# Pine Trees and Goats



## stano40 (Apr 19, 2010)

Are Pine trees dangerous to eat for pregnant goats?

bob


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## glenolam (Apr 19, 2010)

There is another thread about goats eating pine trees - you should view it to get more opinions.

Mine (along with many other goats belonging to people in this forum) will fight for the right to eat a pine tree.....


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## Mea (Apr 19, 2010)

stano40 said:
			
		

> Are Pine trees dangerous to eat for pregnant goats?
> 
> bob


Seems as tho one type is not really good for them, but i cannot remember which on...a hemlock mebbe ?

  Pine needles are very high in vitamin C.  In the 'olden days'  people would make a tea from them during winter.  ( for humans that is)

  Knowing how our does will eat the bark from the trees... i think the danger is mostly to the trees.


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## michickenwrangler (Apr 19, 2010)

Deer eat them all the time, usually just browsing on the youngest tips. Do not let meat goats browse on pine, it will make them taste like turpentine.

I've eaten my share of turpentine tasting deer.


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## freemotion (Apr 19, 2010)

My four gals ate almost 50 leftover xmas trees between Dec 25 and about the end of March.  They might've eaten more, but I could only drag them home so fast!

I didn't feed them the previous winter, worrying about flavoring the milk.  This year, I did a taste test, and it was fine.  I don't drink milk plain, though, but no one in the household complained.


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## stano40 (Apr 20, 2010)

My main concern was being warned about feeding too much pine to a pregnant doe.  I have 2 doe's that are due in late May, around the 20th by our figuring.

The warning was too much pine can cause still born's & the doe aborting the fetus/baby.

This is my first time with kidding and yes when I find these little facts I begin to think that I should not be giving them pine that they beg for and love to eat the needles and especially the bark.

All winter I had to cut down small pine tree's to give them their snack so all my goats both male and female have been eating pine this past winter.  This is not the only thing they eat they are given minerals/baking soda, blue seal goat feed, & apples/oranges whenever they are available.

bob


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## freemotion (Apr 20, 2010)

This time of year there is plenty growing....well, maybe you need another week or so in ME!  So just give it to them in moderation and they should do fine.  Or not at all....peace of mind is worth the gals going without that particular treat until all the kids are on the ground.


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## stano40 (Apr 20, 2010)

This isn't going to go over very well.  They have a bunch of pines limbs and the top off of one pine I cut down yesterday and already the bark is pretty well stripped.

I'll have to go out there and take it all away from them and then take their wrath from the females.  The males are easy going and just look at me like "fine I'll just chew on that other bush you keep chasing me away from".


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