Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/farm-asks-for-people-to-donate-their-old-christmas-trees-to-feed-goats/
If you’re like me, New Year’s Day brings a touch of sadness to it – it means that the Christmas tree is soon going to have to get taken down. Christmas trees spark the holiday season’s joy, and taking them down is always a bummer. While there are some that opt for the faux trees that are somewhat easy to disassemble and put away, others prefer the traditional feel and smell of a real tree.
While most of us who buy real trees end up tossing them several weeks later, there is a way to put them to good use once the holidays are over. Michigan’s Lewis Adventure Farm and Zoo posted to social media, asking their local residents to consider donating their trees to the zoo rather than tossing them out.
The reason? The goats enjoy munching on them!
As explained to FOX 17 by the Lewis’ brand ambassador, Jenny Ferrels, their goats are no strangers to the “winter blues.” In order to keep the animals’ spirits up, the zoo likes to keep them occupied with new and exciting items. Apparently, the goats really enjoy the taste of the pine.
It’s not just a fun treat for the goats, the Christmas trees also have health benefits as well. Ferrels stated, “Pine needles have a lot of Vitamin C in them, so they’re getting some vitamins there, and it’s a natural de-wormer for goats too.”
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So, if you live in the Michigan area and want to do something nice in the New Year, you could donate your old tree and make some goats very happy! Of course, before you make a tree donation, the zoo stressed in their Facebook post the importance of making sure that all decorations are safely removed from the trees so as not to harm the goats – particularly tinsel and artificial snow.
If you end up donating your tree, you can rest assured that it will not be wasted as the goats won’t leave much behind. The goats will eat the pine needles, bark, and all.
Stephen Murray, the owner of Pine Cobble Farm in Massachusetts, another farm on the lookout for Christmas trees, explained to the Boston Globe that feeding a pine tree to a herd of goats is quite the “feeding frenzy.” He went on to describe the goats as “piranhas.”
Clearly, these animals are quite familiar with the phrase, “waste not, want not.” Would you ever donate your old Christmas tree to goats? Have you ever seen goats eat a pine tree? Let us know!
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Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog
