Can goats be given raw potatoes: the benefits and rules for introducing into the diet

Domestic goats are unpretentious animals. They thrive on a wide variety of foods, both dry and succulent. However, many experienced owners of these animals have a negative attitude towards feeding raw potato tubers to their pets and prefer dry and green food. Beginning goat breeders cannot always decide whether it is possible to give domestic goats raw potatoes, in what quantity and what are the benefits of tubers.

Product benefits

Potato tubers are useful for goats, first of all, for their nutritional value. 100 g contains:

• protein - 2.2 g;
• fat - 0.1g;
• carbohydrates - 15g;
• dietary fiber - 2g;
• water - 79 g;
• calories - 77 kcal.

Raw potatoes contain a lot of dietary fiber, fiber, starch. These substances are needed for the development of beneficial microflora in the section of the stomach, which is called the scar. This is where food is fermented.

This product is a source of important vitamins for goats:

• A;
• Group B;
• С;
• E.

The listed vitamins regulate metabolism and digestion, have a positive effect on the work of internal organs. They are needed for the reproductive function of goats.

There are s alts in potato tubers of the following elements needed for proper metabolism:

• potassium;
• calcium;
• sulphur;
• phosphorus;
• manganese;
• zinc.

In the composition of 100 g of raw potatoes there is up to 10-18 g of starch. It breaks down very quickly into simple sugars, which has a positive effect on the quantity and quality of milk. The content of water, vitamins, mineral s alts, carbohydrates in raw potato tubers makes them a useful food for dairy goats. In its raw form, the vegetable is an excellent dairy feed.

It is especially useful to give raw tubers in the autumn-winter period after the end of the grazing season. Yet, despite the benefits, you should not overfeed a domestic goat with raw and boiled potatoes.This can cause her obesity and lead to hormonal disruptions. Among goat breeders, there is an opinion that starch from potatoes can clog the milk ducts. This is nothing more than a myth. In this regard, the product is absolutely harmless.

Important! In order not to feed the offspring, raw potatoes should be removed from the diet of sucrose queens, especially during the launch period.

Rules for choosing raw potatoes for goats

Goats need to choose he althy tubers for feeding. They should not show signs of rot and mechanical damage. If during harvesting, storage violations, or in the second half of winter, the peel on the potato turned green, then in this case you need to remember that this is a sure sign of the accumulation of a toxic compound, solanine.

Potatoes, like all plants of the Solanaceae family, produce the poisonous alkaloid solanine to protect against pests. Getting into the body in large quantities, this substance leads to disruption of vital processes and even death of the pet.There is especially a lot of solanine in the ground green parts of the plant, tops and fruits - berries that appear in place of flowers. However, solanine is contained in tubers in minimal and non-hazardous quantities for animals and humans. If you follow a few simple rules when feeding fresh tubers to goats, then this product will not harm them.

How to give potatoes the right way

To feed domestic goats with potatoes, you need to properly prepare the tubers. In the first 4-5 months after harvesting, with proper storage, the potatoes do not turn green and do not sprout. Tubers should be washed thoroughly before feeding to goats. If there are damaged places, signs of rot, then they are carefully cut with a knife to he althy places.

By the end of winter or spring, the tubers begin to sprout.Before feeding them to animals, all sprouts are carefully broken off, as they contain an increased amount of solanine. If the potato turns green, then the peel must be removed by cutting it in a thick layer to light pulp for the same reason (a large amount of solanine).

If raw tubers are laid out whole for a goat, then, most likely, they are unlikely to interest her, or the animal may choke on them. They must be cut right before feeding. Usually it is enough to cut small potatoes into two halves, and large ones into 4-6 parts. If the farm has 1-2 heads, then the potatoes can be cut into large sticks 10-15 mm thick or cubes. Some animals are happy to eat potatoes sprinkled with s alt, compound feed.

This process will not take long, because 3-4 medium-sized tubers per day are enough for one head. It is impossible to grind potatoes for the future, for more than one feeding. It darkens, loses juiciness and nutritional value.Despite the fact that raw potatoes are he althy, they are not the main food of domestic goats. Even if tubers are present in the daily menu of animals, they should always have free access to hay and twigs from trees in the feeder.

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