Do chickens like Pine Tree needles?

[M.sue]

Good evening everyone,
I've just recently started to let my gals free range every evening the past week. My question ....do they like to eat pine tree needles? The reason I'm asking that is each time they are out they seem to be brawn to the young pines my husband planted 5 yrs. ago. The pines are young and a variety mix and we have hundreds.There is clover, some field grass or whatever growing at their bases...hence my husband leaves it there for some reason I can't remember. Anyway they always seem to find their way to the trees at some point in their outing. I've seen them taste the needles or at least it looks like they are nibbling. My kids and I joke to husband about them nibbling and laugh that some day all his tree will be stripped. He does love our chickens!!

 

[Billyj]

The better question I think would be are pine needles ok for chickens. My asnwer - I sure hope so. Mine eat them constantly. My pine trees are bare to about a foot up. The trees are on the other side of a chained liked fence and it is funny to see my chickens, all 32 of them poking their heads through it to eat them. Unless you don't want them to eat it, I dont think it is a problem. But that is just my 2 cents. Someone else may say different.