Goats Have Mangoes?

Mangoes are a healthy treat for goats, but in the end they are just that, a treat. Goats don’t need much fruit in their diet, and they definitely don’t need an overabundance of sugar.

Therefore, you should only feed your goats mangoes in a small serving maybe once a week.

That is enough to let them reap the benefits of the vitamins and minerals in mangoes and certainly enjoy themselves, but you won’t need to worry about any ill effects of overconsumption.

Preparing Mango for Your Herd

Preparing mangoes for your herd is mostly dependent on what type of mango you have. Certain cultivations are tougher, and better off being cut into cubes or small chunks.

Others are super soft and fibrous, meaning you could cut a whole mango into halves or quarters before serving it.

The only thing you should keep in mind is that goats chew with their back teeth, and furthermore cannot open their mouths very wide, so always prepare it in a way that will make it easy for your goats to eat.

Can Baby Goats Have Mangoes, Too?

Yes, baby goats may have mangoes but they only need a little bit every once in a while. Kids can have mangoes once they’re old enough to be eating solid food 100% of the time.

If they periodically reject solid food and try to go back to milk, or are still living on milk day in and day out, they aren’t old enough to try mangoes yet.

Also, keep the quantity very small if you’re going to treat mangoes to kids. They don’t need much sugar, and because they are growing they still have pretty intense nutritional requirements.

If they fill up on mangoes, they’re probably going to miss out on eating their primary feed.

Make Sure You Clean Up After Serving Mango to Goats

Although it is a pain, you must make it a point to clean up after your goats once you have served them mangoes.

Mangoes that have been broken open will rot quickly, and if any of your goats come back around to nibble on a spoiled mango later it could make them seriously sick.

Potentially worse, the sweet, fragrant smell of mango will easily attract other creatures, including pests like rats, mice, possums, and raccoons, and will draw insects by the hundreds.

These critters might bother your goats and they might not, but why take the chance? At any rate, you probably don’t want to deal with them, so clean up the mango when your goats are done with them.