I havent had any problems with pine needles or bark. Ive actually cut pine limbs and put in the lot for our goats and they clean them up right down to where there is nothing left but a stick. Actually the man we got our first 2 goats from says that in the winter time he has actually cut down a whole big pine tree and drug it into the field for the goats and they eat the whole thing nothing left but the trunk of the tree and its been debarked. Let em clean the pine up!!!
I live next to a xmas tree farm and I go pick up trimmed limbs all winter for my goats. But I did stop when I started milking, I didn't want it to flavor the milk.
My goats will ignore the pine in summer, when there is plenty of leafy browse for them.
Yes I give mine doses of pine needles, have for a while now and I think it has a preventative effect against some worms.
I think tuperntine is made frome pine tree's and it is the chemical or compound or whatever that is used to make the turps that has the deworming effect, freechoice pine needles would be great, my pine tree's are on the other side of the fence to the goats so I gotta cut it for them, they like it but they will only eat till they had enough and leave the rest so I just give em what I think they will eat now, in regular doses. It all helps.
We gave our goats our Christmas tree and they ate it down to nothing in a few days! Obviously I took every last bit of tinsel on it and inspected it for lost ornaments.
When we go for walks in the woods they will tear each other a part trying to race to the next pine tree...
When I was about 10, my father ( bless his heart, was a real lover of critters) brought home a pygmy goat. He promptly named her Crystal. She became a house pet.
She was in the house over the summer into the winter months. Christmas was around the corner, when my dad brought home our traditional real tree.
Dad sat it up in the corner in the stand to let it rest overnight. We all went to bed and in the morning we were all awakened by my mother screams. We all rushed down the stairs to see what was the matter. Apparently, the Christmas tree had been an overnight treat for our Crystal. She had cleared the tree up as far as her little body could stretch. With no ill effects our little Crystal was banished to the garage until we took down the new Christmas tree.
So, I don't really think you will have any problems with your lovelies.