Pine needles?

[johnniecourtney]

You think it's okay to give some branch clippings for them to peck at? I just know that pine needles are potent with pine oil, and wasn't sure if that'd be bad for them?

Thanks!

Courtney

 

[Dana]

My chickens like to eat pine needles in the winter, so I'd also like to know if they're good or bad.

 

[michickenwrangler]

It may make the eggs/meat taste like turpentine or pine resin.

We live in a cedar swamp and our deer have a pretty funky turpentine taste to them from nibbling at white cedar and white pine. We HAVE to bait them in order to make them palatable.

I use white pine needles for bedding in the coop--makes nice compost for my blueberries.

As a side note, pine needles are very high in vitamin C