# Pine needles



## mayohill (Sep 14, 2012)

Is it ok for goats to eat green white pine needles? Our goats ate some the other day and we wondered if they are ok to eat. We recently lost a goat to kidney stones and we're leary of what our other goats eat.

Thanks


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Should be fine. It is a natural dewormer also.


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## 8566 (Jul 18, 2012)

We come from a cow ranch background and don't feed our does Ponderosa and any other evergreen trees like xmas trees when they are prego.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Pine such as White, Spruce, Fir and others like them are safe for goats, I've always given mine my Christmas tree after the Holidays and my does are also around 3 months pregnant at that time...when mine free range, the first thing they go for besides the grape arbor is the Spruce trees.

Pine is high in Vitamin C and gives a good boost to their immune system to be able to fight off colds as well as keep internal parasite numbers in check.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

yep, it is fine.


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## LJH (Aug 27, 2012)

So far mine have completely ignored our ponderosa and pinon pines. We don't have any spruce on our place but our neighbors across the canyon do, I need to go nick a few branches and see if they appeal.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Spruce is a favorite here,,, if you do get a few branches I bet you'll be loved very much!


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## Tayet (Feb 9, 2012)

I read somewhere (maybe Fias Co Farm) that you shouldn't let pregnant goats eat pine as it sometimes causes abortion, but my does eat it all the time when they are preggo and I've never had an issue.


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

An interesting sidenote: Falconers and vets have fairly recently realised the antiseptic and anti-fungal properties of the needles of many conifers. So much so that fresh pine needles are being used as the main "ingredient" of a revolutionary new treatment/cure for a disease that is a terrible killer of certain species of raptors in captivity, aspergilosis.
This in an interesting thread. I had never really thought about my goats browsing on pine needles much (though I saw Sprite halfheartedly munching on a brown one today). I had considered using "pine straw" as a bedding for the little goat barn this winter. Around here it is widely sold as bedding for some animals. It's inexpensive and pretty fresh. I was thinking it might make a comfy, sanitary bedding. I could use a lot of it and keep the barn nice and cozy and it would smell nice.


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## Bambi (Jun 10, 2012)

Our goats eat pine needles all the time. No problems.


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## RandomGoats (Sep 14, 2012)

My goats LOVE pine. If they can get to a pine tree they will strip it down to a little twig!


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## mayohill (Sep 14, 2012)

*Thanks*

thanks to everyone for the responces. We gave them a branch this morning and they ate it right up.

Ray


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