Goats Eat Lemons

I made lemon pie. I squeezed out the juice with

(if you use citrus in cooking, it’s a must-have.) I was left with a bowl full of rinds. The chickens don’t like them. Citrus peels don’t compost easily – after six months they’re still visible, lumpy in the bin. But I have two boys who can’t get enough of them.

goats wait

 

Pip is the goat that eats things he shouldn’t (let’s hope he never tries rhododendrons again!) so just because he’s enthusiastic about them, doesn’t mean it’s a good idea for him to help clean up the peels.

Pip

 

Caper is the cautious, smart goat. He doesn’t eats what he shouldn’t. He loves lemon peels, too.

Caper eats lemons

 

I would never have thought of giving the goats citrus, but a friend who’s an experienced dairy goat keeper told me that it’s a treat that they wag their tails for. She was right.

More please!

more please

Comments:

  1. How cute are they, all lined up on their target stumps. They’re just hilarious. I had no idea goats –or any other animal– loved lemon peels. My lips are puckering just thinking about it.

  2. I`d be inclined to feed them lemons, just for the lovely fresh breath they must have afterwards…..maybe you could add some mint to the mix, just to make sure. Ha ha ha…….. :)

  3. You know, I wouldn’t have thought citrus. But they say goats will eat anything! :D Unfortunately, so does my dog. I dropped an orange section on the floor and he ate it. And wanted more. *shakes head*

  4. Terry, I noticed you have blocked of some nestboxes, is that because they were sleeping in them ?

  5. I had a Siamese cat who would eat anything. She drank my coffee, my wine, anything left on a plate after dinner including salad dressings. My children tested her one day. The only thing they found that she didn’t like was toothpaste. Probably the mint taste. Another cat had a passion for butter-rum Life Savers! He’d practically climb in my mouth when he smelled them.

  6. I love this. They do say goats will eat anything but who would have thought lemon peals! I love the first photo when they are so well behaved on their stumps and seem to be smiling in anticipation. In the second photo Caper waits with such sweet patience and his tongue hanging out. In the last photo I am sure they are smiling with delight. Thank you for sharing.

  7. Do goats have less taste buds than humans? I’d think they’d turn away form the sour flavor…

  8. I read in the Philadelphia Inquirer this past weekend that “Bill,” the Navy football team’s mascot, ended up in the University of Pennsylvania veterinary hospital because he ate azalea. He didn’t get his stomach pumped, but somehow the docs got a tube down to his first rumen and neutralized the toxins. He was quite ill.