COEUR d’ALENE — Some lucky goats got a belated Christmas treat Saturday.

People dropped off their Christmas trees at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds for a $5 donation, which will help fund 4-H.

The trees aren’t going to waste. Over the next few weeks, 12 goats on a farm will chow down on them, which Kootenai County 4-H describes as an eco-friendly alternative to dispose of Christmas trees.

As it turns out, the goats love eating the needles.

“It’s like candy for them,” said Camden Bradshaw, who has been part of 4-H in Kootenai County for six years.

Two goats, Clover and Valentine, were on site as the trees were delivered, gladly accepting pets as they nibbled at the donated trees.

It would take about a week for one goat to devour all the needles of one tree, according to Bradshaw. It’ll take about two weeks for the 12 goats to get through the dozens of donated trees.

For Alex Martens, Saturday’s event reflected some of the best parts of being involved in 4-H.

“Taking care of the animals is my favorite part,” Martens said.