Yes, goats can eat rosemary.
Rosemary contains high levels of essential oils that are likely to cause digestive upset. What this means is, if you give your goats rosemary, they may get an upset stomach (and possibly diarrhea) as a result. Other side effects such as bloating and flatulence have also been reported.
When given in large amounts, rosemary can even be fatal for goats. For this reason, it is generally recommended not to let your goats eat rosemary at all.
However, in small amounts, rosemary is perfectly safe and healthy for goats. In fact, some people even give their goats dried rosemary branches as a chewing toy.
Prepared rosemary is fine for your goats as well. It can be used as a garnish on top of their food just like you would use salt and pepper. Or, it can be mixed into the food itself.
According to a study, “When rosemary was supplemented in goats’ diets a decrease in dry matter and lactose was reported, whereas fat and protein contents were unaffected.”
What can I feed my goats instead?
If you like, you can also give your goats other herbs such as parsley and thyme. Or you can feed them sunflowers which are a great source of protein for goats.
Alfalfa hay is also a good one you can replace the rosemary with.
