What Animals Eat Amaranth? Can It Be Harmful?

Mammals that eat amaranth

  • Cottontail Rabbit

Birds that eat amaranth

  • Snow Bunting
  • Dove
  • House Finch
  • Northern Flicker
  • American Goldfinch
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Horned Lark
  • Lapland Longspur
  • American Pipit
  • Redpoll
  • Sparrow

Waterbirds that eat amaranth

  • Duck
  • Goose
  • Northern Pintail
  • Bobwhite Quail
  • Ring-necked Pheasant
  • Teal

Amaranth is a plant that can be grown in your garden, but it’s also grown commercially for animal feed. Amaranth seeds are high in protein and have many other nutritional benefits to animals.

Amaranth is eaten raw by animals in the wild. These animals mostly know what they can and can’t eat. Some animals can be poisoned by certain types of amaranth. Unfortunately, even some wild animals will fall victim to amaranth poisoning.

When feeding amaranth to your pets or livestock, if you don’t know if wild amaranth will harm them then you should only use commercial grade feed. Commercial grade amaranth feed has been processed with heat to remove the toxins.

Rabbits eat amaranth

These furry pets are strict herbivores and eat a high fiber diet, so they should also eat amaranth in addition to their regular food. Because rabbits chew their food so thoroughly, amaranth hay can be fed to them as well. If rabbits don’t eat enough forage for fiber, their digestive system will slow down and malnutrition may set in.

Fish eat amaranth

Many fish like to eat amaranth seeds and they’ll also pick at the leaves and stems if they’re in the water. Amaranth is especially good for fish, because it has a greater protein content than other types of grain.

Chickens eat amaranth

Chickens are omnivores and will happily eat worms or insects if they’re available, but you’ll also see them eating seeds, berries, fruit and vegetation like amaranth. Chickens that eat amaranth seeds lay more eggs and produce larger, healthier offspring.

Goats eat amaranth

A goat’s digestive system is made for eating fibrous plants, seeds, and fruit like amaranth. Their diet should include hay or pasture grasses as well as a small amount of grain. Goats should never be fed stale or moldy food because it can make them very sick.

Cows eat amaranth

These large animals are also herbivores and should eat a diet rich in forage and grain to stay healthy. Amaranth seeds offer many health benefits for cows, including more milk production and healthier offspring. The seeds should be crushed and mixed with other grains, though.