# Christmas trees for feed ???



## gibbsgirl (Jan 1, 2013)

Hello,

So our goats have almost no pasture to speak of.  We're feeding free choice hay (some grass, some better quality).  I also keep some grain, and a few other treats that I give them through the winter.

Here's the big question.  Can I feed christmas trees free choice?

I have does getting ready to kid, some wethers and bucks.

I just got a pile of 80 christmas trees.  I propped 4 or 5 up against the walls near their feeders.  They started chowing down.  They didn't want them when they were laying flat on the ground.

Anyway, I just wanted to know if anyone has any experience with problems feeding this.

Thanks, Happy New Year!


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## ksalvagno (Jan 1, 2013)

Any type of food that is new should be slowly introduced. If you let them eat free choice from the beginning, it could give them bloat or diarrhea. So just start out slow.


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## Catahoula (Jan 1, 2013)

I live up in the mountains full of pine trees. My goats eat pine leaves and bark everyday. I would say they can eat Xmas tree free choice. I keep alfalfa hay free choice in the barn too. Usually they have their grains and hay in the morning and then roam all day eating pines or other ground covers.


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## greybeard (Jan 1, 2013)

I'm curious.
Unless you were already predisposed to feed them, Why does someone acquire 80 Christmas trees right AFTER Christmas?


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## OneFineAcre (Jan 1, 2013)

greybeard said:
			
		

> I'm curious.
> Unless you were already predisposed to feed them, Why does someone acquire 80 Christmas trees right AFTER Christmas?


Take a couple, tie a rope around them and a cinder block, sink them in your local reservoir as a reef for Crappie 

That's what I do with them.


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## marlowmanor (Jan 1, 2013)

greybeard said:
			
		

> I'm curious.
> Unless you were already predisposed to feed them, Why does someone acquire 80 Christmas trees right AFTER Christmas?


That's what I'm wondering too! I put an ad up on CL for peoples trees and so far have one in my goat lot. Even then I've only gotten about a half dozen replies. Most have been too far away for me to go so we have not gotten the trees. Of course my goats are being picky and refusing to eat the tree we got too. I may have to try standing it up for them.


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## gibbsgirl (Jan 1, 2013)

I shop at lowe's a lot to get clearance stuff from their garden dept.  I was in their over the weekend and asked about the 50% off xmas trees.  They said they'd sell them for $1-$2 each.

It took me a couple of days to clear out our trucks to go (we got a lot of snow this week).  So, I went today.

The manager offered them to me for $0.50 each if I'd take them all.

We have a wood stove in the basement, so I know we can use the firewood.

And, I feed a few live xmas trees in our yard to our wethers a few years ago.  They loved them.

But, like I said, I've got pregnant does this time and these trees aren't live cause they are already cut.  (Although they're still green and aren't dropping a lot of needles.)

Anyway, with the Lowe's veteran discount each tree was $0.45 plus tax.  Our total was $34.65 plus tax, and a little gas to make 3 trips (probably 2 or 3 gallons).

So, I was good with the deal and the manager was happy to clear the area.

I just wanted to be sure that I wouldn't overload the goats, especially the pregger mommas.

PS.  My kids were cracking up, because our receipt said "You saved $1900.46."  They thought it was awesome like on those extreme coupon TV shows.  But, they said it was even cooler than that because "We didn't even use any coupons!"

So, originally I thought I might get about 20 trees, but because of the deal we struck we got almost 80.


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## OneFineAcre (Jan 1, 2013)

Like I said, we sink them in Falls Lake and mark with a GPS and fish em.


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## Catahoula (Jan 1, 2013)

How many goats do you have? Can you use the trees as supplement? Still feed them what they are used to and let them share a couple tree a day. If the branches dry out, they probably won't eat as much. Mine loves certain pine trees so they would eat more of one kind. They are on their two trying to reach for the higher branches. 
That's a pretty smart ideas...getting them from Lowe's. Good for you.


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## gibbsgirl (Jan 1, 2013)

We have about 25 goats with about 5-6 getting ready to kid.  I am not going to take any of the free choice hay away from them.  I just figured I could add the trees to what they can pick from.  That way the does could have the extra calories and plenty of choices.  My herd is all together for the moment, which means it can get competitive at eating time.  We just built three new feeders to help cut down on the competition for feeding.  Last winter was very warm.  This winter has definitely hit a cold snap with snow.

I'm planning to move the does out of their to separate kidding pens when they kid.


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## SaanenMom (Jan 3, 2013)

For 25 goats, I'd throw in 2-3 a day for several days, skip a day or two, throw in 3 to 5 for a few days, skip another day or two and keep doing that til they're gone. I didn't realize goats liked pine trees til I caught my does in the neighbor's yard chowing down. Your trees are a LOT cheaper than what I had to replace that were destroyed. Those 7 cost me close to $600!! Since then I've had friends bring one or two by every winter and the gals are close to kidding. It has never seemed to bother them.

I DO like Lowe's for their Veteran discount. Didn't know they did that until I bought a freezer for extra milk. I wrote a check and needed an ID. My driver's license was in a different wallet in the pickup, but I had my VA card. The girl told me to void that check and write a new one, I got a 10% discount! On a freezer, that was a lot! 
IDLaura


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## ThornyRidgeII (Jan 3, 2013)

The only thing I would be leery of would be since they were bought commercially what kind of chemicals/spray/treatments were ever used on the trees.. something over the course of time to get those "perfect" Christmas tree looks and maintain needles throughout Christmas season.. before you go throwing lots of pine to a few goats check to see if you can get history on trees!  If you have never treated a sick goat it is very scary and sometimes very difficult!  Always better safe than sorry and although natural pine ( as long as it is pine i.e. spruce or long needled white pine) is not harmful.. a lot with not much else to eat in terms of roughage ( hay) will make for sickly goats!  The offer was too good to pass up true but be careful.. as a previous poster stated Christmas trees do make awesome habitats when sunk in ponds.. or left out over winter for birds to make nests in and get out of weather.. I also like the look of a tree if it can be preserved or let all the needles drop off and then turn it in to a primitive tree for the house (needleless pine tree).. have seen them for sale and know someone who has one..


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