Trees are much closer to a goat's natural food than hay. Goats are mainly mountain dwellers in the wild. They like to nibble on woody vegetation. Bark is like a cookie for them. Our goats eat mixed hay on a regular basis, usually alfalfa and bermuda. When they're allowed to go roaming on the property, they eat up the hard weeds the cows won't touch. They'll stand on their hind legs to trim the mesquite trees, too.
Since the holidays have come and gone and so many people have so many pine trees just sitting about waiting to go to the landfill, I decided to do a little tree collection. Better in my goats' tummies than wasting away to nothing. The branches, after they've been denuded and dried, will be great in the fireplace. The needles are said to contain vitamin C and also be a natural dewormer for goats.
A cup of pine needle tea has more vitamin c than a cup of orange juice! Steep a bit in boiling water, covered, for 15 minutes. It tastes a bit piney and will do wonders for sores in the mouth and colds. love, your friendly neighborhood herbalist.
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